Dahab Dive shop + dives advice

[cheekydollar]

I'm happy to dive to just 18m, and I'm happy to hear they follow the rules - can only be good from a safety perspective. Dont think I'll do the AOW this trip but is something i want to do eventually.

 

[diverLux]

The recommended maximum depth for recreational diving in the Egyptian Red Sea or elsewhere with compressed air is 40 m , however the dive centres would implement their own limits and the majority would abide by the regulations of their respective accredited diving organisation. There are no rules per say other than age limit for children.
My experience, in Dahab on one of the easy dives the briefing was done to 24-25 m, in El Quseir the dive guide was strict to 18 m .
Suggest you get a dive computer to monitor your depth, mine has an acoustic alarm,it also records your dives.
Dive Computers | Simply Scuba UK

 

[tacky]

I witnessed the dive shop (Desert Divers) I used in Dahab enforce the 18 meter Padi rule with another diver.

Practice was not that coherent though, as my first dive was supposed to be "shallow", whilst turned out to be quite deep, browsing the deeper parts @ the Lighthouse. I think I had more bottom time at 25-26 meter during that dive than at the Bells to Blue Hole or The Canyon.

 

[macrobubble]

It is a myth that PADI OWD are strictly only allowed to dive to 18m.
It is recommended that if diving without direct supervision they should stay within their area of experience. Since within the course 18m is the limit, any dive deeper than that would at least require an introduction into deep diving (defined as anything deeper than 18m), as it would be when diving from a boat, in current, in fresh water etc. for the first time. When diving under unfamiliar conditions you always need at least a qualified introduction - which must not necessarily be a course!
This is also quite logical:
Nobody can force you to do another course after the OWD. After 10 years of diving you might have done 300 or 400 dives, still being an OWD, and why should you not dive deeper than 18m, when anybody who does the AOWD right after the OWD, having a total of 9 dives, should be allowed to do so.
Under direct supervision with a qualified guide you are certainly allowed to go deeper than 18m, since this is simply an introduction into a new diving environment.
Dive centers who claim otherwise are only after your money by forcing you to enroll in a deep diving specialty or the AOWD.

 

[tacky]

I agree with you, but my experience is still that the 18 meter limit is being enforced by dive shops.

 

[diverLux]

Dive centers who claim otherwise are only after your money by forcing you to enroll in a deep diving specialty or the AOWD.

...... or the dive guide might not be up to task ! I suspect this is what happened with the ex-pat guide we had in El Quseir last month.

 

[String]

Dahabeya is a really nice hotel. Nice beach in a sheltered bay. They have a dive centre attached but its most assuredly German in persuasion. Might be OK for some guided dives but dont offer PADI courses or any such thing if thats what you're looking for.
What you will find is all the major centres in town will pick you up from and drop you back at your hotel with no extra charge if you decide to dive with them.

Having not dived for 2 years most reputable centres will make you do a scuba review before diving (going through the basic skills, shallow practice etc) and some of the lesser ones a "check dive" where you basically clear a mask before being dragged across lighthouse reef!

Poseidon at the Meridien mentioned above isn't allowed to take divers not staying there as part of its contract (but they do have a main branch in town who can collect you etc).

As for sites, you'll do lighthouse, maybe eel garden, a day down in the newly bulldozed southern oasis and so on.

Gabr El Bint by boat is probably the best diving you'll get here. You can if you enjoy personal suffering go to Ras Abu Galum by camel. This is basically an early morning start followed by 90 mins of excruciating agony as you lose feeling in your legs, get skin rubbed raw and noxious fumes from the fly covered, flea infesting beast each way for 2 dives then the same to come back coupled with no shade and hot afternoon sun.

Most centres are going to enforce the 18m rule for open water divers (as far as im aware CDWS says its mandatory) and most will try to sell you an advanced course to go deeper, especially if you want to see the Blue Hole and Canyon sites.

 

[diverLux]

40 m is what the CDWS say.
http://www.cdws.travel/documents/rules-regulations/CDWS policy - depths V6 9 May 09.pdf

 

[Scuba Sheep]

40 m is what the CDWS say.
http://www.cdws.travel/documents/rules-regulations/CDWS policy - depths V6 9 May 09.pdf

CDWS say a lot of things, but don't necessarily follow up on them.....

Th 18m ruling can be down to interpretation. You as a qualified OWD SHOULD be responsible for yourself in the water, this is the whole point of completing the course. If you feel inexperienced and / or not comfortable in the water then I would advise to stick to the depth the guide briefs the dive at, who SHOULD be staying within your level of training. However, if you decide to ignore what you've been briefed and 'do your own thing' and something happens on the dive then there maybe a trip to the chamber involved as well as the psychological after effects you've imposed on the guide, they are still responsible for you in the water. If you dive with an instructor who decides to take you beyond 18m then because they are an instructor you are covered, they should have the relevant training and expertise to firstly decide if you are capable of going deeper, as well as watch for any tell-tale signs of you experiencing any difficulty.

It has always been my understanding that the maximum recreational depth in the Red Sea is 30m unless you are conducting the deep dive speciality, but also read your insurance, they usually only cover you to 30m.

 

[diverLux]

CDWS obviously did not invent the regulations but collected the information from other sources: Recreational Scuba Diving: An Overview
Please do not print this out as it is copyrighted !