Egypt Itineraries:

RedTec: Technical 40m+

blue o two are excited to offer 'RedTec' Technical diving weeks, enabling you to dive deeper and longer in the Red Sea. Based on the 'Strait of Tiran and North' itinerary, the RedTec trip will be tailored to the guests experience. RedTec can sail to exciting sites which are not offered on standard itineraries including Eel Garden Canyon, Hebat Allah and the untouched wrecks of the Lara and the 80m Al Qamar Al Saudi Al Misri*. So no matter what your experience, you can be sure that this trip will have something to offer you!

This is a 40m to 100m maximum depth week. There will be two planned dives each day, which, within reason will not have limited runtimes. Some of the sites are shallow (SS Thistlegorm at 33m maximum), but as an extended range nitrox dive on a twinset or rebreather we can’t imagine anything more exciting than a two hour WWII wreck penetration dive!

RedTec is aimed at all levels of technical diver; for those at entry level through to experienced divers looking to further their skills. Experienced technical instructors will be onboard and can conduct a range of technical courses. In addition, they will be conducting mini-workshops throughout the week including dive skill refreshers, dive planning refreshers, kit setup and so on.

If you require training on this trip, this MUST BE PRE-BOOKED as there are a very limited number course places available. Please contact blue o two for further training information.

Groups and charters are welcome to discuss the opportunities RedTec can offer for technical diving and training.

QUALIFICATION NEEDED: You must be a PADI Advanced Open Water diver or equivalent with a minimum of 100 logged dives to join this technical safari.

Sample itinerary:

*PLEASE NOTE The 24th May 2013 trip will be a deep, max 100m trip. Don Shirley (IANTD South Africa) will be onboard and available to offer advanced technical training on request.

PADI TEC 40, 45 and 50 courses (see more HERE) will be available through blue o two (must pre-book) and for the May 2013 trip we are offering 10% OFF these courses! Other technical courses available by request. Please ask your dive travel consultant to find out more.

The itinerary below is just an example of the dive sites visited but please note that they are not guaranteed. All dives sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

- Eel Garden Canyon, Hebat Allah, Lara wreck or Al Qamar Al Saudi Al Misri wreck**
- SS Thistlegorm
- Rosalie Moller***
- Shark & Yolanda Reef, Ras Mohamed
- Strait of Tiran

**Itinerary specific sites such as the Al Qamar Al Saudi Al Misri will be decided once the experience and qualification levels of the guests is established.
***The Egyptian Navy currently has a diving restriction on the Rosalie Moller, which can be lifted/reinforced at any time and therefore cannot be guaranteed on this itinerary. (01/05/13)

Itinerary highlights:

Al Qamar Al Saudi Al Misrii: The proposed highlight of the trip, the wreck of the 125m long, 7600 ton ferry, Al Qamar Al Saudi Al Misri was discovered by Paul Venten & Aaron Bruce. She sank on the 19th May 1994 after an explosion in the engine room and subsequent fire while carrying 505 passengers & 63 crew with the loss of 21 lives. The wreck lies in 83m of water with a minimum depth of 64m on the port side hull. It is intact, lying on it's starboard side making for an absolutely fantastic technical dive.

SS. Thistlegorm - Shaab Ali: Probably the most famous of the Red Sea wrecks. The 129m English Freighter was bombed by German aviation on 6th October 1941. Today she creates an artificial reef on a sandy bottom at 32m max depth. She is home to an enormous variety of marine life and is especially popular with large schooling fish.

Ras Mohamed - Shark & Yolanda Reefs: This is a world renowned dive site, situated at the tip of the Sinai. Two small ergs are joined by a vertical wall dropping into the abyss. At Shark Reef the current allows you to drift along the wall, rich with colourful corals. Moving towards Yolanda Reef you reach a plateau scattered with small ergs and coral outcrops. Continuing around the reef you will come upon the scattered remains of the wreck 'Yolanda' complete with its cargo of toilets and baths. The whole of this area is big fish territory so keep an eye on the blue!

Straits of Tiran: Only accessible by boat, the dive area is found in the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba and is made up of four main reefs that form the top of an underwater bridge. These reefs, named after British cartographers (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon), are world famous for their extraordinary diversity of corals and strong south westerly currents make them home to many large pelagic fish...

Includes: Return flights, 7 nights full board accommodation, visa (not available if travelling via Cairo), transfers, marine park fees, 6 days diving (2 dives a day), 12lt cylinder and weights. Please note that there will be extra costs on top of the package price due to the nature of the trip including further cylinder hire and gas fills. A full price list is available on request.

To discuss this trip further or to book, please contact our Expert Travel Team on 01752 480808 or email info@blueotwo.com

Want to go? Check out the Schedules and Prices HERE

Thanks to (Dray Van Beeck)and (Dan Burton) for providing the featured underwater images.