Beautiful coral worlds, breathtaking walls, fantastic house reefs, great visibility and short flight times make Egypt the dream destination No. 1 for divers and snorkelers from our latitudes. Diving holidays at the Red Sea are and will remain a classic, whether in the desert in the south, in the tourist strongholds Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh or on the Sinai.

Interesting Facts

The Red Sea is the perfect diving destination in Egypt with its year-round pleasant water temperatures, good visibility, colourful coral formations and diverse underwater fauna.

The 1,900 km long Red Sea estuary is a geologically speaking part of the East African trench. The constant water temperatures between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius have produced the northernmost coral colonies of the earth. These are almost unbeatable in terms of colourfulness and coral diversity. The great depth and the lack of fresh water inflow in Egypt limit algae growth. They are responsible for the very clear water and the exceptional visibility.

The underwater paradise in Egypt is surrounded by desert and can be reached in only 4 hours of flying time and can be dived all year round. The individual destinations and towns on the Red Sea are as varied and colourful as the underwater landscape off its coastline.

Direct flights from Switzerland to Hurghada, Sharm-el-Sheikh or Marsa Alam can be booked. The holiday destinations in Egypt are all very well equipped. Modern villages, resorts, hotels and camps offer amenities and entertainment for every taste. Due to the many possibilities offered, the Red Sea is highly recommended not only for scuba divers and TEC divers, but also for a combination holiday (diver/non-diver) or family holiday.

Diving in the Red Sea

The Red Sea has dive sites to suit every diver, from beginners to TEC divers.

The Strait of Tiran near Sharm el Sheikh in Sinai or the reefs in the deep south of Egypt offer breathtaking walls, drift diving and sometimes big fish. The national parks in the southern Red Sea (Brother Islands, Deadalus, Rocky Island, Zabargad and St. Johns) are exclusively served by diving cruises.

The Strait of Gubal at the entrance of the Suez Canal is famous for its many wrecks. These are usually dived from Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh.

Locations such as Dahab and Nuweiba in Sinai or El Quseir on the Red Sea coast are particularly suitable for lovers of leisurely house reef and reef dives.

Hurghada, Safaga and the south of Marsa Alam have offshore islands and reef barriers that offer adventurous dives around large ergs or through twisted coral reefs. Here, too, one often encounters sunken ships or whatever remains of them!

Depending on the location and hotel location, dives are possible from the beach or half or full day tours are offered on comfortable, modern diving boats. In Sinai and sometimes in the south of the Red Sea coast, dives can be done by jeep, minibus or on the Dromedary (Dahab only).

Snorkeling at the Red Sea

You can discover the secrets of the fascinating and colourful underwater world on the Red Sea with snorkel, mask and fins as well as average swimming skills.

In Dahab, Sharm-el-Sheikh, El Quseir and Marsa Alam snorkelling is possible in almost all hotels on the house reef or nearby. Most Red Sea dive centres and hotels organise special snorkelling trips. Often you can also go on a dive boat as a snorkeler. Snorkeling equipment can be rented at any dive center.

Important facts in brief

Diving Rules

The maximum allowed diving depth in Egypt is 40 meters and is strictly adhered to by most dive centres. Failure to observe these limits could lead to a diving ban in the event of an emergency. Self-dependent diving requires between 20 and 35 logged dives and/or an Advanced certification depending on the dive center. An experience of 50 logged dives is expected on dive cruises. At practically all dive centres a check dive is mandatory at the beginning of your holiday. Wearing a dive computer is usually mandatory.

Decompression Chambers

Egypt has a very dense network of decompression chambers. Modern decompression chambers can be found in: Marsa Alam (1), Safaga (1), Hurghada (2), El Gouna (1), Dahab (2) and Sharm-el-Sheikh (2).