Tornado Marine Fleet win 5 PADI awards

The Tornado Marine Fleet team gathered at Sharm el Sheikh's International Port to accept five PADI awards from PADI International representative Terry Johnson on 29th May 2011.  Each boat in the Tornado Marine Fleet was presented with an award.  The crews of Cyclone, Whirlwind, Mistral, Tempest, Hurricane, and the management were extremely proud of this achievement, and will continue to give the diving community the five star service it is known for. 

Mistral liveaboard trip on the 1st May

Mistral 1st May – Dive guides Reda and Tamer

Trip highlights

Thomas Reef – This was a partial drift dive in quite a fast current, we felt like we were flying along like Superman at one point! Plenty of coral and colourful fish, and there were quite a few huge tuna coming in quite close from the blue, and a bit further away a huge shoal of fish looked like they were being hunted because they were swirling around in a bait ball.

The Carnatic was my 100^th dive, the current was minimal and the visibility very good. Myself and my buddy Paul were lucky enough to see our fist moving Nudibranch which was amazing! We also saw 2 Starfish, one 4 legged and one with 5 and a Grey Morey. It was a very chilled dive with few other dive groups to spoil the tranquillity a great milestone dive!!

Shark & Yolanda Reef… Ras Ghozlani.

Our last day, and last 2 dives… We all gathered at the rear of the boat, feeling slightly sad that the trip has come to an end. Shark and Yolanda was a bit rough as the wind had picked up. Visibility was slightly reduced, but never the less we still had an amazing dive. We descended to 25 metres – some of the things that we saw included shoal of Jack's, barracuda's, blue spotted rays, a giant puffer fish, morays, pipe fish and TOILETS! And the rear axle from a BMW, tyre included.

As for Ras Ghozlani, the highlight definitely had to be the giant turtle we saw chomping away. There was a current, but it could have been a raisin. A fabulous end to a fabulous week with a bit of a crazy journey back on the zodiac.

Guest comments:

The Boat:

Having previously travelled on Typhoon, we thought we knew what to expect but the Mistral exceeded all expectations. The boat was kept spotless as were the rooms – cleaned twice a day. The beds were a little on the hard side, but my Mum says that's good ;-)

The crew and dive guides:

From the moment we stepped on board, the guides put us at ease – very

knowledgeable, approachable and friendly. Briefings were always very thorough, and our safety was always number 1 priority. The crew were so helpful that we want to take them all home – from the warm hot chocolates after the first dive to carrying equipment and removal of wetsuits.

As our first venture to the Red Sea we found  the whole trip fantastic.  Every one was most helpful and the guides provided excellent information on the dives and put the divers safety first.  The crew were brilliant at helping us in and out of our dive gear and supplying hot drinks and always good humoured

The food:

We managed to get through 7 bottles of ketchup in 1 week much to the galley boy's amusement. Food was always fresh, piping hot and very enjoyable. Much needed after all the diving! Meals varied, never got bored of the food – tasty! We were all very happy and satisfied – never hungry!

Wonderful food, good mix of tasty protein, carbohydrate, and  lovely veg and salad, and good to have the hot snacks before the night dive.

Liveaboard trip on Whirlwind 1st May with Dickon and Yasser

Trip highlights:

ULYSSES: Fabulous fabulous dive! All the usual suspects on a really  super dive site even through a knackered mask.  But the really cool bit was the dolphins passing by at arms’ length on the way off the wreck to do our safety stop.  And when I say close, I mean really close!  Well done Whirlwind, you did us proud there!

JACKFISH ALLEY: Superb light and lengthy wall/reef teeming with various inhabitants.  Thoroughly recommended.

GORDON REEF: Now that is what I call a drift dive! Felt like I could really Fly!

Ditto the above – haven’t done a drift like that for a long time!

Guest comments:

THE BOAT:

Fantastic!  Wish I had one back home!

Fantastic, exceeded expectations

Very good, comfortable and very relaxing

Great, everything was just as we hoped it would be. 

First class liveaboard with great facilities.  Spacious and comfortable.  Would definitely return.

Second time on the Whirlwind, can’t wait to come back a third time to see Mr Mahgob in 2012!!!!!

THE CREW AND DIVE GUIDES.

