Independence II — a wood-built Red Sea liveaboard made for serious diving

Independence II suits divers who want access to Egypt's offshore marine parks without giving up space between dives. The boat's routes reach the Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, St. John's, Fury Shoals and the northern wrecks—sites that are difficult or impossible to reach from a day boat. Free nitrox, a broad dive platform and two tenders keep the focus where it belongs: getting divers to the right part of the reef, then making the next dive straightforward. It is a good choice for a diver who has at least 50 logged dives, holds AOWD or an equivalent certification, and wants challenging walls, currents, sharks and wrecks rather than a beginner resort itinerary.

The first impression is of a substantial wood-built dive boat arranged around working space rather than decoration. Teak is used across the decks and inside, giving the saloon and passageways a warmer feel than a bare utility vessel. Once aboard, movement is simple: cabins below and on the main deck, the saloon and dining area inside, then the open-air spaces and dive platform where most of the day actually happens. The stern platform is reached by two stairways and gives divers room to prepare, rinse equipment and enter the water without turning every surface into a gear pile. Between dives, the boat opens out toward the shaded bar and sun deck.

The atmosphere is built around a small group living close to the dive operation for a week or more. English and German are spoken by the crew, and the team helps with equipment as well as running the briefings and boat routine. Passengers commonly gather in the saloon or at the shaded bar in the evening, after the last rinse and the final meal. The crew's emergency and first-aid training matters most when conditions turn difficult, but on an ordinary day its value is quieter: gear is where it should be, the next entry is explained, and divers are not left to work out the boat alone.

The route depends on the departure, but the recorded programmes run for eight days and seven nights, or fifteen days and fourteen nights. Elphinstone is the headline wall: the reef drops to -60m, with currents bringing pelagic life close to its steep sides. Rocky Island is a current-affected offshore reef where sharks, barracuda and manta rays are possible. At Fury Shoals, hard-coral formations form canyons and passages rather than one long wall. Carless Reef reaches -40m and is known for giant morays swimming free in the blue. At Umm Gamar, the coral wall leads to a cave at 28m and the remains of Hans Hass's shark cage; the site reaches -30m. The Straits of Gubal reach -50m and turn wrecks into artificial reefs. Shaab Abu Nuhas, Fanadir South and Fanadir North reach -30m, while Gotha Abu Galawa reaches -35m and combines a coral lagoon, wall and sandy slopes. Depending on the itinerary, the boat also reaches Middle Reef, Abu Kafan, Sachwa Abu Galawa and the shallow coral garden of Gotha Abu Nugar North, whose listed maximum is -9m.

Elphinstone →

Max. depth · 60 m

Rocky Island →

Fury Shoals →

Carless Reef →

Max. depth · 40 m

Umm Gamar →

Max. depth · 30 m

Straits of Gubal →

Max. depth · 50 m

Shaab Abu Nuhas →

Max. depth · 30 m

Fanadir South →

Max. depth · 30 m

Fanadir North →

Max. depth · 30 m

Gotha Abu Galawa →

Max. depth · 35 m

Middle Reef →

Abu Kafan →

Sachwa Abu Galawa →

Max. depth · 30 m

Coral Garden →

Max. depth · 20 m

Gotha Abu Nugar North →

Max. depth · 9 m

Across the route, the recurring cast is large enough to keep a diver looking: morays, reef sharks, barracuda, jacks, tuna, turtles, Napoleon wrasse, hammerheads, scorpionfish, lionfish, snapper and anthias. Mantas and oceanic whitetips are recorded at several sites, while dolphins appear across several areas rather than belonging to one single reef. The site-specific sightings are what give the itinerary its shape. Elphinstone is the place for blacktip reef sharks, whale sharks, tiger sharks and giant jacks in the route records. Fury Shoals is the listed site for triggerfish. Umm Gamar adds sweetlips, batfish and crocodilefish. Fanadir North is where stonefish and trumpetfish are recorded. The Straits of Gubal stands out for giant hard-coral structures and jacks, while Sachwa Abu Galawa is noted for purple soft corals and gorgonian gardens. Currents at exposed sites are part of the reason pelagic encounters are possible, never a guarantee of one.

