Emperor Divers News

It seemed like such a good idea at the time. After all this wasn't a new experience for us. A couple of years ago Mohamed Hamid, Steve Kehoe and I had pitted ourselves against a silky shark and lived to tell the tale, so how much harder could it be with an oceanic white-tip? Ok it's true, back then we'd had the added benefit of an anchor line to strategically position ourselves behind when the silky had come a little bit too close for comfort (a 2.5" diameter rope provides plenty of psychological protection against a 2.5m shark). This time we would just be depending on our cameras and a whole lot of misplaced bravado.

Gary Ball, Dive Centre Manger, reports...

Our Dugong Survey has taken on a life of its own with guests asking to dive the same site time and time again to collect more and more information! We have had 15 individual sightings this month but one question that always comes up is how to tell if they are male or female? A difficult question to answer until during one dive a group were given dramatic evidence that this was a male...those who saw it know what I mean! One of our guides, Chris Gooda, has collected so much information that he has made a Dugong presentation slide show and talk which he has practised on us and it really is fascinating.

It turned out to be a holiday of 'firsts' for Simon Berry with his first trip to Sharm and the first guest to complete the BSAC Ocean Diver course. Simon's partner, Amelia Charles is a BSAC instructor and gave Emperor BSAC Instructor, Steve Kehoe, some valuable assistance. Steve was very impressed with Simon's enthusiasm during the course, "Every time we did a sheltered lesson or open water session Simon improved and his confidence grew enormously."

Only two days ago, Paul Palmer was diving from Marsa Alam when he took this great photo of a turtle.  Here's what Paul had to say...

"Dive Site: Marsa Shoni Kebeir. Afternoon Dive with Mo guiding. My Buddy, and Spotter, was Maike Freund from Germany and the photo was taken towards the end of the dive at about 9m. It was a fantastic dive even without the Turtle. Lion Fish, Scorpion Fish, Crocodile Fish and all of the normal 'usual suspects'."

   

 

Dive instructor, Terry Axam, shares his past.

I remember a time when you could jump into the back of a pick up truck and go anywhere for 3LE (30p) regardless of how many people it was carrying. I remember living in an area called Hey El Nour thinking I was doing really well because I had just come from a guest house (if you could call it that!) called the Pigeon House. At the time I had opted for the slightly more expensive 50LE per night room because it was a proper room with fan, not a bamboo hut! I still had to use the communal bathroom, but even this I considered better than another area of Sharm called Hadaba. It had no roads, no lights and you really took your life into your own hands if you were taking a trip there. If you fell down one of the numerous holes, you'd never be found! I remember shouting up to the roof to my flatmate to give our satellite dish a kick just to get a fuzzy BBC world picture that we would watch because we were too broke to go out. I remember getting my guests on a Monday and diving with them for 6 days solid. A night dive and trips to Dunraven and Thistlegorm were regarded the normal itinerary for the week. Divers checked out on Saturdays and we blew the tip money in "Camel" that evening and recovered on the Sunday.

Ready to try something a bit different?

Then come and see us at Emperor Divers in Safaga and enjoy diving 'the way it used to be'. The centre is based at the Safaga Beach Club on the south side of this bustling port town.

Safaga is still part of the real Egypt and it has the perfect touch of Red Sea diving with miles of undiscovered reef and dive sites where we can GUARANTEE to be the only divers in the water! And the private beach bar is the perfect place to unwind at the end of a great day's diving.

Private beach at Emperor Safaga

Diving from the speedboat Mimi

The shallow, plateau house reef straight off the beach is a photographer's dream and the perfect place for beginners to start their diving adventure. Speed boat diving gives us access to local sites, many of which are unique to Emperor. The wreck of the ferry El Arish El Tor, just 5 minutes boat ride is fondly referred to as the 'house wreck'.

For information on the dive area of Safaga, check out the website and watch the video.

Special Offer

An unbeatable package just for you from Emperor Safaga:

• 7 nights accommodation on a half board basis in the Amira Hotel (just 5 minutes from the dive centre)
• PLUS 10 dives over 5 days on our fast, fun speedboat "Mimi"
• PLUS unlimited house reef diving

You book the flight, we'll do the rest, including arranging airport/hotel transfers if required (suppl. applies).

Email info@emperordivers.com for more information and conditions of booking. Offer applies to all bookings for holidays until the end of September 2008.

Sharm was a Mecca for divers in the Red Sea throughout the 80's and 90's, but as it has expanded over the years many divers have moved on to pastures new like Marsa Alam and Port Ghalib believing that they "have done Sharm". The dive product in Sharm offered by all the dive centres was pretty much the same, daily diving from boats at Ras Mohammed, Tiran or local dive sites...nothing new.

After a great day at Dolphin House, where the dolphins were as friendly as usual, the boat was heading back to port when a large black fin was seen cutting through the waves ahead. As the boat approached the guides where thinking Whale Shark but when they got up close it was a beautiful Sailfish. The picture here was taken by a guide from the boat and shows just how colourful these magnificent creatures are.

Highlights from the Red Sea Bash 2007 in Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh

 

Its popularity grows each year so, back by divers' demand, it's your chance to join in the annual Emperor Red Sea Bash.

Book today for Hurghada, Sharm or Marsa Alam and get set to enjoy some great diving and fun events throughout June and July.

Win lots of prizes including:

• 1 x 5-day dive pack per centre each week (at a dive centre of your choice)
• 2 x 3-day dive packs per centre each week (at a dive centre of your choice)
• FREE Nitrox
• FREE dives
• FREE beer
• FREE BBQ
• FREE Emperor T-shirts (for those must-have fashionistas) for everyone who checks in!
• Dive accessories
• Special reduced-rate trips
• Quiz nights
• UK dive magazine subscriptions
• And last but by no means least - Impressive Prizes for the incredibly popular Underwater Treasure Hunt

By dive instructor Steve Kehoe (now reinstated in his rightful place in Sharm)

If you have ever visited Sharm on a diving holiday you may have heard the expression 'Sharmed out'. There's no Oxford English dictionary definition of 'Sharmed out' but basically it means you are fed up of taxi drivers, shopkeepers and not being able to get pork products. After three years or so that was me. So how did I relieve my 'Sharmed out' affect? Easy, move back to the UK. That'll work!

So I did and worked in the dive industry there. What a fantastic move or it was for the first couple of hours! During my 10-month exile from Sharm I sampled the various delights of UK diving, making my decision to return to Sharm all the easier.