Red Sea diving

[Lady Whistledown]

Anyone been/ any recommendations?

I want to do the PADI open water course and the Red Sea seems to be the place to do it. Wondering which is the better resort though, Sharm el Sheikh or Dahab, so all advice welcomed...

 

[tedebear]

All that red water - won't be able to see much?

 

[Beach Hut]

And no biological comments from the male community please

 

[Lady Whistledown]

And no biological comments from the male community please

 

[Adam Virgo's Shirt]

Have a look at Taba Heights

Not so populated as Sharm and most hotels are 5* standard for 3* prices. You can still do the PADI courses there.

Depends if you want a busy resort though, as Taba is still pretty new and quieter than Sharm.

 

[driller]

if i were you i would do the theory work and take the theory exam in this country.
you can then get a 'referal' to do the open water work in the sea on holiday. you are not then spending a couple of days doing book work and taking a written exam on your holiday.

red sea a bit rough for begininer. all good sites a long boat ride from shore and beginner sites shit. good to learn in still(no current) calm water. try maldives, thialand, carribean, seychelles, if you can stretch that far

 

[Lokki 7]

I would strongly recommend you do your theory and pool dives here and finish your course there. I did my open water on holiday and not only does it waste valuable lazing and drinking time, by the time you qualify you are sick to death of it. The course is not much fun.

 

[maffew]

ther are some very good schools in Sharm and the reefs are better than Dahab, especially aroung Tiran Island. Gordon reef and Jackon reef are superb for fish and theres decent coral all over and its closer to Ras Mohammed. And theres the Thistlegorm for wrecks. Plus the odd turtle and more rays

Dahab is ok, a lot more chilled out and all your diving will be done from the "beach". Its probably easier to learn there. It is near to Blue Hole which is good for snorkelling though a bit deep (think you need to be advanced OW to be allowed to dive it). Eel garden is ok there. The water is not as clear in Dahab due to wind (though its superb for wind surfing)

If you're going purely for diving I'd choose Sharm.

But Dahab is lurvely for chilling

 

[bailey]

Off to the Red Sea this Friday for a week on the Hurricane liveaboard, can't wait!

Definitely get your Open Water done in this country, the whole thing not just the pool stuff. The UK's got one of the highest standards of instruction in the world and by doing it here you'll be able to take your time over it and not be factory processed.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I'd recommend Eilat. If you turn out to be really rubbish at diving, or your eardrums feel like they're going to implode when you get seven feet down (as is the case for some people who would really love to dive but their ears just say no) then they got a SPLENDID underwater observatory there

 

[dougdeep]

Dead Sea diving would be fun.

 

[Titanic]

We have had two fantastic diving holidays at the Camel Dive Club and Hotel in Sharm el Sheikh. In Feb, we completed our OW referral dives (after a long weekend pool and classroom course with Tony Backhurst in Cranleigh).

As mentioned above, Sharm has access by boat to some fantastic dive sites, as well as many suitable for OW/referral courses.

In June we returned to complete our AOW course. The AOW 'adventure' dives were done locally, at Middle Garden, Ras Katy and Temple. And then we had three fantastic days diving in Ras Mohammed (Shark and Yolande reefs), The Dunraven wreck (a great 'deep' dive) and The Tiran Straights (Jackson and Gordon reefs) and a final day at Dahab.

The Dahab trip was an early start, minibus trip through the dessert mountains, and then two shore dives. The Canyon was a great 'deep' dive, and our second dive started with the descent at El Bells and crossover the reef into the Blue Hole. This was a truly memorable end to our trip. Because of the altitude through the mountains on the return journey, we spent a great afternoon chilling in a beach-side restaurant and as it was the end of our diving holiday, had a few beers too.... which was nice!

We'd love to go back - I can thoroughly recommend The Camel Dive Club (the hotel is basic but very well situated in Naama Bay) and the roof bar is great!

 

[Yorkie]

Do you really want diving advice from a poster called Titanic?

 

[Titanic]

Do you really want diving advice from a poster called Titanic?

...

 

[bailey]

Because of the altitude through the mountains on the return journey, we spent a great afternoon chilling in a beach-side restaurant

Read a funny story in one of the dive mags this month about two technical divers who drove straight back through the mountains after their dive and had the regs from their stage tanks, containing pure O2, ready in their mouths in case they got bent!

I'd rather sit on the beach to be honest!

 

[Jeep]

In 1995 I spent 2 great weeks doing the padi open water and then the padi advanced open water. I would suggest going as a complete novice and using one of the bigger schools at Sharm (I used Red Sea diving college).
The training work was all done in a roped off area in the sea at Naama Bay. You can't beat watching a fish swim past as you wait for your turn.

Forget diving in a pool, or the cold soup here.

 

[Skaville]

I've dived in Taba Heights and Sharm.

First of all, definitely follow the advice on here and do the first part of your course here. Some people freak out when they first try it, others have ear problems they never knew about. It's worth having a crack here before you shell out all the cash.

Resort wise, Taba Heights is very 5 Star, but a bit stale if you want to do anything other than eat, sleep and dive. That said, i've been there twice! The best hotel is the Hyatt Regency http://taba.regency.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp . It's truly magnificent.

The snorkelling is incredible. All diving in Taba in Taba Heights is done via a company called Waterworld http://www.redseawaterworld.com/Qsite/home.htm
I'm not that keen on Waterworld. I found them expensive, the instructors a bit hit and miss and the kit really old. Dive wise, it's pretty good - I saw lots of octopus, morays, lion fish, sting rays etc and saw eagle rays and manta's snorkelling, but it's not Sharm.

Sharm is busier and the hotel I stayed in was nice, but not a patch on the Hyatt in taba Heights. http://www.hilton.co.uk/sharmwaterfalls However, they did have a great dive school with some really cool instructors (ask for Mansoor) and you can dive from the jetty at the hotel (you'd be suprised how long it takes to go diving). They also do trips to Ras Mohamed and it's really cool there - some great dive sites with far more coral than you'll see in Taba and generally more life. I'd second the recommendation on The Camel for a pint on the roof terrace, but i didn't see any other decent bars.

I 100% recommend diving. Enjoy.

 

[bailey]

There's a top notch video here of the Aquarium dive site in the Red Sea.

http://www.diveaday.tv/content/view/48/37/

 

[Everest]

And theres the Thistlegorm for wrecks.

But if Ednas only doing the OWC, then she won't be able to do wrecks.

Off to Nuweiba next week for a couple of weeks diving.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Dead Sea diving would be fun.

I've tried it.

It's impossible to submerse yourself.


And the mud! Oy veh.