Kirk Truscott- long time diver of the Red Sea talks about his trip on Mistral.

The Barge – Dive site

This will be a dive site that I will remember as being one of the best of this trip for me as a photographer. So much so I dived the site three times, two day dives on day one, one night dive followed by a morning dive the next day. The little life was simply stunning and in vast quantities. The thing I will remember the most from this site is my first sighting of a yellow mouth eel, the colours of this beautiful creature and the brightness of the yellow when it looked straight at me from its resting hole will stay with me for years to come.

The Crew and Dive Guides

Having dived 30 trips in the Red Sea (mainly daily diving), this boat with its crew have set a new bench mark for me. Starting with the crew: all were very helpful, worked well beyond the call of duty and you could see that they were proud of maintaining their hard working and guest caring reputations. The guys looking after our kits before, during and after the dive were amazing at the level of detail to ensure your kit was ready and then returned to your spot on the boat after each dive (very impressed with this).

The guys in the main saloon behind the bar were always ensuring our needs for refreshments were met. Dinner was well organised with finished plates being removed and dessert offered without asking. 5 star service, thank you.

The Guides – Firstly impressed with the use of technology for providing the dive briefs on the LCD using powerpoint was a nice touch. Something you don’t get on the day boats. The briefs from Reda provided all the information required for a safe dive and the level of detail was impressive. I like the touch of using actual photographs from the dive sites to give people an actual representation of what to expect from each dive. In the water, the guides knew the sites like the back of their hands and showed various things of interest to anyone who wanted to see it.

The food

I usually lose weight when I visit Sharm on dive trips. Needless to say I will need some extra gym time when I head home to lose the few pounds I have gained from the food on this trip. Cooking was lovely and complements to the chef.

Rosalie and Ras onboard the M.V Mistral

“After two great dives on the mighty Rosalie Muller, I wasn’t expecting much from the Barge.  I was pleasantly surprised!  The afternoon sunlight in the shallow depth was beautiful and the whole site looked like it had been artificially constructed for an aquarium, it was that perfect!  I met “George” the resident giant moray with a head the size of a Labrador!  The ‘small stuff’ was also beautiful, in particular the dartfish, goby, blenny &basslet.” G. Booth

“Rosalie Muller was just brilliant. I will definitely come back to dive her again. There’s just too much to see. I wasn’t expecting much from The Barge after being high from Rosalie Muller but I was surprised about just how much life was on the small spot around the Barge.  The wreck attracts so much marine life that it kept us busy for several dives.”

Jana Kvaltinova, Prague, CZ

“Why would you need to go anywhere else when we have this only 4 hours away? Absolute paradise – gorgeous soft corals, Moray eel, too many fish to mention. Utter peace - could dive this again and again – can’t wait to come back. THE BEST DAY OF DIVING ALL WEEK! Thanks” Shark Reef – Ras Mohamed -  Alan.

“For me Shark &Yolanda Reef is one of the best dives I have ever done, this dive consists of drift dive, and a great deal of scenery, such as Moray eel, Napoleon Wrass and a great deal of different kinds of coral life. This dive is a must if you visit Egypt.” - Simon Guttridge Poole Dorset UK

“I have never dived in Ras Ghozlani and it took my breath away. I think that the guides saved the best for the last? The pinnacles and anemone city was amazing. And the turtle came to say good bye to us.” - Jana Kvaltinova, Prague, CZ

And something for the Mighty M.V Mistral

“I have been on fifteen liveaboard trips in the Red Sea over the last twenty years.  The crew aboard the Mistral are exemplary.  Everyone has a basic command of English.  There is nothing that is too much trouble for them.  Both before and after the dive, they are there to help and ready & waiting with refreshments.  Superb service.  The dive briefings were very thorough with detailed images of the wreck / dive site and supporting photographs.  The dive guides speak excellent English.  Everyone has a sense of humour!  I would certainly recommend the Mistral to my diving colleagues in the UK.” - G. Boothddixon

Cyclone charms our guests yet again.

M.Y Cyclone charms her guests and gets amazing reviews for the whole team.

“Thistlegorm was awesome!!!! First wreck dive and it was awesome.  Lots of chance to go in and out of the structure which was amazing!! Dive guide provided an amazing tour around the wreck” Maxine

“This is our first live-aboard and we were pleasantly surprised by how nice our room and surroundings were, and have to comment on how well run the dive deck was maintained” Graham & Judi

“Lovely first experience of live aboard.  Would definitely return.  The crew was more than attentive and accommodation very good.”  Maxine and Jeff

“We loved the crew! Friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and always quick to smile. Special thanks to Mahmoud and Ahmed, wonderful people. Tamer is extremely easy to spend time with and was happy to share his experience of the Red Sea and Egypt with you – Shokran Habibi! Excellent briefings, with detail and passion.  Sameh was attentive and very quick to offer assistance.  Both excellent guides and very good divers. The crew and guides are the icing, cream and cherry on top of the cake.” Samantha and Youri

“Thistlegorm – we were the only ones on it at 6am – not a diver in site.  The itinerary was perfect allowing us to experience what so few people get to see” Richard

“Cyclone is a lovely boat.  I have been on her many times before the refit and she has lost none of her charm” Chris

“Yolanda….awesome! You must see it for yourself.  Dolphins swan along with the boat and the Captain (Hamada) even turned the boat around so we could get a better look. Talk about good service!”  Samantha & Youri.

