Diving in Egypt: Red Sea Guide for Divers

Diving in Egypt is the reason a diver in northern Europe can leave home on Friday and be finning along a coral wall in 26°C water by Saturday morning. The Red Sea packs hard coral in genuinely good condition, warm water in every month of the year, 30-metre visibility as the ordinary state of things, and one of the world's great wrecks, at prices that make the Mediterranean look expensive.

This guide covers where to base yourself, what each resort town is actually for, when to go, and what it costs.

What makes the Red Sea different

It is a young, narrow, almost enclosed sea with negligible river runoff, which is why the water is so clear and the reefs so sheer. Walls drop from the surface into the blue within a fin-kick of shore, hard corals dominate instead of the algae-covered rock of the Mediterranean, and the fish life runs at a density Europe simply does not have: anthias in clouds, napoleon wrasse, moray eels in every crack, reef sharks on the offshore sites.

Water temperature never really stops you. It bottoms out around 21-22°C in February and peaks near 30°C in August, so a 3mm suit covers most of the year and a 5mm covers the rest.

The wrecks

Egypt is a wreck destination as much as a reef one. The SS Thistlegorm, a British merchant ship sunk by German bombers in 1941, still holds its cargo of motorcycles, trucks and rifles at around 30 metres in the Strait of Gubal, regularly ranked among the best wreck dives on earth and reached by day boat from Sharm or by liveaboard. The Salem Express, the Rosalie Moller and the wrecks of Abu Nuhas add a week's worth without repeating.

If wrecks are the pull, our Malta guide covers the Mediterranean's answer to the same appetite, and the Zenobia in Cyprus is Europe's other headline hull.

Which town suits which diver

Hurghada: the value option and the biggest infrastructure. Easy reef diving, hundreds of centres competing on price, and day boats to Abu Nuhas. Best for beginners, courses and divers who want maximum dives per euro.

Sharm el Sheikh: the marquee sites. Ras Mohammed National Park, the Straits of Tiran, and the shortest run to the Thistlegorm. Best for certified divers who want the famous dives.

Dahab: the antidote to resort diving. Shore entries, a bohemian town, the Blue Hole and the Canyon, and Egypt's cheapest diving. Best for independent divers and long stays.

Marsa Alam and the south: dugongs at Marsa Mubarak, dolphin house at Samadai, and the gateway to the southern offshore reefs. Quieter, newer, increasingly the choice of repeat visitors.

Seasons, honestly

Wind is the variable that decides days out. The northerlies that blow through spring can close offshore sites while the sheltered reefs carry on, which is one reason a week beats a long weekend here.

Costs and logistics

Guided dives run roughly €30-45, two-dive day boats €60-90 with lunch, and a full Open Water course €350-450. Liveaboards, the way to reach the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, typically cost €900-1,600 for a week with all diving and full board. Flights from most of Europe run four to five hours into Hurghada, Sharm or Marsa Alam.

Two practical notes. Nitrox is cheap and widely available here, and it earns its keep on repetitive deep reef days. And plan the flight home against your last dive: our flying after diving guide covers the 18-hour rule that catches people out on Friday departures.

Booking dives in Egypt

Diving Scanner is opening across the Mediterranean and the Red Sea — Egypt is on the expansion map, and bookable offers start in Cyprus today. As Egyptian centres join, their trips appear in the same search: prices upfront, a small deposit online, and the balance paid directly to the centre. Centres are reviewed before listing, and ratings come only from divers who completed a booking.