FAQs

The representative of Ocean Breeze will welcome you with a sign of Ocean Breeze upon arrival at the airport. After the check out of the entry authority, you go to the luggage claim. After you got your luggage, the representative will bring you to the air-conditioned bus to go to the boat.

As soon as you board the yacht, you have to take off and store your shoes for the whole stay (do not forget warm socks or sailing shoes). After that, you must prepare your dive equipment in your dive box and clear away the rest of your luggage in the cabin. The crew will store the empty suitcases until your departure. One small and one big bath towels are available in all the cabins, both of which will be changed during the safari. In the evening your responsible dive guide will give a briefing about the boat, safety, and diving as well as will give you the general information.

A visa is required to enter Saudi Arabia and can be applied for online or upon arrival for eligible countries. For more information about visa requirements, please, refer to the website www.visitsaudi.com.

Arrival to Saudi
Currently, PCR testing is not required upon entry to Saudi.

As in almost all holiday countries, it is customary to show its recognition for good work and good service in the form of extra money. It is customary, an amount of 80 USD per guest.
Of course, it is up to you, which amount you will give. Who is happy with the performance of our dive guides, may also like to put a tip for them on the 2nd cover.

Check-In
Of course, we need time to load the boat, clean it, and do minor maintenance partly. Thus, we ask for your comprehension that on the arrival day the check-in cannot be before 06:00 pm and the check-out at 09:00 am at the latest. If you check in before 06:00 pm, please, appreciate it if the crew is still cleaning or loading the boat. You will stay the first night in the harbor and the boat will leave the next morning.

Check-Out
One day before departure, the boat will enter the harbor in the afternoon. The luggage will be brought from the storage to prepare all your personal possessions calmly. You will get the details of the return journey from the Ocean Breeze team. Sometimes, because of organizational or technical reasons, which happens rarely, you have to stay in a hotel for the last night as our guest.

Salon
It is prohibited to enter the salon or the cabins with dive equipment. Please, do not wear wet swimming clothes in the salon.

Cabins
All cabins are equipped with individually controlled air conditioning. The air conditioners are not running while the tanks are filled. Each cabin has portholes. Please, make sure that they are closed during traveling. Valuables such as computers, cameras, or phones should be kept in the closet so that no water leaks do the harm.

Sleeping on the deck
In case you want to sleep on the deck, you should bring a sleeping bag and earlaps with you. It is not allowed to bring mattresses out of the cabin, but you can use a mattress on the sun deck.

Bathrooms and Toilets
Please, do not throw toilet paper or any other sanitary waste into the toilet. Use the basket beside as this can clog the plumbing. Fixing this during the safari is not possible most of the time. Please, use soap and shower gel wisely.

Smoking on the Boat
Smoking in the cabins, salons, restaurants, and closed areas is generally prohibited. Please, use the available ashtrays and do not throw the stub over the board into the sea.

The best time to go on a liveaboard is for Farasan Banks is from November until May. From mid-June to mid-September it is very hot and the desert winds also add plenty of sand to the air.

Currents: usually mild, sometimes a little stronger
Surface conditions: mostly calm, rarely rougher
Water temperatures: 24 ° C - 32 ° C
Depths: 5m - 40m
Visibility: 10m - 35m

The best time to go on a liveaboard for Five Corals and Seven Sisters is from June until October.

Currents: medium to strong
Surface conditions: good to rough sometimes
Water temperatures: 27 ° C - 32° C
Depths: 5m - 40m
Visibility: 15m - 35m

According to the COVID measures in your home country. Thus, it is possible to carry out a PCR if required with results available in less than 24 hours. Please, inform us accordingly so that we can arrange a lab appointment for you.

There are 3 meals per day served as a buffet on board. The breakfast used to consist of bread, toast, pancakes, jam, honey, a different variation of eggs, and yogurt.