“Very comfortable and super clean –  showers and hot water every day – a luxury”  Yvonne & Stephen

“The knowledge of the guides is good and I like the way pictures of the wrecks were shown in the briefing along the planned dive route – this helped remove fears of the unknown that more inexperienced guests may have had.”

“Thistlegorm was as magical and fantastic as ever and made even more so by the excellent briefings and tips from Tamer. Samantha & Youri

“I was apprehensive with the first dives not having an extensive amount of experience but guides were awesome and quickly made me feel confident to do all of the dives – great sense of humour – and excellent guides on each of the dives.” Maxine

“Loved the variety of food that magically managed to suit everyone. Salads were particularly tasty – fresh and colourful.”  Yvonne & Stephen

Bedales School Liveaboard Trip

Sameh, Reda & Valeria enjoyed guiding a trip with a difference with 15 Children from Bedales School in Hampshire.  The kids had a great time, learnt a lot, and improved their diving skills in the beautiful surroundings of the Red Sea.

The first dives of the week:

“Night dive was a really good experience and my favourite dive of the day!” Georgie Gulliver.

“Great start to the week, really fun and felt at ease with guides already” (Maddy, Scally, Anna and Georgie B).

 “Really beautiful relaxed dives good introduction to Red Sea” (Charlotte and Emily) 

Reef dives:

“Jackson Reef, Jack Fish Alley, Alternatives and ND Jackfish Alley was really cool. There was really cool fish and was nice and warm.” (Freya Priestly)

“Drift dive was awesome” (Maddy, Scally, Anna and Georgie B).

“Loved Jack Fish Alley wish we saw the shark closer” (Charlotte and Emily)

“Small crack was amazing loved Val taking us the other side it was so pretty”(Charlotte and Emily)

“Great last dives at Shark Reef, had loads of fun with the dives and stealing peoples fins” (Maddy, Scally, Anna and Georgie B).

Getting Wrecked

“Wrecks were incredible, loved the coral and glass fish” (Maddy, Scally, Anna and Georgie B).

“Good wreck amazing how intact it was and the variety of life which had grown”(Charlotte and Emily)

“Thistlegorm was amazing. This perimeter dive was my favourite out of the two dives that we did on the Thistlegorm and I would love to do it again!” (Georgie Gulliver).

“Thistlegorm was amazing, loved all the cars and motorbikes” (Maddy, Scally, Anna and Georgie B)

The Guides (Sameh, Reda & Valeria)

“Guides and crew are very nice and very funny.” (Georgie Gulliver)

“You could not meet a more hospitable and friendly crew and the guides were superb and the briefings excellent.  Ten out of ten” (Judy). 

“AMAZING WE DONT WANNA GO HOME!!!!!! WE LOVE ALL OF THE GUIDES AND CREW!” (Maddy, Scally, Anna and Georgie B).

“All amazing; Sameh is so fun and friendly, Val is amazing very cool with the surfing fins, Reda is so funny with his laugh he he he, everyone is soooo nice and friendly” (Charlotte and Emily)

“I will miss the crew and hope to see you all again. They were friendly, very helpful and were the funniest people to ever be with” (Edward)

“This is a very special diving holiday.  The whole package is designed so that you see the best of the Red Sea in the most fantastic boat environment.  I felt really safe both when diving and on the boat which is so important on this type of holiday.  Thank you so much.” (Judy)

“Really amazing trip, so much fun, loved everything and everyone on the boat, will definitely come again if we have the chance” (Maddy, Scally, Anna and Georgie B).

“Incredible and unforgettable. Would love to come again see you soon” (Charlotte and Emily) I

“Will never forget this week and I hope to do it again. See you then. X”(Edward)

My first live-aboard

“My first live-aboard, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.  Weather good and guides very knowledgeable on the wrecks and marine life to be seen.  Support staff helpful, and food plentiful and tasty.” -  Ged McDonald

“This is also my first live-aboard and a very good experience. The staff have been very supportive.” - Richard

“My first livaboard, excellent staff who made me feel very welcome.Three very good dives.” Rob Stringfellow

“Great dive on Jackson. Love to be surrounded by fish no better way to start the day!” Richard

 “Small Boat but small is beautiful.” Hamish.

