Diving in the Red Sea

[MoneyGuy]

I'll be In Egypt next january on a Nile cruise and am considering diving in the Red Sea. Does anyone have any experience diving there? Maybe bruce-r might know something. I've looked on line and it looks like a choice dive area, with lots of cool stuff to see and do. I'd appreciate any comments from anyone with information.

[bruce-r]

If you haven't already, you should check http://www.scubaboard.com and the D2D message board on scubadiving.com Either of these sites will be more likely to have information than CC.

 

The Red Sea is very far away from the Pacific Northwest, so it isn't very high up on my list. It isn't that the diving there isn't good, it is just so far away. If I have to fly that far, it will be to Palau, Yap, or Fiji. Ask me something about British Columbia or Puget Sound, I know more about those places. ;)

[Middleager]

Red Sea is supposed to be one of the best diving spots. I've seen some books with pictures and it looks pretty good.

 

Well, it's one place where a lot of Europeans go, because it's close. For us in N. America, Florida or Caribbeans are the closest.

[cmdchiefthom]

Its been a number of years since I've dived the Red Sea, but I have dived out of Sharm El Shieikh and it was simply awesome. I highly recommend it. However, you're diving in January, and the water can be pretty cold, (low 70's) and rough, with southerly winds making the diving kind of iffy on the unprotected reefs, and wrecks.

[Middleager]

Its been a number of years since I've dived the Red Sea, but I have dived out of Sharm El Shieikh and it was simply awesome. I highly recommend it. However, you're diving in January, and the water can be pretty cold, (low 70's) and rough, with southerly winds making the diving kind of iffy on the unprotected reefs, and wrecks.

 

My colleague from Egypt swears by Red Sea as the best diving place on earth. Of course he's biased:D

 

He said Egypt is very hot and advises not to go on tours in the summer, and that it's good to go in our winter time. But if Jan. is cold for diving, would Spring or Fall be the best time to go diving and touring? I'd like to go some days, but it wouldn't be just for diving. There's so much to see in addition to diving.

[cmdchiefthom]

The water temp does drop during the winter months even though the outside temps remain warm. I was fortunate to live on the Greek island of Crete, and traveled extensively in the Middle East, diving at various locations in the Med and Red Sea. I found the best weather for diving generally was April and May and September through mid-November. We rarely dived December through March, not so much because of the water temps, but rather because of the winds.

 

I believe you would have a more temperate trip in the spring, or early fall, and would have better diving condition then.

[MoneyGuy]

About 37 days until we leave for Africa. :D