Sharm El-Sheikh F.A.Q.

[mania]

OK,
So now I know what you called as Pacha Bay - the city centre

RSS thanks a lot - I knew one of you will be able to give the right answer...
The airport is something like 12 kilometers from Naama so depending where exactly the hotel is it may be a rather long walk....
Mania

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

You're welcome.
Crowne Plaza is mid distance between Naama bay and the airport.

 

[redseadiver]

Sorry fellows,
I spent the last few days underwater .. just seen these questions now.
and THANKS Shadow & Mania; u've said it all .. i tried to add anything but u gave me no space here to say anything
I got some nice pic's i'd like to share with u, i'll upload it later on.

 

[wwu123]

Can I ask the helpful people here yet another climate question, about the water temperatures around the end of May? The reason I ask is that the various websites I've visited say everything from 22C to 27C, which is a huge range to decide what wetsuit to bring. It also seems the water temps rise rapidly between April and July, making it hard to figure out what to expect.

I usually dive a 3/2 mm in the Caribbean in 25-28C temps, while my wife wears a 5 mm sometimes with a hood. This is a perhaps once-in-a-decade opportunity for us, as a significant side trip from a European trip, but would mean lugging a hefty amount of vacation and dive gear on a number of small flights along with a bunch of formal clothing. Another question - do the short flights, like Cairo to Sharm, have additional luggage weight or size restrictions?

As far as rental equipment goes, do dive operators carry a range of exposure protection for the range of summer and winter water temps? Or might they carry shorties or vests that could be layered on top of our existing suits for added warmth?

Thanks for any advice - I'm really trying to make this trip happen.

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Water temperatures end of May is around 25°C.
Well it depends on your feeling of cold. However, 5 mm is enough for sure.
As far as I know, all Egypt Air flights have weigh restriction of 20 Kg, then you pay for extra kilos.
Dive operators have a variety of exposure protection here, ranging from 3 mm 1 piece to 5 mm 2 piece suits.

 

[mania]

I get cold uw very quickly so I use my 5mm. The only time it was way too hot was August.

You can rent wetsuits although sometimes they are not the newest ones
Mania

 

[redseadiver]

u don't have to worry about water temperature by the end of May .. it's summer !!!
u can bring along the 3mm.'s, and in the worst case scenareo, if u find u still need a thicker suit, u can rent it from the dive operator u're using.

and about the EgyptAir baggaging system; here's how it goes:
* First Class: 4o kg. Per person
* Horus Business Class: 30 kg per person
* Economy class: 20 kg per person

Good Luck

 

[svs]

Hello all,
How long does it take by boat to get from Camel diving center to local sites and to Ras Mohammed sites?
Why do they run only 2x1dive trips/day and not 2x2 or 3x1 as most other tropical destinations? Is it because of distance?
How easy it is to arrange 1 day trip to Cairo from a hotel in Sh-e-Sh? There are some bus trips advertised for about $80-100US or by plane for $300+. Do those run daily and how long does it take by bus.

 

[ArthurGerla]

Why do they run only 2x1dive trips/day and not 2x2 or 3x1 as most other tropical destinations? Is it because of distance?

That's right. Boat trips leave from a jetty in Naama or the big Travco jetty and take 1 or 2 hours to get to the remotest sites of Ras Mohammed or Tiran. Granted, the 'local sites' don't take so long to reach, even by boat.
FWIW, I've done places like Sharks Bay by taxi, diving from the shore. I don't know if this is possible at the other local sites, most of then are in front of hotel grounds which may or may not allow divers over land access.

How easy it is to arrange 1 day trip to Cairo from a hotel in Sh-e-Sh? There are some bus trips advertised for about $80-100US or by plane for $300+. Do those run daily and how long does it take by bus.

Anything you ask for can and will be arranged, at a price. The bus trip takes at least six hours. If you know your way around (buy a Lonely Planet or Rough Guide to Egypt) the cheapest option is to take a line bus and taxi as needed.

Enjoy,

Art

 

[mania]

Although one day trip form Sharm to Cairo by either bus or taxi doesn't make sense. It's 500 km so this is at least 6 - 8 hours ride.
Better take a plne - leaves sharm early in the morning and comes back late afternoon.
Mania