Leejnd
Contributor
I'm planning a cruise to the Middle East next year, and our itinerary calls for us to stop one day in Sharm el Sheikh. Naturally I want to go diving! I've been trying to read up on the possibilities and have emailed one dive op so far, Camel Dive Club, to find out what they offer. I read on their website that they insist that you spend one day diving their "local" dive sites, described as follows: "These easy, relaxing dives enable you to check weights and buoyancy, and re-orientate yourself to the underwater world," before they will take you out on a boat to dive the other famous sites in area. Since I'm only going to be there for one day, and this will probably be the only time I ever get to the Red Sea, I really don't want to spend my day there "re-orientating" myself at less-than-desirable dive sites. I'm a frequent diver, with (by then) probably well over 250 dives under my belt, and will have already done two other days of diving in the Red Sea (Aqaba and Safaga) prior to this port stop.
My question is: is this standard practice for Sharm el Sheikh? Are there other dive ops who would waive this requirement for an experienced diver? And if not - how DO these local sites compare with the other dive sites in the area?
Thanks for any insight you can give me!
My question is: is this standard practice for Sharm el Sheikh? Are there other dive ops who would waive this requirement for an experienced diver? And if not - how DO these local sites compare with the other dive sites in the area?
Thanks for any insight you can give me!