I've led wreck diving safaris to the Red Sea for six years now, so here's some advice on itineraries and diving....
(If you're looking for information on a specific wreck see the appropriate page on the left, and my book, Death of Ships)
Just about all the wrecks in Red Sea can be visited, but not on the same itinerary, or by embarking from the same place. Some are easily accessible on dayboats, but the best way to dive wrecks is to book a specialist liveaboard itinerary, which has the advantage of allowing you more dives, more time per dive and better access to the wrecks than day-boat diving.
The intact galley of Rosalie Moller
Most safaris departing from either Sharm or Hurghada to dive the northern wrecks will cover much the same sites, though the Sharm boats can cover the wrecks in the Straits of Tiran and the Hurghada boats can cover the wrecks off Hurghada and el Quseir. The Brothers wrecks need a Brothers itinerary, and the southern wrecks can only be done on a southern itinerary, but be aware that southern itineraries tend to be reef and marine-life trips, with the odd wreck thrown in!
Mooring up for a dive at Beacon Rock on the wreck of the Dunraven
Get Wrecked - Northern wrecks ex-Sharm:
Here's a possible itinerary, BUT be aware that no itinerary is ever set in stone and you may make more or less dives at each site dependant on the weather and what the rest of the guests aboard want to do
Day 1: Check dive at Alternatives or Mahmoudat then cross to Abu Nuhas to dive Carnatic and night-dive Abu Nuhas Reef*
Day 2: Kimon M, Chrisoula K and Giannis D at Abu Nuhas, then make a second night dive at Abu Nuhas
Day 3: Repeat your favourite Abu Nuhas wreck, cross to Gubal and dive Ulysses, then off-gas by diving the barge in the afternoon and as a night dive.
Day 4: Steam around the northern tip of Gubal for three dives on Rosalie Moller.
Day 5: Make a fourth dive on Rosalie Moller then, cross back to Shag Rock and the Kingston, before mooring over Thistlegorm and dive her in the afternoon and as a night-dive
Day 6: Make a final dives on Thistlegorm, steam to Dunraven and then make the final dive of your trip at Ras Mohammed
*You might be lucky and night dive Giannis D or Dunraven instead of reefs!
NOTE: From Hurghada the order of wrecks visited would be different and you would probably do El Miniya and a local reef on the last day. You may also have the option to go south to dive Salem Express instead of spending as much time on Rosalie Moller, Thistlegorm and Abu Nuhas.
Brothers Wreck Specials
These are wreck trips that head south to dive the fantastic walls and reefs of the Brothers in the middle of the Red Sea, not to mention the other wrecks not covered on a northern itinerary. This itinerary assumes departing from Sharm, but they also leave from Hurghada and offer much the same wrecks.
Day 1: Check dive, cross the shipping channel to dive Carnatic and Giannis D at Abu Nuhas then head south to the Brothers
Day 2: Three dives on Big Brother, including the wrecks of the Aida and Numidia
Day 3: Two dives on Little Brother, then cross back to land to make an afternoon dive on the al Kahfein and a night dive on the reef
Day 4: A short crossing to Salem Express, then head north to Miniay off Hurghada, Ulysses at Gubal and a night dive on the barge
Day 5: Steam around Gubal to dive Rosalie Moller twice, then cross over to Thisltegorm for an afternoon and night dive
Day 6: Make a final dive on Thistlegorm, then head back to port, diving either Dunraven or Ras Mohammed on the way.
If you want to dive wrecks and nothing but wrecks, and you want some background information to put the wrecks into context then an escorted trip is for you. I escort wreck trips with Tony Backurst Scuba aboard the superb vessels of the Tornado Marine Fleet, and I'd be delighted to see you aboard one day - see the Escorted Trips page for dates and itineraries.
Diving down to Dunraven, that's Whirlwind on the surface above!
