Have dived Abu Nuhas fairly extensively (from El Gouna) and there is some great diving there - although there have been occasions when we haven't made the expected sites as, in the early months of the year, can be pretty blowy the the Straits and was too rough to moor.................. Visibility on the Rosalie (and the current!) can be a bit hit and miss - personally I like Giannis, and ESPECIALLY the Ulysses on Bluff Point (just around the corner) - though serious "Wreckies" will disagree no doubt. The reef at Bluff Point is quite nice, and if current is OK can be a pleasant drift dive with both Wreck ("skeletal") and reef to look at - we have had dolphins in the water with us twice out of 4 dives there (and watch out for long-nose hawkfish on the wreck). Thistlegorm is overdived but pretty much a "must have" in any divers log book - hopefully on a liveaboard you can get into the water either before or after the dayboat scramble.

You will need decent suits - if not dry suits - in Jan . Have had water and air temp both at 18 degrees in early Feb and that starts to get a bit chilly with repetitive diving

The £800 should include flights as looking at the Tony Backhurst site their trips are coming in at £815 for February and that does include flights. This is their itinerary which I did a couple of years ago during the summer. http://www.scubatravel.com/itineraries/liveaboards/egypt/WnR/WrecksAndReefs.html
Providing the weather is OK you should have some good diving. Thistlegorm is a dive to remember especially if you are at my age when the WW2 is recent history to me and the stuff in the holds is stuff you've seen for real.

Thanks. we actually booked it today. we are going with Tony Backhurst on 29 Jan 10 to Hurghada and then onto the Northern Wrecks and reef tour. Flying from Manchester is included in the price. we will be staying on board the Blue Melody or Blue Horizon..cant remember which one now even though I have looked at the pictures on the website at least 20 times!
I am really looking forward to it as last chance I had to dive the Thistlegorm from Hurghada it was closed for conservation/preservation repair/restoration the other winter and then when I was in Sharm last year, I had abit of the pharoes revenge and didn't fancy it...
This time though! Rob is a big wreck fan and we have the Rosalie and Giannis D in the itinary too, wrecks he has done before.

well...this is the 3rd holiday in a row where we are not getting what we originally booked. I don't know why we are having such a bad run with holidays..

had a telephone call tonight..the boat MY Blue Melody which we were due to sail on our liveaboard will not be available..it has gone into dry dock and will be there for quite some time..so we are being moved boats....

anyway, we are now going to be on board MY Blue Horizon (which they say is a better boat..but I wouldnt know) and they are giving us a free upgrade to a master king size double suite....I suppose that should be good..but I looked at the lay outs etc of the 2 boats and I thought our cabin was better on the first boat. Still..shouldn complain..we are still going..and they have given us a nice room at no extra charge...

Bring on the red sea...