Dive trip with Hammerhead 2 - 3 nights

Boat

M/Y Hammerhead II is the larger vessel in Hammerhead Fleet's Egyptian Red Sea operation and entered service in 2019. The current operator page markets it as a 45-metre, five-deck liveaboard. The fleet's 2023 catalogue instead records 43 metres, a 9.3-metre beam and “four decks plus rooftop.” Both are official figures, so 45 metres should be treated as the current marketed length and 43 metres as the catalogue technical length until the operator supplies a revised survey.

The vessel carries 32 paying guests in 16 guest cabins. Two additional guide cabins and four crew cabins are working accommodation and do not increase saleable capacity. This distinction matters because the lower-deck plan shows ten rooms: eight for guests and two for guides. Advertising all ten as guest rooms would incorrectly produce 18 cabins and 36 berths.

Public areas are designed for a larger group. Official images show a wide panoramic salon, a bright restaurant with sea-facing windows, coffee and beverage station, shaded upper lounge, open sun areas and several outdoor seating zones. A forward open-air Jacuzzi is advertised and photographed. It is an onboard amenity rather than a guaranteed part of every day; guests should reconfirm its operational status if it is important to the booking.

Hammerhead II has a broad working stern with a dive deck described as holding 36 individual gear or kite-surfing positions, plus two public guest bathrooms. Rows of tank stations, central aisles and a low aft platform allow two groups to prepare without carrying wet equipment through the salon. Two 6.5-metre speedboats with 85 hp Yamaha outboards are listed for entries and pickups, along with a smaller emergency Zodiac.

The current operator specification publishes two main engines at approximately 1,400 hp each, two 270 kW generators, two Bauer K15 air compressors and a Nitrox compressor. Retail pages contain different figures—43 metres, engines around 1,350 hp and other tank capacities—so these should not be mixed into a single supposedly exact technical sheet. The operator's own dated confirmation should control a specialist charter.

Two watermakers are stated at 7 m³ per day each, with two fresh-water storage tanks of eight tonnes each and two 180-litre hot-water tanks. An onboard laundry room is fitted with two washing machines and a dryer. This does not mean personal laundry is free: current retail listings price laundry/pressing as optional, and crew use may take priority.

The vessel has a substantial central air-conditioning system, while guest cabins allow individual control. Advertised safety equipment includes an emergency first-response kit, oxygen, three 20-person liferafts, fire extinguishing and detection equipment, radar, GPS and VHF radio. These systems complement the muster drill, dive safety rules, personal signalling devices, insurance and the captain's authority; they do not remove normal offshore risk.

Full board is standard on current dive packages, with main meals, snacks, water, soft drinks and tea/coffee listed by major sales channels. Exact menus, alcohol, premium coffee and special-diet handling depend on the contract. Allergy, vegetarian, religious and medical requests should be submitted in advance and confirmed again before embarkation.

Although designed primarily for scuba, Hammerhead II is also promoted for free-diving, kite-surfing, leisure and custom cruises. Those activities require their own staff, safety plan and equipment. A standard dive fare does not automatically include kite instruction, free-diving supervision or a non-diving entertainment programme. Non-divers should ask what they may do while dive groups are away from the mother ship.

Cabin

The precise saleable inventory is 16 guest cabins for a maximum of 32 guests, divided as follows:

• 8 Lower Deck Standard Twin Cabins — maximum 2 guests each: each has two separate single beds. The official 2023 catalogue describes both beds as approximately 100 cm wide. These are the conventional sharing cabins for friends or paired solo travellers.
• 6 Upper Deck Panoramic / Deluxe Mixed-Bed Cabins — maximum 2 guests each: each has one larger bed and one separate single bed, plus broad exterior windows. The current fleet page states approximately 160 cm + 100 cm; the 2023 catalogue instead states 130 cm + 100 cm. The live configuration and mattress widths must therefore be reconfirmed. These rooms are sold for two guests, not three.
• 2 Upper Deck Panoramic Master Suites — maximum 2 guests each: forward-facing suites with one shared double bed. The catalogue describes the main mattress as approximately 140 cm and also labels a small auxiliary “baby bed.” That narrow auxiliary berth is not published as a third adult bed and must not be used to advertise triple occupancy without written operator approval.

The guest arithmetic is clear: eight lower twins + six upper mixed-bed cabins + two upper Master Suites = 16 cabins and 32 guests. In addition, the lower deck includes 2 twin guide cabins and the vessel has 4 crew cabins. They are operational rooms and are excluded from guest sales.

Every guest cabin is advertised with a private ensuite shower/toilet and individually controlled air conditioning. Lower rooms have smaller hull windows; the six Deluxe cabins and two Master Suites have the larger panoramic outlook shown in official photographs. Category names vary between “upper-deck cabin,” “Deluxe,” “panoramic” and “Master,” so a reservation should identify the deck and bed layout rather than rely on the label alone.

The upper mixed-bed rooms are especially easy to misdescribe. One larger bed plus one single does not automatically create three capacity, and two unrelated guests should confirm which person will use which mattress. Couples may prefer the larger bed and leave the single unused, while friends can use the two separate surfaces. Exact widths conflict between official documents, making written bed confirmation appropriate when comfort or accessibility depends on it.

