Egypt has centuries of history and a multitude of topside attractions to explore but it also has world class diving. When you plan your Egypt dive vacation you will have some difficult choices to make because there are so many quality dive options to choose from. From learning to dive at a resort to deep technical dive on historic wrecks, Egypt has it all.

The best known, and easiest to reach destinations are Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada but other areas are developing fast. Along the coast line on the edge of the desert are Taba, Dahab, Safaga, El Gouna, Marsa Alam, Sharm Fugani and El Qusier.

Not surprisingly, tourist numbers have fallen since 9/11 but thankfully for the locals who rely on the tourist income, lots of divers are still visiting.

So what can you the diver expect to see underwater in Egypt?  The short answer is anything and everything. If you’re into shark dives you can pretty much guarantee them in the marine parks and the further south you go the more you’ll see and the bigger they’ll be. Grey reef sharks and white tip reef sharks are common. Schools of Hammerhead sharks can be seen in certain locations.

Scared of sharks? How about doing a wreck diving safari instead? Some liveaboards out of Sharm specialize in the famous wreck dive sites. You can also visit wrecks on day trips dive boats. The most famous wreck is the HMS Thistlegorm, we challenge you not to be awed by this incredible  dive site. We also urge you to dive it soon. The Giannis D and Carnatic are two other popular wrecks dived either from liveaboards or day boats.

The beauty of Egypt coral reefs will leave you breathless (not literally we hope!). The soft coral gardens are made all the more beautiful by the red sea’s crystal clear water that allows the sunshine to penetrate deep down. This truly is a photographer’s paradise. The great thing about coral is that it prefers the shallows where the sun can reach it so a great dive in Egypt doesn’t have to be a deep one which is perfect for new divers or those who like a longer dive. Safety stops are a joy in Egypt. 

Of course Egypt has its fair share of deep dives as well including the famous, or should we say infamous, Blue Hole at Dahab. If you like wall dives, the Ras Mohammed Marine Park  in the Sinai Peninsular,  which is often listed as one of the ten best dive sites in the world (along with about 100 other sites), has 800m drop offs that will amaze you as you drift along taking in the coral formations. And as any good diver knows, deep water plus currents usually means big fish and lots of ‘em.

Now for the downside. Lots of divers have heard about how good Egypt’s diving is and some dive sites can get crowded with boats and divers. Come out of season to avoid the crowds (and to get the best discounts) or dive on a liveaboard that gets to the best sites before the day boats. Sharm and Hurghada are the busiest diver areas because they have the direct flights from Europe. The southern sites like the Brothers, Rocky Island, Daedelous and Elphinstone among others are further from the crowds and well worth the extra distance travelled. We recommend these sites to those jaded divers who “think” they’ve seen it all.

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