On Fri, 20 May 2005 18:33:08 +1000, Christian Gerzner
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>This type of thing, AIUI, is now the rule in the Red Sea. You dive with
>a guide, as a group, buddied, or not at all:

Not true, at least in Egypt, Christian.  You may be thinking of the law that
Israel was trying to put in place (what happened to this in the end?)
banning independent diving.

Generally, Egyptian operators insist on playing ducklings for the the first
dive (possibly day) of a holiday, but they do get a huge throughput of
irregular or recently qualified divers and - as per the cattleboats in
Queensland - have to set basic standards to cater for the lowest common
denominator.

However, on all four of my recent trips to Egypt, discreetly taking the dive
guide aside for a quiet word after the first couple of dives has meant they
were perfectly happy to let you go off and look after yourselves.  (Though
even then they do mostly insist on a buddy.)  Usually, the liveaboards are
better at catering for experienced divers as well.

It sounds to me as though Viv was particularly unlucky.  :-(

Cheers,
Huw
--
http://www.huwporter.com