New to red sea diving, suggestion please

[Wisnu]

As the title said, I'm new to red sea diving, though not new in SB.
90% of my diving is in Indonesia, from western P. Weh to Raja Ampat.
Currently living in cairo, would like to explore this region incl. the underwater.
Our first trip will be end of July to dahab.
I love easy diving and taking UWP - macro and WA,
Any suggestion and recommendation for dahab site and for our next trip is welcome (typically will be short trip 2 - 3 days diving).

 

[Tippytoes12]

Hi there

You will love Dahab ,lots of characters and wonderful coral and wonderful visability....better than Asia IMVHO. For a world class experience don't go back home without doing a liveaboard to the Brothers , Daedalus and Elphinstone. In a week last October we had mantas , several Oceania white tips and a school of Hammerheads.

Enjoy your time in Egypt

 

[Wisnu]

Thanks Tippy
Dahab is our starting point. We'll be living here for 3-4 years. No, hurry
I'll check and find the detail info for mentioned sites and let see if we can find a week slot in Sept for LOB

 

[ronscuba]

Is Sept a good month for combining a 7 day liveaboard with land tours after ? Would like very warm water for diving, but air temperatures not too hot for the land tours.

 

[indiedive]

Hi mas Wisnu, wow, now in Cairo! I am planning to dive in Egypt in October. It will be my first time diving in Red Sea as well. Interesting if I can see hammerheads in Dahab - hopefully I will be as lucky as Typpytoes12!

Please let us know about your diving experience in Dahab and do you recommend Dahab for macro photography diving?

I am considering Safaga or Marsa Alam beside of Dahab. Currently I think Marsa Alam is the best opt but any suggestion/recommendation in other places is welcomed!

 

[Wisnu]

Hi mba Indah,
This will be a short trip just an introduction to us for red sea diving whether it meet our expectation.
Don't worry, we''ll let you know how Dahab.
Let us when you visit Cairo,

 

[frogfish]

Hi Wisnu,
I have done 100% of my diving in Asia so far (mostly in Indonesia). I am going for a 2 week live aboard in Red Sea in August, and will be able to provide you with some feedback afterwards as to how it compares if that helps.

 

[Nasser]

If you really want to explore the Red Sea at it's best and most pristine, then by FAR the Sudan's South Suakin Islands are in a class of their own. I live in Jordan and have been diving the Red Sea for twenty years, unfortunately the most popular tourist hot spots like Dahab, Sharm Al-Sheikh, and Hurghada, are not even close to what they were from years ago. They have been overdived and so much of the marine life is gone... all due to the heavy impact of dive tourism in those destinations.

The Egyptian Deep South is still excellent, although it's starting to get a little more crowded and beginning to experience some of the impact of dive tourism. Not nearly as much as the North because many of it's dive sites are primarily accessible only by liveaboards rather than day boats.

The Sudanese South Suakin Islands in Sudan's deep southern Red Sea (close to the Eritrean border) are only accessible by liveaboard and are truly spectacular diving.

 

[Wisnu]

Hi Wisnu,
I have done 100% of my diving in Asia so far (mostly in Indonesia). I am going for a 2 week live aboard in Red Sea in August, and will be able to provide you with some feedback afterwards as to how it compares if that helps.

Thanks frogfish,
we just returned from Dahab. Nice diving, though not spectacular.
Typically shore diving, easy and relax, and short. All less than an hour and we still have plenty of air.
Anyway, good starting point to learn red sea diving style, which is different than SEA / Indonesia.
We have plenty of time to explore other area, we'll split 50/50 between topsite and underwater.

---------- Post added August 1st, 2015 at 04:56 PM ----------

If you really want to explore the Red Sea at it's best and most pristine, then by FAR the Sudan's South Suakin Islands are in a class of their own. I live in Jordan and have been diving the Red Sea for twenty years, unfortunately the most popular tourist hot spots like Dahab, Sharm Al-Sheikh, and Hurghada, are not even close to what they were from years ago. They have been overdived and so much of the marine life is gone... all due to the heavy impact of dive tourism in those destinations.

The Egyptian Deep South is still excellent, although it's starting to get a little more crowded and beginning to experience some of the impact of dive tourism. Not nearly as much as the North because many of it's dive sites are primarily accessible only by liveaboards rather than day boats.

The Sudanese South Suakin Islands in Sudan's deep southern Red Sea (close to the Eritrean border) are only accessible by liveaboard and are truly spectacular diving.

Thanks for great information,
I'll put in my wish list but not for near future
let keep the best at the end; by then we still can enjoy and appreciate the diving in other area.
there's so many thing to see here and I've to compromise with my family interest
in fact my next trip will be free from dive gear

 

[Freewillow]

Very few places can beat the red sea in terms of Quality/price ratio. But since you have been diving in the area of Raja Ampat, you will see that nothing beats Raja in terms of macro pictures. Maybe Lembeh, but it is still on my "wish list"