Blue Storm, Egypt

MY Blue Storm is one of the newest steel-hulled liveaboards working the Egyptian Red Sea. Built in 2020 and in service since 2021, she measures 40 metres with an 8-metre beam, which gives her the stability you want when you are crossing open water to the Brothers or Daedalus, and the deck space you want when 24 divers are kitting up at the same time. She is run by Blue Planet Liveaboards, an Egyptian operator with a four-boat fleet sailing weekly from Hurghada and Port Ghalib.

The draw here is a modern boat on the full range of Red Sea routes without a premium price tag. Nitrox is free for certified divers, there are three to four dives a day and 17 to 21 dives on a standard eight-day trip, and the dive deck is laid out so every diver has their own station rather than fighting for bench space. Eleven cabins spread over three decks means the boat never feels packed, and the upper and main deck cabins have proper sea-view windows rather than portholes. She is rebreather-friendly, carries an ENOS diver location system, and the tender fleet is unusually strong for a boat this size, with three Zodiacs rather than the usual two.

The dive deck runs across the stern with individual kit stations, personal storage, fresh water showers and two entry and exit ladders. Tanks are 12-litre aluminium with DIN valves, and INT adapters are available. There is a dedicated camera table with charging points, plus a separate photo and video review area in the air-conditioned salon.

Air and nitrox come from a Mattei nitrox membrane system backed by two Bauer K15 compressors at 900 litres a minute, so fills keep pace with a full boat on a four-dive day. Diving is run from three tenders — one 6.2 m Zodiac with an 85 hp outboard and two 5.2 m Zodiacs with 40 hp Yamahas — which means shorter waits and quicker pickups at exposed sites like Elphinstone and Daedalus.

Most days follow the same rhythm: coffee and briefing before sunrise, first dive at first light, then dives through the morning and afternoon with meals slotted between, and a night dive where the site and marine park rules allow. On the last day it drops to two dives to respect no-fly times.

Safety kit is where a modern hull earns its keep, and Blue Storm is well found. Navigation and communication run to radar, GPS, echo sounder, AIS, HF/MF radio, fixed VHF/DSC and portable VHF handsets, an EPIRB and a SART transponder. On the dive side she carries an ENOS electronic diver location system, which pinpoints a drifting diver's position on the bridge and is genuinely worth having on the offshore reefs where currents run hard. Medical equipment includes a defibrillator and oxygen with dual-function demand valves, and the boat carries a full first aid kit.

Two 125 kW generators and twin Doosan diesels give redundancy on power and propulsion, and she cruises at 12 to 14 knots, which shortens the long southern crossings. Twelve crew are on board, including a minimum of two English-speaking dive guides — usually three on the offshore itineraries.

The interior is bright and modern: an air-conditioned salon with sofas and a photo review corner, and a separate dining room where three buffet meals a day are served. Meals rotate through chicken, beef and fish with rice, pasta, potatoes, vegetables, salads and fresh fruit, with snacks between dives, and desserts, water, soft drinks, tea and coffee always available. Special diets are catered for with advance notice.

Outside there are shaded and open sun decks with loungers, bean bags and cushioned seating, plus balcony areas on the main and upper decks and an outdoor dining space. Towels and robes are provided at the deck showers. There is no Wi-Fi on board, which most guests treat as part of the appeal, though Egyptian mobile data works at many of the inshore anchorages.

What's included - Full board accommodation, all meals, snacks and soft drinks, tea and coffee, tanks, weights and belts, guided diving with English-speaking divemasters, free nitrox for certified divers, and airport transfers from Hurghada, Marsa Alam or Port Ghalib depending on the departure port.

Not included: marine park and port fees, equipment rental, dive computer hire, alcoholic drinks, crew gratuities, courses and dive insurance.