“The boat has nice character, good layout.” Richard

“Everything you need and superbly maintained by the excellent crew.” John

“Cyclone, best boat that I have been on, out of 8 different boats.” Nigel

“Very friendly and happy crew, Dive guides could not be better.” Hamish

“These guys are exceptional – everyone does their job professionally, and then gives that bit more in friendliness and helpfulness.”  John

M.V Mistral gets ten out of ten

 “I have never been on a live aboard before and I find the boat very nice. Nice rooms. I liked that we got big towels and a bath robe.  Spacious areas inside and outside. I don’t think I could be on a better boat. I also really liked the closets and drawers in the room and of course having our own bathroom was really nice.” Marianne

“Superb one of the best, will recommend to all.” John

“A very good live aboard boat. Can recommend it to all. Huge, good space, little rolling, cabins nice.” Geir

“So much better than the ones we used before.  Good cabins, nice layout of dive deck, good lounge and nice outdoor areas.”  Sue

“This is my second time on a live aboard.  They are the best fleet in the Red Sea.  Fantastic boat.”  Karen

“The briefings were the best and most comprehensive I have ever known.  The guides were really helpful and all the crew had good sense of humour and with our group this is always helpful....”  Sue

“The Guides and Crew and the friendliest people you will meet.  The Crew can't do enough and the Guides are so professional and knowledgeable.  Every briefing is so precise.  They even give the history of the different wrecks which makes it much more interesting.”  Karen

“The food is superb when you consider we are out in the middle of the Red Sea! I am a fussy eater – there was nothing I didn't like.  The Chef even makes a cakes for dessert!”  Karen

M.Y Cyclone welcome 'Newbies' onboard

Are you a new or inexperienced diver?  Maybe this makes you unsure about booking a ‘liveaboard’, as many more experienced buddies might suggest that these trips are only for the experienced.  Well think again as Tornado Marine Fleet Guides will give you all the support you need to have a fantastic holiday.

Cyclone: 18^th Feb: Dive Guides Sameh & Tarek

All the crew have been very helpful friendly and quietly efficient. The dive guides have been excellent and particularly supportive to the less experienced members of my group (Bruce Coles)

Superb crew, extremely welcoming and on hand to help at all times. I've not had a bad meal onboard and the endless supply of tea, coffee and soft drinks is appreciated. The support of the dive team, especially to relatively new divers, is a great confidence boost. (Michael Berg)

Everyone on board has been great. The guides have been first class helping a liveaboard newbie enjoy all aspects of the trip. The briefings have been exceptionally thorough allowing you to relax on the dive as you know what to expect. The rest of the crew have been great from helping with kitting up to getting you back into the zodiacs! (Louise Kelly)

Best briefings in the Red Sea! Excellent guides, very friendly crew making you relax and enjoy the whole week. Very professional team from diving and boat perspective. Go dté sibh slán. (Alan O'Reilly).

Learning to fly on the Woodhouse Express was a highlight of the week (thanks, Tarek)!! Fast drift on the south side and over the saddle avoiding the washing machine between Woodhouse and Jackson. Great stuff! (Alan O'Reilly).

Chrisoula K – for me one of the highlights of the trip. The swim from the stern into the cargo hold and workshop was really good. I'm glad I took the guided option as I would never have found the highlights. (Michael Berg)

Dunraven a nice easy first penetration dive for less experienced people in my group followed by a nice drift along a good reef. Carnatic and Chrisoula K were good follow up dives for them to enjoy (Bruce Coles)

The crew did a great job picking the party up from Woodhouse in significant swells; impressive job! (Michael Berg)

Excellent response to technical difficulties at beginning of dive, which meant I could carry on what proved to be an excellent dive. There was an abundance of marine life (Jim Francis).

Loved both Jackson and Woodhouse Reefs – amazing drifts even with the high wind creating large swells.

Felt like I was flying through the Red Sea. Did my first ever night dive on Beacon Rock which was great – saw lots of lion fish! (Louise Kelly)

Thistlegorm; excellent briefing plus great "emergency" repairs to my dive computer that saved the dive for me. (Michael Berg)

Thistlegorm: one of the highlights of any diver's career, made easier by excellent guide and briefing.  Strong current, but because of briefing it was expected.  Hanging onto shot-line was a thrill in itself (Jim Francis).

Thistlegorm was an outstanding penetration dive out of the current followed by a good hang on the line in a fair current. Very well supported by the dive guide who made sure the less experienced  members  of my party were able to cope safely. Small Crack (or Craic?) was a good easy drift with plenty of life (Bruce Coles)

Really grateful to the guides on the Cyclone for taking us through all the holds on the Thistlegorm – will always remember it as its was my 50^th dive. Perfect in every way! (Louise Kelly)

The guided tour inside the wreck is highly recommended. (Mike)

Compliments to all the staff on the Cyclone.  All have gone out of their way to be extremely helpful and informative.  They work well together and you can see there is a good atmosphere between them.  The divers' briefings were extremely thorough and informative, making dive-planning a lot easier (Fiona MacKillop).