Hi all,..

who has already dived the Red Sea?
- How many times have you been there?
- What Locations (Dahab, Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada or Marsa Alam) ?
- Did you do daily diving or a liveaboard?
- What was your favorite dive experience there?
- Do you plan to go back?

I’d like to find out how many regular Red Sea lovers hang out
on DIGIDEEP. Looking forward to read your comments about it!

Hi Andi

- I have dived the Red Sea about 10 times with a total of more than 200 dives
- from Sharm in the north to St. Johns in the south
- as well daily diving as live aboards
- daily diving as well hotel based as dive camp based
- In general my opinion is: Unless you are a “wreckie”, the further south you go, the better and unspoiled diving you get

Being a european, the Red Sea offers the best value for money (and travel time) you can get, if its corals, you want.

Regards Flemming

Hi Andi

I did my OW and PADI Advanced in the Red Sea ten years ago and have been there about 6 times - Sharm, then Dahab, and Hurghada 4 times. I guess over a hundred dives there.

I agree that further south there’s better diving in that the sites have not been over-used ...yet. Although Dahab has some spectacular sites like The Blue Hole (where sadly many divers have died) and The Bells, which is a real buzz.

The conservation there is not as good as it should be - I have seen snorkelers walking on coral reefs on trips out of Sharm el Shek!!!!!

I forgot to answer a couple of your points.

I did daily diving in the Red Sea and went when it wasn’t too hot, usually Oct - Dec.

I haven’t been back since leaving the UK to live on the Costa Brava - as now I get to dive nearly every day.

For my next away I’m planning to go to the Andaman Sea after speaking with a dive buddy who did her Divemaster there.

The coral photos was taken in the Mediterranean!

Andy,

1. Have been to Hurghada once, and will never go again.
2. Have been with the Eternity and with the Firebird to the South and to St. Johns, liveaboards, great.
3. Have been 4 times to El Gouna, my no. 1 place if you compare price / value.
4. Have been to Marsa Alam, good and to Zabargad, also good.
5. Have been to Dahab, good, but different, shore diving.
6. Ah, we learned diving in Sharm in a January, water 21 degrees, air 15 degrees, wind. There was snow in Cairo. Will never go again in January, trust me.

Cheers, Greg

Hi,

oh yes Red Sea I visiting this beatiful place often, more than 10 years. In last period there was a lot of difference. Places near to coast like Hurgahda is now so damaged caused massive diving tourism. For that reason I was found few guys who can navigate south of St. John’s reefs in Sudan disputed area. Last year I was diving Abu Fandera till Elba Reef (Sudan) and there was really intact nature with all underwater residents. It was like 10 years before in south Egypt. Pure satisfaction! Few underwater details you can see on my website in video part or photo.

This month (end of june) I decide to organize with my friends 14-days big diving safari, from Brothers Islands, Daedalus (Abu Kizan), Elphinstone, Rocky Island, Zabargad, St. John’s reefs, Abu Fandera (Fendera) till Elba reef in Sudan. We named this safari BIG-8 (The Best Eight Island’s & Reefs in the Red Sea). The map you can check here. The website is in slovenian language, but you can see the point.

Whatever you plan, go south of St. John’s and you will find new intact enjoyable places. Without exaggeration, there is heaven for underwater video and uw photographers. Unfortunately is not simple to find enough big boat, good staff and captain for such trip, but we have lucky, as usual

/peter

I’ve been to Marsa Alam but for me it’s the first place in Egypt so i can’t say u if Marsa is better then Sharm, Hurgada or Dahab.
but if u will go the you have to go to :

“ Abu Dabbab Bay “ ;
“ Samadai Dolphin House Reef “ ;
“ Elphinstone Reef “ ;

Coming from Europe, I’ve been to the Red Sea quite a few times. Great diving still but much of the place has been wrecked completely by over- and misuse:

- Sharm-el Sheik and Hurghada are great places if you like diving hand in hand with about 100 divers at the same time. It’s basically one bic partyplace under water but somehow the wildlife is not that appreciative anymore: most of it has left the building.
- Dahab: very mellow place with some great shorediving. Place is touristic but not on a massive scale. Lot’s of laidback places to eat and to chill. It still has a little bit of that hippie feeling. About an hours drive from Sharm so not too bad. Only downside: if you need the deco.. you’ll have to be driven over the mountain range (ouch, it’ll hurt!) to Sharm.
- Port Ghalib: new devolpment next to the airport of Marsa Alam. Use to be coordinated by Sun International (read: very good quality and management) but they fled the scene as working with Egyptians can be sort off… well, you get the point. So this place will be overrun by Russians any time soon now which is bad because they were really trying to keep things in control over there. Would definitely recommend visiting soon as there are tons of great and quite unspoiled divesites around and the resort town is fantastic!
- Sout of Marsa Alam: can be great but many resorts/hotels can be very, very shabby....

More on Port Ghalib: http://www.fotograferen.net/search?q=port+ghalib (it’s in Dutch, but the photo’s speak for themselves)