AVO — a purpose-built Red Sea liveaboard for big routes and pelagic dives

AVO suits divers who want a modern platform for Red Sea routes that reach the offshore reefs, rather than a short coastal cruise. Its programme includes the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, with walls, currents and the possibility of pelagic encounters, alongside gentler coral gardens and classic Hurghada reefs. The boat was built for diving, not adapted to it later, so the useful question is simple: does the route matter more to you than a small, intimate vessel? AVO carries up to 24 passengers, offers shaded dive space, two tenders and included nitrox, and gives non-divers and snorkellers room to come along without making the trip only about the cabins. Choose it for reach, a broad site mix and the chance to spend a week moving between Red Sea reef systems.

AVO arrives as a young boat rather than an old liveaboard carrying decades of accumulated wear: it was built in 2024 and renovated in 2025. Its 44-metre hull and 9.5-metre beam give the boat a substantial presence at the dock, while the layout is clearly organised around a full complement of divers and their equipment. The upper deck holds the cabins, and the boat combines indoor lounges with open deck areas, a viewing deck, terrace and outdoor dining. A pool and jacuzzi add places to sit after diving, but the main impression is practical: this is a large platform intended to keep diving, meals and rest from competing for the same space.

AVO is run by a local and international crew speaking English, German and French. A naturalist guide is part of the onboard setup, which fits a route built around reef life as much as around navigation between ports. The boat also has a bar, audio and video entertainment, a library and outdoor dining, so the evening can stay social without requiring everyone to follow the same plan. There is no passenger feedback to suggest a particular onboard style, and the crew should not be credited with a personality that has not been established. What is clear is the structure: a relatively large group, several shared areas, multilingual communication and a boat designed to support both committed divers and people travelling with them.

The route can mean the Golden Triangle: Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, on eight-day/seven-night departures from Hurghada or Port Ghalib. Brothers reaches -85m, with isolated oceanic reefs, dramatic walls and possible grey sharks, hammerheads, silver tips and white-tip reef sharks. Daedalus reaches -40m and is known for walls and pelagic encounters, while Elphinstone drops to -60m, with remote walls and possible oceanic whitetip, hammerhead, grey, silky and whale sharks, manta rays and gorgonians. Other eight-day/seven-night routes include North–Tiran and North and Brothers. Fanadir North and South reach -30m, with walls, slopes and sandy areas where feather-tail stingrays may pass. Shaab Ruhr Umm Gamar reaches -40m, combining an oval reef, pinnacles and the remains of at least three wrecks. Shaab Sabina is a coral garden to -14m. The Best of the South and the 11-day/10-night Elba itinerary also depart from Port Ghalib.

Daedalus →

Max. depth · 40 m

Elphinstone →

Max. depth · 60 m

Fanadir North →

Max. depth · 30 m

Shaab Ruhr Umm Gamar →

Max. depth · 40 m

Shaab Sabina →

Max. depth · 14 m

Coral Garden →

Max. depth · 20 m

Turtles, morays, reef sharks, grey reef sharks, dolphins, jacks, soft and hard corals appear across several sites on this route, with barracuda, hammerheads and tuna also recorded repeatedly. That gives the week a broad Red Sea cast: reef fish and anthias on the coral, larger hunters along walls and the possibility of dolphins or pelagics when the site and conditions bring them close. The site-specific sightings are the sharper reasons to choose particular dives. Elphinstone is the place for a blacktip reef shark, gorgonians and wrasses; Shaab Ruhr Umm Gamar for a giant grouper; South Laguna for a triggerfish; Daedalus for a bigeye trevally; and Strait of Tiran for surgeonfish and a green turtle. Marsa Nakari South Reef is recorded for shrimp and ghost pipefish, Shaab Sabina for damselfish, and El Fanadir for sweetlips. None of these encounters is guaranteed.

Whale Shark →

Rhincodon typus

Manta Ray →

Mobula birostris

Stingray →

Dasyatidae — Dasyatis, Hypanus, Pastinachus, Himantura, Taeniura

The crew speaks English, German and French, and the boat carries a naturalist guide. A private dive guide is available as an optional extra. Safety equipment includes oxygen, first-aid kits, life rafts, life jackets, fire alarms and extinguishers, a VHF/DSC/SSB radio, radar, GPS, sonar, an emergency position-indicating radio beacon and distress flares. The crew is trained in first aid.

The dive operation has a shaded dive area, a platform, rinse tanks and separate camera rinsing, with a dedicated camera room and charging stations for photographers. DIN adapters are available, and sidemount diving is supported. Nitrox is available and included, while a nitrox certification course is an optional extra. Two 80HP tenders take divers away from the boat and return them for surface pickup, useful on exposed reefs and sites where the current or profile makes tender access preferable. The main platform handles entries and exits, and hot-water showers are available on board, including outdoor showers.

The gaps between dives can be spent in the shade of the dedicated dive area, in the air-conditioned lounge, or outside on the terrace and observation deck. A pool and jacuzzi provide obvious post-dive places to sit, while the library, photo space and camera room give photographers somewhere to work between entries. The boat can also put the non-diving passenger in a different rhythm: snorkelling equipment is available, and the boat welcomes snorkellers as well as divers. When the route allows a shore stop, the included beach barbecue changes the setting completely. These are useful spaces because they separate wet gear, cameras, meals and quiet time instead of forcing every hour into the same lounge.

The boat includes night dives, so the day can extend beyond the daylight reef dives without treating the evening as an afterthought. Meals and snacks punctuate the time between entries, while the shaded dive area, camera facilities, lounge, terrace and observation deck give divers somewhere to recover or work. The boat may be underway between sites. The shape is simple: dive preparation, entry from the platform or tender, surface pickup, food and recovery, then another dive or a night entry.

Meals are served as a full-board buffet combining Western and local cooking, with vegetarian options available. Non-alcoholic drinks, drinking water, tea, coffee and snacks throughout the day are included; beer, wine, cocktails and a selection of premium wines are available separately. There is also a special dinner and a barbecue on the beach, so the food is not confined to the indoor dining room. On a diving trip, the useful part is the continuity: food and snacks are available around the repeated demands of the day, while the buffet format lets divers choose a lighter plate before getting back in the water or eat properly after a demanding dive.

The cabins range from Standard Twin and Standard Convertible cabins to Premium versions and suites. All have private bathrooms and air conditioning; panoramic windows and accessible balconies are available in the cabin accommodation. That gives the upper deck cabins a stronger connection with the sea than an inward-facing bunk, especially between dives or when the boat is underway. Cabins are non-smoking and have towels, toiletries, a hairdryer and television. The boat also provides an air-conditioned indoor lounge, while the terrace and observation deck offer the alternative when the weather is worth being outside. Internet is available, though a liveaboard still makes most sense when the cabin is used for sleep and recovery rather than as a second hotel room.

Departures and returns are listed from Hurghada or Port Ghalib, depending on the itinerary. Airport and hotel transfers are included. Arriving the night before is sensible, leaving room for a delayed flight before the boat departs.