Sharm el Sheikh Diving

Sharm el Sheikh, a bustling desert city, framed by turquoise waters teeming with Red Sea life large and small. With numerous resorts and dive centres to choose from, you can enjoy shore, boat or liveaboard diving to discover Egypt’s world-class wrecks, reefs and more.

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Reef Oasis Dive Club Sharm El Sheikh

Reef Oasis Dive Club Sharm El Sheikh

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
Sunshine Divers Il Porto

Sunshine Divers Il Porto

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
Dolphin Diving Center

Dolphin Diving Center

Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt
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Naama Bay

Sitting in the heart of Sharm el Sheikh, Naama Bay is perfectly situated for shore diving, day boats and liveaboard adventures to discover the wealth of Red Sea marine life just offshore. Whether you like sea turtles, coral landscapes or colorful reef fish, Naama Bay has it all.

Nabq

A Marine Protected Area since 1992, Naqb offers pristine coral reefs, over 1000 fish species and hundreds of corals stretching across more than 600 km². Diving here will mesmerize you by the sheer volume of life around you.

Sharks Bay

The secluded beachside charm and easy shore dives of Sharks Bay make it ideal for relaxing dive holidays tucked away from Sharm el Sheikh’s busier resorts. With sandy bottoms for new divers and deeper canyons teeming with reef life, there’s something for every diver to enjoy.

 

Diving in Sharm el Sheikh

Sharm El Sheikh is an extremely popular diving and holiday destination located on the southern coast of the Red Sea in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. It is a large, bustling city that rises out of the desert and borders on the sparkling turquoise waters and an exhilarating variety of dive sites. There are numerous dive centers and dive resorts to choose from here, and there are options for beginner divers up to experienced tec divers. For the avid underwater photographers, there is a variety of creatures to spot, and for the divers hoping to be wow-ed by large pelagic species, there are many opportunities to spot these. There are over 30 dive sites which are all so different for divers to explore. There are world renowned coral reefs, world famous wrecks and much, much more. 

Best time to dive

If holiday go-ers are visiting Sharm El Sheikh for the purpose of diving, then the great news is that this is possible year round! It’s one of the many reasons why the Red Sea is so popular for diving. Even though the outside temperatures can reach extremes of 45 degrees Celsius in the summer, the water temperatures stay moderate and pleasant; between 19 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius. There are no extreme weather conditions here which affect diving negatively, and even on the windiest days the visibility still stays above average, ranging between 10 metres and 30 metres. 
 
If divers are hoping to avoid the crowds then they need to avoid the high season which runs from March to May. However, May is the month with the highest marine life visitors and this month is the highest chance to spot Whale Sharks, Sharks, Manta Rays, Sea Turtles, Eagle Rays and Dolphins, so this needs to be kept in mind.

Types of diving

One of the factors that makes Sharm El Sheikh such a popular diving destination is the variety of types of diving. There are spectacular reef diving in Ras Mohammed National Park, thrilling drift dives at the Straits of Tiran, one of the best wreck dives in the world; Thistlegorm, easy and relaxing dives from the shore in Sharm and many Liveaboard options to experience Sharm el Sheikh in a different way. There are a lot of dive centres and dive resorts which cater to all levels of diving, many offer dive courses and some also offer technical diving opportunities. The large majority of the dive sites are reached by boat and so it is mostly boat diving in this region, but there are some shore dives available here as well such as Naama Bay and also up north in Nabq.

What to see

The reefs here are alive and thriving, with every color of the rainbow and all shapes, sizes and textures. There are numerous species of hard and soft corals and these attract large schools of fish which swim around the corals as though a confetti cannon went off. Keep an eye out for the adorable Anemone Fish protecting their vibrant homes and the tiny pops of color that come in the form of Nudibranchs. These reefs also attract larger species such as Napoleon Wrasse, Sea Turtles, Manta Rays and Dolphins. At the Straits of Tiran divers should keep an eye out in the blue as a Manta Ray may fly by or a Whaleshark may pop out and surprise divers. Ras Mohammed is home to Grey Reef Sharks, Blacktip Reef Sharks and on lucky days, Hammerhead Sharks.

Best places to dive

Straits of Tiran is a collection of flourishing reefs and larger species to revel over. Located in a narrow body of water between the Arab and Sinai peninsula are these four gorgeous reefs; Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon reefs. Drift dive along the reef tables and reef walls and keep an eye out in the blue for larger species such as Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. 
 
Ras Mohammed is the most famous dive area of the Red Sea. It is a marine protected area and so the coral reefs and walls are absolutely thriving and in pristine conditions which means stunning, colourful dives. Drift dives past the reef walls and out in the blue are pelagic species including Barracuda, Tuna and Whitetip Reef Sharks. 
 
Naama Bay is the bustling centre of Sharm El Sheik with it being the core of restaurants, resorts, dive centres and other water activities. This dive site lies in a protected bay and has a section of a sandy bottom which makes it an ideal location for dive courses and more relaxing, easy going dives. Aside from the sandy bottom, there is also a stretch of seagrass and coral pinnacles to explore.
 
The Thistlegorm wreck has been voted as one of the best wreck dives in the world. This cargo ship sunk in 1941 but was so well preserved that there is so much for divers to admire not just outside, but also inside, as this wreck can be penetrated, and it is absolutely worth it! There are also two tanks, two motorbikes, rifles and so many more artefacts there. It has, over all these years, also created its own ecosystem and is teeming with life. To be able to dive here divers need to be Advanced Open water, or equivalent, and higher. 
 
Nabq is located just north of Sharm El Sheikh and is a marine protected area. This combines flourishing and vibrant coral reefs teeming with life, with a much calmer atmosphere above and below water, for divers who would rather avoid the crowds. There are over a thousand species of fish and hundreds of species of corals. Divers can come here to really enjoy gliding through the crystal clear waters and admiring the colours and underwater life. 
 
Sharks Bay is a dive site located offshore here in Sharm El Sheikh and is a great location for dive courses but there is also a reef and a canyon to explore. For macro underwater photographers, there are a lot of fantastic tiny critters to capture here.

FAQ

There are dive centers in Naama Bay, Sharks Bay and Nabq.

The top dive centers are the Reef Oasis Dive Club Sharm El Sheikh, Sunshine Divers Il Porto and Dolphin Diving Center.

Advanced Open Water Diver prices range from €220-€350. See all Advanced Open Water Diver courses in Sharm el Sheikh.

Open Water Diver prices range from €269-€380. See all Open Water Diver courses in Sharm el Sheikh.

You can obtain your Open Water Diver in Naama Bay.

You can obtain your Enriched Air Diver in Nabq.

Diving is available in Naama Bay, Nabq and Sharks Bay.

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