The Master Suites should be sold for two on the main double bed. The catalogue's “baby bed” wording is not enough to promise a cot, guardrail, child service or third berth. Families must obtain approval, minimum-age rules, child equipment and the final occupancy in writing. Scuba programmes and open deck areas are not automatically suitable for young children.

No reliable operator source publishes measured cabin floor areas, exact bathroom dimensions, safe, hairdryer, minibar, bathrobes, USB inventory, soundproofing or individual refrigerator for every category. Generic booking icons should not be converted into guarantees. Current retail listings include cabin towels and complimentary toiletries, but quantity, brand and replacement schedule remain operational details.

Single occupancy is not a separate cabin category. A solo traveller normally shares a lower twin or requests sole use subject to availability and supplement. The public plans show stairs rather than a lift and no adapted cabin is published. Guests with reduced mobility should request a written review of cabin access, bathroom thresholds, tender boarding and emergency evacuation before payment.

Diving

Hammerhead II supports a wide range of Egyptian Red Sea diving, from short reef samplers and northern wreck weeks to Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, St John's, Rocky and Zabargad expeditions. The large dive deck has up to 36 preparation positions, while the two tenders allow split-group entries and pickups. The maximum guest count remains 32.

Two Bauer K15 compressors and a dedicated Nitrox system are published. A normal package uses standard 12-litre cylinders and weights. Nitrox is technically available but not universally included: a current sales channel prices a weekly package separately, and certification and capacity still apply. Fifteen-litre cylinders, rental gear, private guides, courses and non-standard gas require advance confirmation.

On a seven-night departure, six diving days and around 18 dives are common, including night dives where permitted. Hammerhead II also appears on current three- and four-night mini-safaris, which naturally carry fewer dives. No dive total is guaranteed: arrival and departure logistics, check dive, current, weather, navigation, park rules and the no-fly interval control the final schedule.

Current route guidance places wreck-and-reef weeks around a 30-dive Open Water threshold, while Brothers–Daedalus–Elphinstone generally requires at least 50 logged dives plus Advanced Open Water or equivalent. The operator or retailer may set a higher standard. Recent experience in current, walls, negative entries and open-water ascents can matter more than an old logbook total.

Night diving can be offered at protected reefs but is prohibited or operationally unsuitable at several offshore marine parks. “Night dives included” means no separate dive charge where one is scheduled; it does not guarantee a night dive at Brothers, Daedalus or every evening.

The tenders are important on exposed sites. Divers may need to enter together, descend without delay, deploy an SMB and complete a blue-water pickup. The briefing's maximum depth, gas rule, current direction and separation procedure are mandatory. Larger guest capacity makes disciplined group allocation particularly important.

Training, rental and private-guide services are available by arrangement, but not every course can be delivered on every itinerary. Technical diving, rebreathers, helium-based mixes, decompression cylinders and sidemount should not be inferred from the presence of Nitrox. Guests must bring appropriate certification, medical documents and insurance and should reserve specialised equipment well before departure.

Suitable dive insurance should cover recompression treatment, offshore evacuation and repatriation. One channel mentions short-term DAN cover on request, but its limits must be reviewed and it may not address trip cancellation, baggage or all medical needs. Personal travel cover remains advisable.

Northern reefs can produce turtles, rays, dolphins and dense reef fish, while central and southern offshore routes add the possibility of thresher, hammerhead, grey reef and oceanic whitetip sharks. Encounters are seasonal and never guaranteed. Divers should avoid chasing wildlife, touching coral or entering wreck overheads beyond their training.

Other Information

Hammerhead II has both shared scheduled departures and custom charter uses. Current booking pages show full weeks, short safaris and themed combinations such as diving with yoga or dolphin-focused programmes. Inclusion varies by product; the itemised confirmation takes precedence over a marketing title.

Commonly included in current standard dive packages when written in the quotation:

• Accommodation in the booked shared cabin category for the stated number of nights
• Full board, routine snacks, drinking water, soft drinks and tea/coffee
• Planned guided recreational dives and night dives where permitted
• Standard 12-litre air cylinder, air fills, weights and weight belt
• Cabin towels, deck towels, routine toiletries and onboard Wi-Fi on current listings
• VAT on itemised current retail offers

Mandatory or commonly separate charges on current sales pages:

• Environmental/marine-park fee — one major current listing displays approximately EUR 200 per trip, while another route-specific seller displays a lower figure; confirm the exact departure
• Port fee — currently around EUR 45 per trip
• Fuel fee — currently around EUR 45 per trip on several offers
• Mandatory service charge — currently around EUR 16.66 per person per day

The discrepancy in environmental fees demonstrates why amounts must not be copied from one route to another. All figures are current examples, not permanent promises; obtain the final total, currency and payment method before booking.

Usually excluded, optional or rate-dependent unless expressly bundled:

• Flights, excess baggage, Egyptian visa, hotels and independent transport
• Airport, hotel, marina and inter-port transfers
• Nitrox, Nitrox course, 15-litre cylinder, rental equipment and replacement of lost gear
• Private guide, dive courses, speciality training and extra dives
• Alcohol, premium beverages and personal bar purchases
• Excursions, yoga teacher or themed-programme activities unless named in that departure
• Personal laundry and pressing despite the vessel having a laundry room
• Crew/guide gratuities and personal expenses
• Comprehensive travel, cancellation, medical evacuation and dive-accident insurance