Very helpful and informative of the dives during the briefings and the crew can’t help you enough – they really work hard to ensure your holiday is enjoyed at it’s best.  See you next year J

The guides D and Yasser were the best on any liveaboard I have been on. Very informative and safe diving was there priority.

Mr Magoo!!!  He’s mad but made the trip for me.  Every girl loves a bit of special attention even if she knows there will be another next week.  He’s lovely!

Mr. Magoo....  He is a little crazy but gave everyone a little mad attention, enough to make us all smile and laugh....  so good on holiday!

The crew was friendly, helpful, attentive and proactive. It makes diving from this boat a real fun and easy experience. D and Yasser were really great at making sure we knew what we were doing and that everybody was back safe and sound.

My 1^st liveaboard trip and probably the most junior diver on the trip but always felt comfortable, safe and well briefed. Crew and guides were friendly, relaxed and went out of their way to be helpful.

Very helpful, friendly and informative.  I felt very welcome and looked after.

Guides were very knowledgeable and gave good and informative briefings.  The crew were wonderful. They looked after us very well and always had a smile.  Their constant antics kept us amused for the whole trip.

The local knowledge of both guides shone through both above and below the water: first class.  In particular, their ‘avoid nagging’ approach ensured a safe yet relaxed holiday diving experience.  More broadly, the crew were absolutely top notch: best on any diving operation I have encountered.  Friendly, efficient and exceedingly helpful, Whirlwind is lucky to have them.

THE FOOD

As usual, top class.

Delicious! As good as you would get in a top notch restaurant!

Very nice food, well balanced for hungry divers.

Lovely!!  I really shouldn’t eat so much!!!

Food was excellent and plentiful and salon staff and chefs deserve special praise – it can’t be easy catering for so many different tastes all the time. 

Top Class 5* food...can we take the chef home and Mr Mahgob!!!!

Liveaboard trip on Whirlwind 24th April with Dickon and Yasser

Trip Highlights:

BARGE:  Lovely to see George and Georgina as promised, and some of the biggest lionfish Ive ever seen.  One of the more memorable dives as a pod of 4-5 dolphins zoomed straight through our group and out into the blue as we were on our safety stop.  Hard to beat that.

Dolphins! Who needs more? Worth the whole trip. Even without them the Barge is a pretty good dive on its own.

The barge was great for me because I am only 13 and the max depth was 15. Abundance of life, some massive lionfish, some huge morays George and Georgina. DOLPHINS the highlight of my trip they where only with us for about 5 minutes but that was the best 5 minutes of this trip!!

THISTLEGORM: Incredible dive.  Truly an underwater museum.  Having never dived a wreck prior to this trip, I was so excited to see this one.  Second day had great vis and perfect conditions to see the holds and view the locomotive on the sea floor.  Thanks to Yasser for guiding us so well on this dive.

Guest comments: 

THE BOAT:

Excellent – I had no idea dive boats like this even existed

Fantastic – it has everything you could wish for and more

Excellent boat, very well laid out and equipped. 

Nothing compares – or rather I’ve nothing with which to compare it – but very happy

THE DIVE GUIDES AND CREW

Very impressed with the whole set up here on Whirlwind. We were made to feel very welcome by both the crew and guides. We were very well looked after both on the dive deck and in the Saloon. The crew were fantastic, always on hand to help, very aware of our needs, which was very much appreciated. Moreover, they were great fun especially Mr Mahgoub. The guides D & Yasser were excellent; very knowledgeable, professional, safe, patient and helpful. Available to answer questions, concerns and to guide. Very thorough briefings and nothing was too much for them to deal with. It is obvious that both the crew and the guides work very hard. Both crew and guides went above and beyond their duties to make this a fabulous holiday. Very impressed overall. We would definitely recommend this liveaboard.  

All as good – if not, better than could have been hoped for – Friendly, helpful – nothing too much trouble really – Guides D & Yasser very supportive – Instructions clear and well presented briefings – Would recommend and / or return

Far outdid expectations, excellent. High level of knowledge of all dive sites, very safe, but not patronising like many guides can be. I was particularly pleased with the option of guided or un-guided.

Excellent in every way, the Instructors D & Yasser gave clear detailed briefings, very supportive and friendly. We did some excellent diving, my favourite was the night dives on the Barge and the Thistlegorm, the Ulysses and Jackson The crew  are great too, looking after kit, putting on fins, friendly and happy, fun to be around. Would definitely recommend diving with Tornado.

