Are there any dive shops in Sharm that DON’T baby its divers?

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eckoback

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Location
California
# of dives
200 - 499
First time in Sharm and I’ve been diving with Reef Oasis the last few days.

The diving has obviously been very good, but I find the dive shop to baby the divers a bit much. Dives are on the shorter end — around 45 mins on average with usually only one of them reaching 50 mins a day, guides are super strict and make everyone stay on the same path without deviating to take photos, and tons of noise clanging to point things out to divers. There’s really no independence and the guides make you stick to them closely.

Is this typically how dives in Sharm are conducted, or is it more so the shop I went with? Anyone have recommendations on who to go with?
 
You should ask this on a U.K. or German board. Try The Dive Forum.

I have only been a few times to Egypt but never suffered from the kind of issues you describe, indeed those sorts of issues are a reason to go there rather than Indonesia or the Caribbean.

My last dive on my last trip, a southern liveaboard, was 80 minutes. Earlier in that trip a GoPro was dropped in 70m and there was a half serious discussion about going to get it. The lack of helium made it a silly idea.
 
nope, that's definately not typical. Basic rule is 60-40-30 (min-m-bar) :wink: and the usual question is "who's staying with the guide?". The 60min time limited is owed to the schedule (e.g. the time when the day boats need to be back in the harbour), but if there is no reason for a limitation, if you ask nicely before, you can extend the dive to an agreed time.
 
Just speak about it with the divemaster... and if not satisfied, just go as you want and use the well known international underwater hand signal :
 

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But keep in mind that the DM on board is empowered to let you stay on board while others are going to their next dive...
 
Maybe check out Circle Divers? I hear that Jilly from Ocean College moved over there and is managing it now. OC was great, mainly focused on UK travelers.

Sounds like a lot has changed there, and many of the operators do not have remaining staff that is comfortable with more independent diving. Even when it was busier, it seemed like a lot of the resort-affiliated diving companies focused on discover scuba and shallow reef dives.

Lance
 

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