Dive Review of Aggressor in
Red Sea/Marsa Alam

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Aggressor: "Revisiting The Red Sea Aggressor", Oct, 2018, by Timothy J Hedrick, IL, US ( Reviewer 4 reports with 5 Helpful votes). Report 10524 has 1 Helpful vote.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Revisiting the Red Sea Aggressor (2014 – 2018) It has been four years (2014) since we last dove the Red Sea. Back then, it was just called the Red Sea Aggressor. Recently, Aggressor added another boat to the Red Sea fleet, designating the original boat, The Red Sea Aggressor I. In 2014, we were happily impressed with the boat, as at that time the boat was new, and everything worked and worked well. On our return trip to the Red Sea Aggressor I (9/22-9/29) we were unsure what to expect. But, we were thrilled to find the boat in excellent condition and even some of the same crew from 2014. First off, the boat now docks in the heart of the shopping district in Port Ghalib, instead of in the “back forty,” far away from the activity, as in 2014. This had pro’s and con’s. Pro: We were able to disembark and walk around, eat at the restaurants and shop easily. There was even a dive shop directly across from the boat (which came in handy when our dive torch decided to fail). Con: We were in the heart of Port Ghalib; which meant the night life continued long after going to bed. Generally this is not a problem as we always travel with ear plugs. The boat is still in excellent condition. The main salon was spotless as was the rest of the boat and staterooms. The rooms feel slightly more spacious than other live-aboards. A small suggestion would be to install hooks and a bit more storage space, as we had just two drawers a small area with hangers. The rooms overall are well-appointed and comfortable. We were a little disappointed that they replaced the Nescafe coffee maker in the salon with a Bun coffee maker. The Bun coffee maker makes great coffee, but after about 30 minutes, the coffee tasted a little burned. Every morning the Salon crew made coffee and poured it for each guest. By the 2nd day, the crew knew how each guest liked their coffee and prepared it as soon as we entered the salon. The food is great, and the service better than we remembered. Aggressor seems to have changed their policy on substituting food if a meal was not to a guest liking, which was a welcomed addition. Most of the travelling between sites takes place at night and was mildly choppy. This made for some nights that you rocked and rolled in bed. If you’re easily bothered by boat movement, we would suggest a room closer to the stern. The diving was exactly as we remembered! Vibrant colors, tons of fish and visibility better than any place on the earth. From the Spinner Dolphins to the Oceanic White Tip Sharks and all the critters in between, it was amazing! On each dive you were given an option to dive with the dive master or go it alone. We usually choose to dive with the dive master and bring up the rear of the group. The dive masters knew where all the interesting critters lived and did a great job leading the group through swim throughs and the bright open caves. Each dive lasted 60-80 minutes and allowed for the “air hogs” to travel with the group and surface when they were ready. The water temperature averaged in the low to mid- 80’s and at no time were we cold. Day dives called for 3mm shorty and night dives we wore full 3mm suits for protection. When at the island of Daedalus, be sure to tour the lighthouse as the views are awe-inspiring. On all dives, there was a lot to see and experience, but looking out into the blue rewards one with Manta’s and Sharks. The best things to see were usually around 30 – 40 feet along the walls. In most cases, there wasn’t a lot to see much deeper. The islands provide a prime location for over-under pictures, just remember to take your red filter off (opps – we had lots of great over-under video that turned out red – we eventually corrected). The crew obviously have been together for quite some time as they worked like a well-oiled machine, seamlessly providing for every need and then some! It was impressive to see a group work together so well. Only a few crew members spoke English, but the rest of the crew knew what to do, how to do it, and communication was never an issue. Finally, we opted for the round trip transfers between Hurghada and Marsa Alam through Aggressor. The driver and guide both spoke English and provided information on various sites that we passed during the 3.5-hour trip. The Aggressor’s base hotel is the Marina Lodge. We found it considerably less expensive to book the room directly ourselves. The “lodge” was OK for the money, but nothing spectacular by any stretch. A little run down, but it was a bed to sleep in and most things worked. We prefer booking online and a lot of the other hotels in the area made it difficult to book except through a travel agent. Of all the Aggressor boats we’ve experienced, this is one of our favorites and our highest recommendation. From the moment you embark until the day you disembark, we felt pampered and well-cared for. Egypt is a safe place to visit as long as you keep your eyes and ears open. Be smart about where you go, what you wear, and how you behave. This is country full of history, incredible diving, memorable sites and fascinating people. Cheers – TnP
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Worldwide
Closest Airport	Hurgada	Getting There	From Chicago > Turkish Air to Istanbul than Hurgada.
Dive Conditions
Weather	dry	Seas	calm, choppy
Water Temp	83-86°F / 28-30°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	1-100 Ft/ 0-30 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	None
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	1 or 2
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	[None]

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

Subscriber's Comments

By Ms Lynda Durfee in VA, US at Oct 10, 2018 21:14 EST

I was onboard he RSA I for two weeks inn April. Returning for two weeks in December. Exceptional service, Prepare to be spoiled. glad to know everything is still great. I agree, Marina Lodge is so-so. I stayed there in a day room between trips (Sat. must leave boat at 8 am). No food options unless you were staying on all-inclusive and nothing else within walking distance. Upcoming trip, I've got a room and Sunrise Marina Resort.

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Dive Review of Aggressor in Red Sea/Marsa Alam

Aggressor: "Revisiting The Red Sea Aggressor", Oct, 2018,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subscriber's Comments

Dive Review of Aggressor in
Red Sea/Marsa Alam