Cozy up on Cyclone – one of Tornado’s top boats

Just some of the guest comments from their trip on Cyclone on the 14^th January 2012.

Alexandra: Sting ray station, Alternatives and Beacon Rock. These three dives were a great introduction to the Ras Mohamed National Park – the former two conducted during daylight and the latter as a night dive. For those unaccustomed to the north Red Sea, this was a relatively easy prologue to the forthcoming dives, thanks to the sheltered conditions, lack of current (with the exception of the night-dive at Beacon Rock), and the variety of aquatic flora and fauna.

The dive briefings prior to each excursion were comprehensive and well-illustrated, and the guiding from Sameh and Yasser both thorough and supportive. These were characteristics that continued throughout the trip.

Mark Sinnott: After a considerate welcome the previous evening, due to our delayed arrival, the boat brief and check dive were professionally led. As throughout the trip all the briefs were of the highest standard and the dives were guided very well. The trip proved to be one of the best I have had the pleasure of joining and I have been on over a dozen liveaboards.

Brian: all the dives today were again well briefed and although i have not dived here before the briefing gave  me more than enough information to allow me to know exactly what to expect and where to find relevant points of interest  the mix of coral and  wrecks  was stunning  a really enjoyable experience 

Mike and Laura: The highlight of the trip was diving on the Ghiannis D, which was a super experience. The interior of the ship, including the engine room and workshop, were interesting and reminiscent of a bygone era, with a lathe and pillar drill on display for all to admire. The wildlife on the exterior of the ship was, in our opinion, the most beautiful, and affluent and varied of the whole trip. This ship was a fantastic challenge, due to the angle at which it lay on the sea bed. The mast on the seperated bow section was home to hugely varied and abundant forms of life.

Trip Highlights

·         Seeing and photographing turtles at Small Crack and Shark & Yolanda.

·         Having the opportunity to dive the Thistlegorm four times in one trip.

·         Seeing Spanish Dancers on the Beacon Rock night-dive.

·         Witnessing and photographing so many types of nudibranch.

·         Seeing and diving the Ghiannis D, with it's huge variety of life. A reef on a wreck!

What the guests said about Cyclone:

Brilliant. It's the perfect size for a liveaboard: big enough to allow the group to split into smaller parties (for guided and unguided dives), yet small enough to ensure that everyone gets to know one another.

Mike and Laura: The guides and crew were wonderful. No job too small and chef happy to share his recipes! The rooms are beautifully clean and the dive deck was well equipped, with the crew being very attentive.

Food: Delicious. We really were fed well during this trip and, by all accounts (from those who've participated in liveaboards before), the quality of food onboard Cyclone was far superior to that on other boats.

All due respect much be paid to the chef, who treated us to copious cakes on top of soups, mains and salads – including one especially decorated cake for the three divers who had reached 100, 100 and 400 dives respectively