Manta Ray →

Mobula birostris

Napoleon Wrasse →

Cheilinus undulatus

Lionfish →

Pterois volitans

Whale Shark →

Rhincodon typus

Tiger Shark →

Galeocerdo cuvier

Dive groups run at roughly one guide for every eight to ten divers. Guides speak English and German, and every dive begins with a site briefing; the group is then organised around the conditions and the guide's plan rather than sent down as an unstructured crowd. Independence II asks for at least 50 logged dives and AOWD or an equivalent certification, which fits routes involving current, exposed walls and offshore marine parks. Courses are listed as an extra service, but the boat is not presented as a technical-diving platform. Safety equipment includes ENOS for divers, oxygen, first-aid supplies, life jackets, emergency rafts and firefighting equipment. The captain and guides can change the plan when weather, regulations or conditions require it.

The dive deck is the boat's strongest practical feature. Divers use included 12-litre tanks and weights, with 15-litre tanks available at extra cost; DIN adaptors are carried. Two compressors fill the tanks, one rated at 480 litres per minute and the other at 320 litres per minute, while a membrane system supplies free nitrox. Equipment rental is available at extra cost. Storage boxes keep personal gear together, wetsuit hanging space lets equipment drain, and freshwater rinse tanks are provided for cameras and dive gear. Warm-water showers are available after the dive. Two zodiacs, each powered by a 40 PS Yamaha, take divers to the entry point when the boat cannot sit directly over the site; one has a ladder to make boarding easier after the dive.

Between dives, the useful places are the shaded outdoor seating, the open-air saloon, the air-conditioned indoor saloon and the sun deck with loungers. Some divers will want shade and a book; others will sit near the bar and watch the sea while the crew resets the dive deck. Kayaks are carried on board for time away from the compressor and briefing schedule. When the boat is moving between sites, the upper deck gives the clearest sense of the distance being covered. There is also Wi-Fi, though it depends on phone reception.

A normal day is built around the next entry rather than the clock. The first briefing comes before the first dive, often followed by two or three daytime dives as the boat moves between reefs. Meals land between those dives, with snacks and drinks available when a diver's surface interval does not match the buffet. On itineraries that allow it, a night dive adds a different reef: hunting morays, lionfish and other nocturnal life replacing the daytime traffic. The last day is shorter, with two dives. Published route plans give a useful outline: some departures leave after harbour clearance at about 9:00, and some boats return toward port around 16:00, but the captain and guides adjust the sequence for weather, permits and the site itself.

Three buffet meals are served each day in the air-conditioned dining area, with both Western and local food. Dietary restrictions can be catered for, and hot and cold soft drinks, tea, instant coffee, water and snacks are available through the day. Alcoholic drinks and spirits are separate. The buffet format fits the diving better than a long formal meal: divers can eat what they need, return to the deck, and be ready for the next briefing without turning lunch into an event.

The 10 cabins are divided between lower, main and upper decks, with twin and double layouts, deluxe twin cabins, a master cabin and an upper-deck suite. Every cabin has its own bathroom and individually adjustable air conditioning. The lower-deck rooms are the practical choice; the main-deck cabins put the bed closer to the shared living areas, while the suite has a panoramic window. The wood interiors and teak decks soften the hard edges of a working liveaboard. At night, the air-conditioned cabin gives a quiet retreat from the saloon, the bar and the movement of other divers on deck.

Routes depart from and return to Hurghada or Port Ghalib, with some Port Ghalib operations subject to a last-minute change to Marsa Alam. Group transfers can be arranged from the airport at extra cost; a representative meets arriving divers at the airport exit with a Bluewater Safaris sign, and the return transfer is arranged in the same way. Arriving the night before is the sensible choice for a liveaboard departure, especially when the final port is not yet fixed.