Topaz — a new, diver-built Red Sea liveaboard with space to breathe

Topaz is for divers who want the reach of a serious Red Sea itinerary without giving up the small comforts that matter after several days in the water. The boat is new, purpose-built for diving and arranged around a group of 28 rather than a floating resort crowd. That makes the choice fairly clear: this is a good fit for a diver who wants remote reefs, walls, currents and pelagic possibilities, but also wants a private bathroom, air conditioning, a shaded dive area and somewhere quiet to sit between dives. The recorded routes cover the northern wrecks and Tiran as well as the offshore reefs of Daedalus and Elphinstone. The reason to come aboard is not one isolated site. It is the chance to link very different Red Sea dives in one trip, with a crew whose briefings and food are already central to the boat's reputation.

Topaz makes the impression of a new working dive boat rather than an old vessel dressed up for tourists. The 2024 build shows in the way the boat is organised: cabins, lounges and dive spaces have been planned around a full group returning from the water repeatedly. From the dock, the useful detail is not the top speed but the combination of a broad hull, generous deck space and two tenders ready for site work. Once aboard, the movement is straightforward: equipment lives where it needs to live, the shaded dive area keeps preparation out of the harshest sun, and the indoor lounge gives the group a place to regroup. With 14 cabins and 18 bathrooms, the boat is set up to avoid the morning queue that can turn a liveaboard into a traffic problem. It is a practical first impression, and a reassuring one.

Topaz sounds like a boat where the crew earns its place in the trip. Passenger feedback gives the crew, food and diving the highest marks, with the guides described as approachable and strong on briefings. That combination matters more than polished service language: a good crew makes the handovers clean, notices when a diver is struggling with equipment and keeps the boat moving without making every transition feel hurried. The working languages are English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Italian. With a maximum group of 28, the week should develop the usual liveaboard familiarity quickly, but the boat still has enough separate space for people who want an hour alone. Evenings can stay low-key in the air-conditioned lounge or move outside to the terrace and jacuzzi. The character here is competent, sociable and dive-first, with comfort used to support the programme rather than replace it.

The route can begin with the open-water drama of Elphinstone, where walls drop to a maximum of -60m and pelagic sharks may appear in the blue. Daedalus reaches -40m and is known for steep walls and encounters with reef sharks, hammerheads, threshers, silky sharks, oceanic whitetips and manta rays. In the north, Shaab Ruhr Umm Gamar reaches -40m: an oval reef gives way to a plateau scattered with pinnacles and the remains of at least three wrecks. El Fanadir also reaches -40m, combining a vibrant wall with morays and a cleaning station on a shallow coral pinnacle. Shaab Sabina is the easier-looking counterpoint, a labyrinthine coral garden with a maximum of -14m. In Dahab, Ras Abu Galum reaches -80m, while the Blue Hole reaches -130m and includes technical passages. Napoleon Reef ends at -30m, The Islands at -18m, and The Canyon de Dahab at -54m. Recorded departures run for 8 days and 7 nights, from Hurghada to Hurghada or Port Ghalib, with some Port Ghalib round trips.

Elphinstone →

Max. depth · 60 m

Daedalus →

Max. depth · 40 m

Shaab Ruhr Umm Gamar →

Max. depth · 40 m

El Fanadir →

Max. depth · 40 m

Shaab Sabina →

Max. depth · 14 m

Coral Garden →

Max. depth · 20 m

Ras Abu Galum →

Max. depth · 80 m

Blue Hole →

Max. depth · 130 m

Napoleon Reef →

Max. depth · 30 m

The Islands →

Max. depth · 18 m

The Canyon de Dahab →

Max. depth · 54 m

Across this route, the recurring cast is unmistakably Red Sea: barracudas, sea turtles, Napoleon wrasse, groupers, reef sharks, grey reef sharks, tuna, jacks, morays, anthias and fusiliers. Coral gardens supply the colour, while walls and current-facing reefs give the larger animals room to pass. The reason to choose particular sites is often one animal or one setting. Elphinstone is the place to look for an oceanic whitetip, blacktip reef shark or whale shark; those sightings are possibilities, not promises. Blue Hole is the named site for whitetip reef sharks, along with clownfish and triggerfish. Strait of Tiran brings hard and soft corals, jacks, trevallies and tuna, with hammerheads reported in summer. Shaab El Erg may offer spinner dolphins, while The Canyon de Dahab has the chance of a giant pufferfish. At Shaab Sabina, the broad coral garden is home to small reef sharks, turtles and rays. The spectacle is the contrast: familiar reef life on one dive, then a blue-water search for something much larger.