THE FOOD:

The food was good all round and enjoyable. Again, the crew were most accommodating.

Much better than expected, entertained my tastebuds, and unlike most Egyptian food I’ve had in the past. Very pleased. A lot of variety too.

Great choices for all, anything we asked for they made, very enjoyable all week.

Food was great.  Plenty of options, and something different everyday.  Lots of protein/carb combinations for the starving diver.

Loved it. Haven’t had seconds in years. Must be the sea air.

Very high standard and very accommodating to the non meat eater and those who were a little indisposed.

Mistral 17th April – Dive guides Dickon and Yasser

Trip highlights:

ULYSSES: “My dream came true on this dive when firstly a green turtle appeared, which was followed by a large Napoleon Wrasse and then 3 dolphins close enough to touch! The wreck had beautiful varicose wart slugs, blue spotted sting rays and crocodile fish. My favourite dive!

Dolphins on crossing, hoped to see under water...but doubting Dee here thought was a wind up- and once I opened my eyes underwater properly....awesome creatures, so powerful and graceful!”

THE BARGE: “Unexpected visit from a friendly dolphin, the site is full of life.”

“Totally full of life AND visited by two dolphin, beautiful and relaxing.”

BLUFF POINT: “Awesome. Close encounter with no less than 23 dolphins! A lifetime ambition realised.”  Sue Howarth, Lancashire

THISTLEGORM (NIGHTDIVE): “This is highly recommended – again many large specimens of your well known Red Sea fish. Only my third night dive in the safe hands of guide Yasser and buddy Yvonne. Eerie seeing large bat fish in the dark, a large lion fish on the hunt. The only time Ive seen a scorpion fish move – very unwieldy and then there was that wonderful wreck!”

SHARK & YOLANDA: A stunning and dramatic dive. We dropped to 30m initially, taking in the majesty of the sheer 800m drop encrusted in soft and hard coral. Looking out into the blue we saw some beautiful tuna before heading up to the beginning of the drop off point. We then passed between a couple of outcrops, under the watchful eye of a pretty red lionfish before drifting gently towards the wreck of the Yolanda. After a brief sitting residence on top of an old toilet, we swam around the wreck, littered with basking blue-spotted rays and a large swimming crocodile fish, before swimming up around the back of a large outcrop of rock to the reef. Plenty of beautiful coloured fish, big eyes, Sergeant Majors, anemone fish. Finally at 50 bar, up with the SMB and a Zodiac pickup. Happy faces everywhere”  Lucien Oppler, London.

Guest comments: 

THE BOAT:

The boat is great, plenty of lounging space, very well equipped; hot water seems to be available on demand. Well maintained, seems to get a good scrubbing every day, not that you ever notice them doing it! Particularly like the double room... Just need to try the hot tub now!

Excellent – very well equipped and plenty of space for the 20+ divers aboard.

Lovely. Met expectations. Lots of space, well thought out, clean and tidy.

Very spacious diving deck made kitting up very easy.  Lounge and dining area very comfortable. The cabin has good storage space, including the bathroom.  There was always plenty of hot water. 

Excellent – the cabin has good wardrobe and drawer to keep our stuff, air con worked fine with limited noise. Beds are big and comfortable and bathroom is surprisingly big. 

Outstanding crew- seen but not heard- always working\ cleaning and always appear as if magic to help tug into a wetsuit when needed. Good humoured crew and Guides with Great Briefings- include plan A, and B so all know what to expect underwater.

Best boat we have been on – definitely good value for money. Deise & Soeren

A very good dive boat, everything where it should be and in working order. One of the better boats we’ve been on! Rob & Sue

THE GUIDES AND CREW

The guides are great, D inspires confidence whilst presenting briefings in an entertaining and informative/educational way. He has a tremendous amount of knowledge about the area. Don’t know how he spots what he does down there either! Yasser is a lovely warm and friendly sort. He’s a very calming guide to dive with. They both have made this trip just a sheer pleasure.

The rest of the crew are just a lovely bunch, can’t seem to do enough for you. All done with a smile and twinkle in the eye :-). Practical jokes abound! All makes for a cosy and relaxed atmosphere.

