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Alison's week on Typhoon I arrived into the new terminal at Sharm airport and was amazed by the transformation. I always used to dread the chaos, the hassle and the general stress of a Sharm airport arrival. We came into the airport and were immediately met by Timour our ground assistance representative. We exchanged our pre paid visa vouchers for our visas and went straight through passport control to collect our baggage. The bus was outside waiting and within 30 minutes of arrival we were on the bus on the way to the International Marina to meet our boat Typhoon. The Dive guides Reda and Susannah and all the crew gave us a warm welcome as we stepped onto the boat. We were taken upstairs for a short but very good safety briefing. We were shown our cabins and then went onto the dive deck to set up our equipment and they made sure everybody had everything they needed and in full working order before we set off on our adventure. (After setting up our equipment the tanks were filled the whole week in situ which saves so much work as oppose to changing tanks after every dive) With bags unpacked and dive kit at the ready we retired into the dining room for dinner…..what a feast……lasagne, chips, salad, vegetables and for dessert an Egyptian cake. The food for the entire week was amazing in variety, taste and amazed me at what they produced in their tiny galley. We had a vegetarian onboard and also someone who did not eat fish, something separate was made for them on every meal. Breakfast was always a choice of fresh fruit salad, cereal, cheese, breads, cold meats and the choice of a tailor made freshly cooked omelette. Our first dive was a local check dive allowing us all to adjust to the clear waters of the Red Sea, check out our weighting and any new equipment. After breakfast we headed straight out to Abu Nuhas where we dived the Ghannis D, Chrisola K and the Carnatic – all incredible wrecks. Next on the agenda was the wreck of the Ullesses, which was the highlight of my week. At the end of the dive we were meandering along a pretty reef wall at 10 metres when 5 dolphins cruised past and instead of swimming on by stayed and played with us all for 20 minutes! Every divers dream! We were very privileged to dive the Rosille Moller, an incredible wreck with so much fish life it was hard to see the wreck! We then moved onto Thistlegorm late afternoon just as the last day boat was leaving to return to Sharm. We did an afternoon dive and a night dive, which was just incredible, and something I had never experienced with working on day boats. To have the Thistlegorm all to yourself makes the dive even more special. Next on the itinerary was the wreck of the Dunraven and the dive site of Small Crack. We then ventured into the national marine park of Ras Mohammed and dived Shark and Yolanda reef and Jackfish Alley. As we got there so early although on a site where other day boats dive we were the only ones there as the day boats were only just leaving the jetty. A 7am dive on Shark & Yolanda is a definite must! From Ras Mohammed we ventured to Tiran for a dive on Thomas and moored up in the Laguna overnight where the last night dive of the week was done. Our last days diving, where had the week gone? A 7am dive on Jackson Reef for me was the perfect end to my holiday. My favourite dive world over. The amazing coral garden on this reef never ceases to amaze me. The hardcore members of the group did their last dive on Ras Umm Sid. I missed this one to get my last sunrays on the top deck before sailing back into the Marina having lunch and heading back to our last night hotel. The hotel exceeded all expectations, dinner was cooked Al Fresco and the whole group then headed to Camel bar for a final drink, a shisha and a farewell chat. This was a fantastic experience and I would definitely recommend liveaboards to divers new and old. If you have a real passion for diving this is a chance to roll out of your bed and into the water before the day divers have even had breakfast! Plus spending the week with likeminded divers who at the end of the week become friends for life.
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