During the main meal, you will be served chicken, beef, or fish, together with the garnishing rice, noodles, potatoes, and different kinds of vegetables and salads. For dessert, we usually offer pudding, cakes, or fruits. During the safari, there is coffee, tea, water, Cola, Sprite, and juices available free of charge. The catering starts with dinner on the first day and ends with breakfast on the last day.

Our dive guides usually speak German and English. The crew on the boat speaks English partly.

On the boat, the care on board and underwater is carried out by professional dive guides. All of them have know-how in the Red Sea for many years and know the reefs very well. Detailed briefings from the guide make it possible to discover the dive sites independently with your buddy. For diving, we have aluminum tanks with DIN Valves (INT-Adapter on board) and also enough lead. If you need any other equipment, you will have to bring it with you. For the suits, there are dress-hanger. The BCD will be fixed on the tank during the safari. Divers with fewer dives are diving in a small group with experienced divers or the dive guide.

Start-Harbour
Farasan Banks – Al-Lith - Al-Lith
Five Corals and Seven Sisters – Yanbu - Yanbu or KAEC KAEC

Transfer Times
- from Jeddah Airport to Al-Lith is about 2.5 hours;
- from Jeddah Airport to KAEC is about 1 hour;
- from Jeddah Airport to Yanbu is about 3.5 hours.

We offer free Internet connection on the boat. The Internet connection is available, as long as a telephone connection exists.

Safety during Diving
Decompression dives are prohibited on principle and the max dive depth is 40 meters. For emergencies, there are two 150-liter tanks with oxygen, accessories, and medic first aid equipment. We recommend signing special insurance that includes the rescue, costs for Decompression Chamber, and transportation to your home. We recommend obtaining insurance from Aqua Med or DAN. It is valid for the whole year, and even covers outbound trips, not only diving accidents but also other accidents and illnesses.

Safety Onboard
In your cabin, you will find life jackets and on deck, there are inflatable rescue floats. In the salon, the engine room, and in all cabins, there are fire extinguishers for emergencies.
Additionally, the boat has radios and telephones.

Nitrox
Nitrox is provided for free with Ocean Breeze. It is possible to dive Nitrox 32 with 12-liter tanks. For Nitrox 32, you do not need special equipment. Nitrox analyzer is available on board. The training for the Nitrox Basic Certificate (Level 1 + 2) can be taken on board during the holidays. Please, register in advance.

ENOS
On all our boats diving with ENOS is free. The ENOS-System provides 100% safety. If there is a strong current and you drift away, just activate your ENOS-Transmitter and your position will be transferred directly to the boat via satellite.

It is possible to pay cash in USD or Saudi Riyals. POS is also available, we accept Visa and MasterCard.

Due to no insurance, we emphasize that no liability is assumed for missing valuables. You should put your valuables and your passport in your cabin.

The order of the dive sites is variable. Our captain will drive you safely, dependent on the weather, to your dive sites.

ATTENTION:
The trip description is merely our suggestion. Which diving places on tour are dived is determined by many factors including the wind and weather.

Should problems, defects, or inconveniences occur, give this information immediately to your dive guide. ONLY then we can help. Do not wait until the end of the safari.
At the end of the safari, we will distribute a guest report. Here, you can write your impressions or suggestions for our office.

The dress code depends on individual establishments, some casual, others keen on sophistication. Places of worship specifically do require you to dress modestly while visiting. As a predominantly Muslim country, conservative dress is recommended. In beach areas, shorts and casual beach attire is acceptable. In cities and religious sites, conservative dress code is recommended. Wear long trousers, dress or skirt for women, plus t-shirt or shirt to cover shoulders. For women, hair and arms are acceptable to be exposed.
Please follow the rules and customs of the country.

Children 0 - 7 yrs: free of charge;
Accommodation: sharing a cabin with parents.

Children 7 - 11 yrs: 50% off the safari price
Accommodation: a separate cabin is required.

Children 11+ yrs: Full Price
Accommodation: a separate cabin is required.