The kitchen staff are very attentive, sorting out special requests in their stride. Very very happy with the staff. Really impressed – this is my first liveaboard trip and I can see why Tony Backhurst/Tornado win so many awards year on year.

Brilliant. Nothing is too much trouble for the guides and crew. Between them they create a wonderful and well organised atmosphere with just the right amount of levity. I have particularly enjoyed being peeled into and out of my wetsuit and the experience of getting into a zodiac with a 15 litre cylinder on my back (I’m female and only 5 foot 2!) Excellent guiding and dive briefings that bring the dive alive before you do it. I can’t recommend them enough.

All-in-all, the whole crew all seem to know what needs doing, when it needs doing and just work around us to get it done. They do all this with a smile on their face and make us feel really welcome aboard. It’s well worth the extra few £€$ to come on an Egypt live aboard of this standard.

The dive guides are very knowledgeable and give outstanding briefings.  They are very happy to guide the dives or leave you to dive as you wish.  They continually point out life which would otherwise be missed and their enthusiasm is infectious.

The deck crew and rib crew are so helpful and are there to serve ones every need. They have made the trip a very enjoyable experience.

Can only repeat what have already been written – great guides and excellent crew. All “problems” are taken care off before they really become problems. We did a couple of specialities with D. – he is really an excellent instructor. Deise & Soeren

10th April liveaboard on Whirlwind with dive guides Dickon & Tamer

Highlights of the week

GHIANNIS D: The most famous stern photo in the book – and I was taking a poor replica of it. Such an impressive wreck from the steps down the side to the high bow with Plimsole markings still in place. The engine room was worth visit, although not with eight others at the same time! Blue spotted rays and pepper morays had made the mid section their home while glass fish shoaled around the bow.

CARNATIC:  The best so far.  Plenty of light swimming along inside the remaining super structure both forward and aft with easy access.  Filled with glass fish and other small fish life. The views looking back at both the bow and stern are great too.

BARGE: Although there is not much of the structure left of this boat it provides a sheltering place for an amazing amount of marine life – We saw 4 different types of moray, giant, peppered, undulated and yellow mouthed, both in their hiding places and free swimming. Also 3 free swimming crocodile fish, plenty of huge scorpionfish, sleeping lionfish, even a small napoleon. and if you get bored of the wreck,, you can swim up across the reef and into the lagoon.

THISTLEGORM: What can you say about the Thistlegorm that has not already been said.  It is the Mecca for every diver in the Red Sea and we are very privileged to do so.  Apart from its condition and its contents, it is definitely no ordinary wreck.  It has an atmosphere of the past which calls you back to the dreadful actions of the last World War.  

Guest comments: 

THE BOAT:

"Smashing boat, well equipped and comfortable".

"Good shiny boat, everything you need for fun diving is there."

"Very well maintained, clean and well equipped."

THE CREW & DIVE GUIDES:

“Excellent captain Mohammed and his crew, especially Mr Mahgoub. Excellent briefings from D and Mike really made the dives.” - Dave Mace

“Brill captain. Crew is always there to help, most of the time they read a mind, just before you ask for help they are there. D and Tamer are good and knowledgeable, excellent briefings by D.” -  Danijel Misljencevic

“Dive briefings were excellent and Mike’s talks really added to the experience.  The whole crew were great – worked really hard.” - Stuart Dawson

“The guides and crew can make or break a week on a boat, and this week they did a stunning job of making everyone feel welcome and letting us just get on and enjoy the week.  Particular thanks to the engineers who fixed the compressor overnight; without this the week would have been a lot tougher.” 

“Many thanks also to the many crew who we don’t see day-to-day, but without whose unseen toils we would not be able to enjoy such great diving.  Mike and D’s briefings were great; Mike’s to give some history and D’s to keep us safe.  Thank-you both.” - Will Delves.

