Eilat diving report

[Ari]

Spent a few days in Eilat, Israel last week. Had about two dives a day (to total 8) and had a lot of fun.

Although the U/W conditions are not as they used to be, there is still a lot to see. There are a few very nice dives like the Japanese Gardens that offer both deep and shallow dives with good visibility and very well preserved reef contitions.

Two wrecks offer some nice dives: the Sufa, an Israeli navy missile boat and the Yatush, a much smaller gunboat. Both were sunk as diving attractions after being prepared for divers of most levels. You can go inside even without specific wreck training, as all "dangerous" openings were closed. The Sufa, at 15-22 meters and the Yatush is at 30 meters, are very recomended.

You can also take a boat to Sinai for 1-5 days, going out from Taba, on the Israeli Egyptian border, which is also a nice idea.

As the tourism situation in the area is not very good, you can get great deals on diving packages. Some of the clubs will offer free or almost free accommodation as well. In any case, the hotel prices in Eilat have dropped significantly.

You should know that Eilat offers good diving conditions with many large and small, high level dive operators. You can also get some high level certification for both sport and technical divers.

Hope to see you around.

Ari

 

[Natasha]

Thanks for the report Ari. While Australia is my husband's "Dream trip," Israel and Egypt are mine. I've planned the trip twice and twice we had to cancel it, due to circumstances over there.
Geez, will you guys get it together over there so we can come and dive! I want to climb Masada too, while I'm there. Also, riding a camel and seeing the pyramids are on the list. Someday, I hope this will come come true. Maybe you can help in the next plans. For now, I'll be happy reading your reports.
:sunny:

 

[Ari]

Good advice both under and above water.

Natasha, if you plan to wait until the problems over here are solved, it might be a while before you dive the Red Sea. It looks worse on CNN than it really is over here. Life these days is dangerous all around the world. With no real leaders to get us out of this mess, history is going its own direction. Nevertheless, we remain optimistic that things will get better, hopefully during our lifetime.

In any case, I don't think that US tourists will have any problem, either in Israel or in Sinai (or elsewhere in Egypt).

As things go over here, I also have a problem to find someone to go to Sinai with me, so be sure that you are not alone with your concerns. People are affraid.

Let's hope that 2002 will be a better year than 2001.

Happy new year. Have lots of fun diving and doing all the other things you like to do.

Ari

 

[Natasha]

Ari,
Good advice. Thanks. For now I'll try to be content with reading your dive reports. Keep them coming!
:sunny:

 

[vicky]

A small correction: The "Sufa" lies at a depth of 7-26 meters. The top of the mast is at 7m, the main deck at 21-24 and the bottom at 26. It is surrounded by a nice colony of corals.

I think that one of the best attractions Eilat can offer to divers are the high chances to meet dolphins and eagle rays. Almost every time we go diving in Eilat we meet at least a couple of dolphins, two or three majestic eagle rays. There is a turtle that is also observed regularily in the vicinity of the "Sufa", a school of Barracudas, three big File fish, a few big Emperor fish, some big Morays, etc. Very nice. Blue-spotted stingrays and electric rays are quite common too.

I think that Eilat and Sinai are OK for tourist even nowadays, but since you have so many other diving destinions, I can understand why it is better to avoid coming here.

 

[Ari]

Always a pleasure to stand corrected.

Eilat does have a lot to offer, even these days. At least us natives, can always enjoy a good dive, without having to travel that far.

Ari

 

[Diversauras]

I spent a year in Be'er Sheva and every weekend and holiday in the Red Sea. Dahab is great, but Eilat is still better that 90% of the diving done by most divers.

I had 2000+ when I went to Israel and I would trade most of them for another shot at Eilat.

 

[Ari]

I am gld you feel this way.

Hope to see you around soon.

By the way, what were you doing for a year in Be'er-Sheva?

Ari