Sharm El-Sheikh F.A.Q.

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reefs and wrecks says: Abu Nuhas, Straits of Gubal, SS Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed, Ulysses, Rosalie Moeller and others. fromt h emaps I think this is what we will like.
 
Hi
How r u?

Since you lived there for 3 years, tell me names of good cheap hotels in Naama Bay and good diving centers to deal with.
 
Hi All,
PLanning a trip to Sharm on 1st week of Nov. just 4 days of diving. Planning to stay at Na'ama Bay. Would like to get tips on the ff:

Dive Op -
Hotel - 4 star Im at a budget
Weather
Wetsuit - 3 or 5mm
Restaurants
Bars

Want to see whale sharks and mantas. Any other tips and recommendation you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
 
How far is Dahab from Sharm? Do you take the dive boat from Sharm jetty to Dahab or is this a land based travel?
 
Short version is that dahab is not somewhere you go from Sharm El Sheikh, but its about 90km from Naama Bay.

Emperor Divers is good, Camel Divers also have a good reputation although I havent dived with them. The ones that slap posters all over the place in russian I would avoid.

Wether south of cairo is pretty much "if you see it rain, youve seen something very rare" and the temp in oct/nov should be around 30-40c in the air and 25-30c in the water.

As for hotels, theres plenty of cheap ones in naama bay, Including Bay view (which is a bit away from the main streets) and Naama star. Dont expect to love the food at Bay view, naama star I cant say for but Ill know by the end of october :p
 
Considering Sharm El Sheikh for May 2011. Could you give me some overall information regarding the water conditions, Dive sites, and hotel accommodations.


thx
 
Probably could move this one into the main forum but my reply:

Water conditions will be cool; around 24 or 25 degrees C which means 5mm full suit at least if you're diving every day. Water conditions should generally be good, and the fish life will be on the rise. In May this year we were seeing a lot of Turtles, couple of whale sharks, mantas and the occaisional hammerhead at Jackson. The big schools of Snapper, Unicorns, Emperors and Jacks were on the up. vis is generally could but currents are never 100% predictable and conditions can always vary.

Dive Sites have to include Shark and Yolanda Reef in Ras Mohamed and Jackson Reef in Tiran. They can be very busy but a good dive guide can make the difference there. The wreck of the Thistlegorm is one of the all time greats but you will pay 80 - 100 Euros extra to visit. Most of the sites, even those that are not so spectacular, will have something to offer.

Na'ama bay is quite expensive but look for hotels outside of the bay if you're on a budget. There are a few places in the nearby town of Hadaba (8kms south) which will be much cheaper, serve average food and provide a comfortable place to stay. You might get some good deals if you can steer clear of European school holidays.

For dive centres - you can't really go wrong with the big centres who have been doing this for a long time and do it very well (yes, also I work for one!). Better prices can usually be obtained if you book dive packages in advance. This does not mean there is anything wrong with some of the smaller centres, but choose carefully and get word-of-mouth recommendations if you can.

Hope that helps,

C.
 
Hi, just returned from the Red Sea, here is a brief report on my diving experience:

Red Sea Diving College is a professional, efficient diving operation located at Na’am Bay. They currently operate 6-Boats with a average length of 18’- washrooms on board. All tanks and personal equipment is placed in a plastic crate and loaded on and off each dive boat, ready for the next day. The dive guides are very knowledgeable with an impressive amount of experience. Dive briefings are thorough as were the diagrams. Depth, time and air limits are established on each dive with Nitrox usage carefully recorded.

After a compulsory ‘check out dive,’ you chose your dive sites: local, Ras Mohammed or day excursions: Tiran, Dahab and Thistlegorm. Lunch is provided for 50 Egyptian Pounds on the day excursions. You place your name on a whiteboard for your desired dive site, as soon as there is a set minimum of divers the excursion is confirmed. Recommend you do this right away. Use cash (any major currency) for the deeper discounts generally given.

Of the 14-dives in total, I used a 15 Liter steel tank with 32% Nitrox. Some highlights:

Ras Mohamed (4- Dives): Rated within the top 10 dive sites, enjoyed the dives & coral.
Tiran (2-Dives): Excellent dive sites. The two best are Jackson and Thomas. However, at Jackson beware of strong current NW of the Island – you will be swept away, as were 2-DMs!
Thistlegorm (2-Dives): Definitely worth the 3.5 hrs to get there – a sight to behold. You go down the shock-line and explore. Usually first dive in external and second internal – lots to see – trucks, motorcycles, rifles, ammo etc. There was little current on my dive.
Dahab (2-Dives): Excellent shore dive, but beware of sharp rocks! Enjoyed the Canyon (easy dive), the Bells was exciting and the drift dive to the Blue Hole enjoyable.

In summation: Enjoyed the 14- dives in total with Red Sea Diving College. Am thankful to three outstanding instructors: Nasser Shaban who kept an eye on an inexperienced/nervous diver, Ali who took me around Thistlegorm and Ahmed with his willing helping hands at Dahab! A little disappointed that I did not see some of the larger pelagic fish, but was informed the best time is in the summer: June-August. If I can brave the heat, will return then!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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