“Excellent and very professional dive briefings from D, the best we have had in over 250 dives in the Red sea and enhanced by the very informative and well presented accounts of the wrecks we were to dive by Mike Ward.  The crew attended to all of our needs in a very caring manner and not just going through the motions as we have encountered sometimes on other boats.”  Jean and Richard Dickinson

“Great dive briefings by D, and the briefings by Mike brought the wrecks to life.  It was good to see dive guides who still enjoy diving – I’ve seen so many that seem to have lost the enjoyment. All the crew were fantastic, from the zodiac drivers hauling us out of the water, to very friendly staff overall.  One of my main memories will be Mr. Mahgoub, who we met on a previous trip, and who keeps everyone entertained throughout the week. “ - Andy York

“Very good, very accommodating, very friendly. Nice to see Mr Magoub again after a few years. Guides D and Tamer were excellent. Dive guides can make the trip or break the trip – these guys made the trip, congratulations. Mike Ward was a fantastic addition and his lectures and briefings made the trip even more interesting.” - Steve Wells

THE FOOD:

“Food was excellent and it wouldn’t surprise me if I’d put on a kilo or two.  In the saloon there was always snacks available.” - Danijel

  

“The food was excellent throughout the week, especially considering the size of the kitchen!”

“3 meals a day and snacks too.  All the food was excellent, and if you could pass on the recipe for the chicken wings...!” 

“The food on the boat was first class, varied and well prepared. All in all, it added to one of the best weeks of diving we have had, so, hearty congratulations to everyone concerned”

“How on earth do they make such great food in such a small kitchen?  Everything was excellent.”

“Food was brilliant, especially the chicken wings as an afternoon snack, English skippers will need to significantly raise their game to match this.”

“Very nice. Always tasty and a good variation. Plenty of it.” - Steve Wells

Mistral 24th April - Dive guides Tamer and Reda

The Boat: 

“This is my first live aboard experience and The Mistral has become home in every sense of the word during the last week.  The boat is in very good condition with very comfortable cabins which are kept lovely and clean by the housekeeping staff.  The sun deck has provided a place of rest for the weary diver, with enough space for sleeping, reading and sunbathing.”

 “The dive deck is lovely and has lots of room; each diver has enough space to get ready for dives and enough storage for all your kit.  I like the idea of the camera room, the protected and clutter free space is excellent for setting up camera gear and other dive accessories.  The layout also provides for lots of pre and post dive banter with other divers and boat crew.”

 “We have cruised around the Red Sea and not once wished we were on board another vessel.  Ours is lovely, big and shiny. A boat to be proud of.”

The Dive Guides & Crew

“As with any dive trip, the experience has a lot to do with the level of experience and attitudes of the guides. Reda and Tamer have proven to be enthusiastic and knowledgeable about diving in the Red Sea.  As a slightly nervous diver I was happy to join the guided groups on many occasions and enjoyed having interesting bits and pieces pointed out to me, my inexperienced eyes would have missed a lot of it without these eagle eyed guides.”

 “I can honestly say that I am leaving at the end of this week having learned a lot from the guides and other divers on board.”   

 “The one comment I have heard over and over this week is how the Guides on this boat runs a very tight "ship", the crew are busy with tasks at all times and the appearance and smooth efficiency of this live aboard is testament to the Guides and crews hard work.  There is always someone around to offer a hand or point you in the right direction.”

 “When it comes to dive time, there is always a member of the crew to give you a hand with your kit (or ready with the odd prank to make you laugh). The crew very quickly become as familiar with your kit as you are, with a quick reminder if you have forgotten something.  The tanks are filled very efficiently straight after your dive in readiness for the next time.”

 The Food:

“How do you keep 20 divers and a crew happy and well fed?

Ask the chef on board, he has done a brilliant job with providing our meals on time and with plenty to go around. Omelettes made fresh and on demand for breakfast, a fish meal for lunch and a variety of dishes for dinner, what more could a hungry diver wish for? It is with little wonder that the wetsuit fits a little tighter at the end of the week.”

Whirlwind Wrecks and Reefs 17th April – Dive Guides Tamer and Sayed

“This boat is top quality. After the dive week on Grand Sea Serpent in Sept 2010, it’s nice to be back with Tornado Fleet. “ Mark Thomas

“Great start to the week with a safe and comfortable check dive.  Lots of help and dive advice from the guides.  Well planned and good dive briefings.”

“The crew are very polite and very hard working, to give you the best liveaboard dive holiday – brill.”

“The high point of the holiday was the large pod of dolphins at the Ulysses and the Barge – it was very exciting to have them around during the dive.”

“Top quality food as always. The Chefs work very hard even though we don’t see much of them – well done.”

“The dolphins on the safety stop at Bluff Point were one of the best experiences ever.”

“Excellent dive guides.”