Aquanaut, Hurghada, May, 1995. "Good prices from Europe ­­ $US 800 for flight, full room and board for one week and five all day boat trips (two tanks each). Nice, big, fast boat, friendly crew. Huge groupers and Napoleon fish, exotic. Crocodile fish, blue­spotted sting rays, big and friendly green morays, many good wrecks. . . . Water temp was far too cold for my 2mm wetsuit. But it was my fault, everyone else was wearing at least 6mm. None of the boats in the Red Sea seems to have holding tanks for their toilets. Surfacing at some sites (with more than 10 boats around) was 'fairly disgusting'." Alessandro Usai, Tourinnes­St. Lt., Belgium

Diver's Lodge, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, May, 1995. "Our 9th trip to the Sinai; because of many divers we notice great deterioration of the reefs. If you want to see one of the best dive sites in the world, go now. . . . Diver's Lodge is one of the premier operations in the world. For Americans, we highly recommend it. The service was excellent. The boats used were superb, and the lunch on board, for a mere $6.50 each day (including water and cokes) was truly a value. The rental gear was new and in good condition. All divemasters were PADI instructors and competent." Jim & Joan Boruszak, Highland Park, IL

New Red Sea Divers, Sheraton Hotel, September, 1994. "No tourism is allowed into Saudi Arabia (perhaps fortunately for the reef), but working expatriates have access to the Saudi Red Sea. The beach manager, Simon, and his crew, are among the most helpful and friendly I have seen anywhere. They go out of their way to ensure everyone has an enjoyable experience. Although a lot of training is conducted here, the reef is in excellent shape. Several years ago local construction damaged the reef, but the reef has recovered and I have seen turtles on numerous dives and even some sharks. Even after diving this beach for over three years, I see something new to me on every dive." Michael Einspenner, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Movenpick Hotel, Egypt, October, 1994. "80 degree water, 40­ 80 foot visibility, a couple of sharks." Bryan Erb, Friendswood, Tx

Red Sea Dive Center, Eilat, November, 1994. "Accommodations at the base hotel in Eilat were basic and overpriced. You didn't need to stay there to participate. Support for low-experience divers like myself was good. Experienced divers were allowed to do anything with good advice available if they wanted. This was shore-based diving with a different site in the morning and afternoon. Diving was after a six hour overland 4x4 trip from Eilat to Sharm El Sheikh, Suez. Overnight accommodation at Sharm El Sheikh was similar to an American cabin in the woods, four to a room, no air-conditioning, central shower room in the next building. Israeli guides with good English." Michael Zanin, Chuahoga Falls, OH

Sinai Divers, Egypt, October 1994. "Learn to think in meters Weak orientations. Over populated with divers, but worth the trip. Strong currents, water 80 degrees plus, 50­75 foot vis," Dr. and Mrs. John Patrick, Dubuque, IA

Copyright 1996 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.