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Detailed tour report Blue Storm
We were on the Blue Storm from 14 - 21.9
First of all the many good impressions from us.
After initial problems with the flight with Marabu-Airline we landed in Hurghada with a delay of about 3 hours, we were lucky and could at least fly with them, about a third of 200 passengers did not fare so well and had to stay in Munich (plane broke down and had to switch to a smaller plane).
Nevertheless, we were picked up as agreed at the airport and all visa formalities were completed.
Transfer was totally ok, enough space for divers and luggage.
After about 3 hours we arrived in Port Galib.
There it was already approx. 24.00h, nevertheless there was after short administrative and the cabin allocation still a warm dinner for the last ones who came on board.
Afterwards a tour on board. The Blue Storm is a relatively new, very nice, clean and technically very good boat, although a bit twisty, but that is a matter of taste.
Fortunately, we still unpacked and assembled the dive gear, then already the first shock ... my inflator / folding hose has landed when packing next to the Tassche and was left at home.
Still in the night one of the tour guides has organized a suitable jacket and it was the next morning already on board....
The next day we went to the Jackdive... 2 dives in Marsa trombi.
In the night then the crossing on the Small brother", 2 TG Small and one Big Brother
Then also the night crossing to the Dedalus, where we stayed 2 days and thus 6 dives, with both we had luck with the messengers and there were maximally 4 further there
Also with the hammerhead sharks at Dedalus we had a lot of luck
After that we went for 2 dives to the Elphinstone and at noon we went back to Abu dabab.
On the last day two more dives in Marsa Shouna, which were not very exhilarating.
(would have been perhaps differently evaluated with sighting of the manatee)
The diving in general was well organized, everything very safe, and the dive guides are competent.
On board everything has been very to our satisfaction, cabins clean, food was very good and plentiful, crew very helpful and courteous
Now to the hopefully constructive negative part....
Firstly, the boats are no longer allowed to stay overnight on Brother Island, so only 1 day of diving on the Brothers is possible, this is neither the fault of the boat nor the company, but supposedly the law!!! should perhaps just be better communicated after all we also have to pay a lot of fees for the National Park
Secondly, and this annoys me actually the most, were again divers with 11 dives on the tour!!! (all very nice, but still beginners) Anyone who has been on the Brothers, knows that this can be very dangerous, (mandatory are at least 50 TG) which leads to some dives were not made, officially because of current, but was already often enough on the Brothers that I can judge. Also at Elphinstone the TG at the north plateau was not made....
Again, the fault is not with the boat or the crew, what should they do, not let people dive???
To what extent this can be influenced by the company, I do not know, but the fault lies clearly with the agencies that arrange the trips and do not communicate or control it sufficiently.
Last point of criticism was at the supply... here the crap from the boxes was simply thrown into the harbor basin by the supply drivers..... probably it will have no effect to point out the drivers to the protection of the sea .... But who knows maybe miracles happen....
Conclusion... nice week, but had the first time the feeling that one week is enough,
due to the fact that brother but can only be dived on one day I will probably not make the tour again so quickly ...
(Automatically translated from German)