Manta Ray →

Mobula birostris

Napoleon Wrasse →

Cheilinus undulatus

Whale Shark →

Rhincodon typus

Clownfish →

Amphiprion ocellaris

Spinner Dolphin →

Stenella longirostris

Pufferfish →

Tetraodontidae

The guides are the people who turn Topaz's range of sites into workable dives. Their briefings are reported as clear and thorough, and the crew speaks English, German, French, Spanish, Russian and Italian. The exact guide-to-diver ratio and guide qualifications are not stated, so the sensible expectation is to listen carefully to the site briefing and understand how groups will be assigned on the departure. The boat welcomes divers and snorkellers, and private guide support can be arranged as an optional extra. Safety equipment includes oxygen, first-aid kits, radar, sonar, GPS, VHF/DSC/SSB radio, satellite and mobile communications, an emergency position beacon, life rafts and fire alarms with extinguishers. Night dives are included in the programme. The important working habit is the quality of the briefing: on a remote reef, knowing the entry, current plan, pickup procedure and recall signal is what lets a diver enjoy the site without guessing.

The dive deck is shaded and arranged for repeated preparation, with equipment stations, rinse tanks and a dedicated platform for entering the water. Camera equipment has its own separate rinse area, a detail that becomes valuable on a week of current dives and wall dives. Topaz supplies free nitrox, and DIN adapters are available; the nitrox certification itself is an optional extra for divers who need the course. Sidemount diving is supported with a single cylinder. Rental equipment is available separately, although the listed gear brands and compressor type are not given. Two Yamaha 85HP tenders take divers to the sites and collect them after the dive, so the boat can remain positioned away from the reef while the groups work from the smaller boats. That tender-based operation is especially useful at exposed sites, where a clean pickup matters as much as a clean entry. The dive deck also has the practical basics: outside showers, gear rinsing and a clear route back aboard.

Between dives, Topaz gives the group several ways to get out of the working area. The shaded outdoor space is the natural place to sit wet, compare notes and watch the tender return. The indoor lounge is air-conditioned, with audio and video entertainment and a library for the quieter gaps. There is also a terrace, an outdoor jacuzzi and space for massage, so an afternoon without a dive does not have to mean staying in the cabin. The photo area is kept separate from the general rinse area, which helps camera divers protect their kit without taking over the common space. Wi-Fi is available, and there is a small shop on board, but the boat's better use is simpler: dry off, eat something, check the next site and let the sea do the talking while Topaz moves on.

A day on Topaz is built around the next dive rather than around a clock printed on a wall. The first briefing comes before the first entry, followed by the return to the boat, food, hydration and the short reset needed for the next group. Later dives move between reef walls, coral gardens, pinnacles and tender-launched sites, with the boat travelling when the itinerary requires a new area. Meals and snacks keep appearing between briefings, so divers can eat without turning every surface interval into a formal pause. A night dive is included during the trip, changing the Red Sea's familiar colours into torchlit detail: morays out hunting, sleeping fish exposed and the reef reduced to the part of it the beam can reach. The gaps belong to the shaded deck, the air-conditioned lounge or the jacuzzi. Then the signal comes for the next dive, and the same useful cycle starts again.

Food is one of the strongest parts of the Topaz experience. Meals are served buffet-style, with both Western and local Egyptian cooking, and vegetarian and vegan options are available. Non-alcoholic drinks, water, tea and coffee are included, while beer, wine and cocktails are available separately. The galley also keeps snacks moving through the day, which is exactly what a diver needs when the next meal is never far from the next briefing. The important point is not variety for its own sake. After a dive, a plate that is ready, filling and well prepared saves time and keeps the group on its rhythm. Passenger feedback singles out the food as excellent and flavourful. That is a better sign than a long menu: the galley appears to understand that a liveaboard table has to feed divers, not merely impress them.

The cabins are arranged across the Main, Sun and Bridge Decks, from twin and king Standard Suites to Premium and Superior Suites. Their useful features are simple: air conditioning, a private bathroom and, in the listed cabin category, a panoramic window that keeps the sea present even when the door is shut. That matters after a long sequence of dives, when a cabin needs to be a place to dry out and sleep rather than another social room. Topaz also has non-smoking cabins, daily housekeeping, cabin towels and hairdryers. The higher categories give a choice of deck and outlook, while the standard suites keep the focus on the diving rather than decoration. The boat has enough bathrooms for its passenger capacity, so the night routine should feel less compressed than on many older Egyptian liveaboards. The jacuzzi is above deck, not beside the bunk, where it belongs.

Recorded departures leave from Hurghada or Port Ghalib, depending on the itinerary, and return either to the same port or to the other listed port. Airport-to-boat transfers are included. The transfer arrangement follows the departure details for the chosen cruise, so flight information should be given when the trip is booked. Arriving the night before is the sensible way to protect the first day from a delayed flight or a missed connection.