DIY/unguided diving in Egypt

[Germie]

I only know red sea diving safari as option for solodivers. But there the unlimited diving is a little bit a scam if you want to dive solo as you are not allowed to do nightdives. So you will miss at least 1 dive a day if you dive solo and don't get any discount. Very strange in my eyes.

So if you want to dive solo, it is sadly very limited in Egypt. But if others know other divecenters, please mention them. The prices for a private guide are most times 25 per dive, so are ridiculous.

 

[Mobulai]

I asked another diveshop where I did all my tech training 1st day after arrival if I can just get tanks and some lead and dabble around in the confined zone of the lighthouse to get back in my “water element” (check weights, clear nose and be ready for my upcoming classes); they had a strict No (even tho I had a good connection and goodwill there as well) — the said “if you have a self reliant cert we can let you”

But if others know other divecenters, please mention them

This was at Planet Divers, Dahab (right by Lighthouse spot)
I don’t know how flexible/strict they are with this policy - as context is everything
In my situation I had already dropped a butt load of cash on o2 fills and excursions the month before, and I had further training (right after the “incident” above) at their facility so… they had both faith in my ability and “financial benefit to them”
So it’s not given that a customer with self reliant cert can walk in and just ask for tanks and go — they might deem it financially not worth it; do reach out and ask them

Regarding night dives, for the last 3 years they are in Dahab “Absolutely prohibited by law” — yet every night (over 3 years I visited) I saw people diving
One more unclear rule, but I suspect it has something to do with “tipping the officer at watch” to look the other way


I have a few instructor friends in Dahab I can ask on the DL for more clarification on the written/unwritten rules

 

[Mod63]

Then add RSDS to the "very rare" list.
We did our check dive with a guide and then we were good to go for the next 2 weeks without any guide.
...
And it's not done in the secret... It's even advertised on their site:

...
PS: also add ORCA Soma Bay to that list.

Add J&M, BWDR, ED@Makadi... once you're check'ed out you do your dives unguided if you wish

 

[BoltSnap]

Then add RSDS to the "very rare" list.
We did our check dive with a guide and then we were good to go for the next 2 weeks without any guide.

Are you planning to be there, or anywhere in Egypt, any time soon?

 

[Germie]

This was at Planet Divers, Dahab (right by Lighthouse spot)
I don’t know how flexible/strict they are with this policy - as context is everything
In my situation I had already dropped a butt load of cash on o2 fills and excursions the month before, and I had further training (right after the “incident” above) at their facility so… they had both faith in my ability and “financial benefit to them”
So it’s not given that a customer with self reliant cert can walk in and just ask for tanks and go — they might deem it financially not worth it; do reach out and ask them

Regarding night dives, for the last 3 years they are in Dahab “Absolutely prohibited by law” — yet every night (over 3 years I visited) I saw people diving
One more unclear rule, but I suspect it has something to do with “tipping the officer at watch” to look the other way


I have a few instructor friends in Dahab I can ask on the DL for more clarification on the written/unwritten rules

In red sea diving safari you can do nightdives on their housereef. I know they also do a nightdive on Lahmy in the south, but then the lights of the boat are off.

So shore dives are maybe no problem, but boatdives are? I don't know, I haven't been to dahab.

The problem I have is that if you offer 'unlimited' diving, it must be unlimited. And it is not if people who come with a buddy get more rights and the solo diver don't get any discount because he or she will miss a dive. But I found also the excursions from rsds expensive as they ask the same prices as other divecenters, but you miss dives from the unlimited housereef package.
It was nice the time I was there (have been to all 3 places), where I liked the south most. But at the moment I think they are getting too expensive for what you get. It is not cheap anymore sadly. If I look from our country, normal hotels with aircon and other luxery are cheaper for the same things now. So the idea of 'eco village' is sadly completely gone. I liked the concept. But pricing is important too of course. I don't need 5* hotels, but if you pay the same, then I choose for some more luxery of course. The diving is the same then.
In Bali we stay very cheap with cheap diving too (2 weeks Bali is cheaper including everything than 2 weeks Egypt, and Egypt is just a 5 hour flight and Bali 17). I am a little bit afraid that Egypt is loosing market at the moment due to its prices and rules and changing rules.

Dahab I haven't been to. So don't know how nice or crap diving is there, haha.

 

[Christian]

I have made somewhere around 300 dives in the Egyptian Red Sea 1995-2024, on liveaboards mostly, w/o a guide. Most provide a guide if you need / want one, but inme divers with sufficient skills are left to explore on their own after a check dive.

 

[Christian]

In red sea diving safari you can do nightdives on their housereef. I know they also do a nightdive on Lahmy in the south, but then the lights of the boat are off.

So shore dives are maybe no problem, but boatdives are? I don't know, I haven't been to dahab.

The problem I have is that if you offer 'unlimited' diving, it must be unlimited. And it is not if people who come with a buddy get more rights and the solo diver don't get any discount because he or she will miss a dive. But I found also the excursions from rsds expensive as they ask the same prices as other divecenters, but you miss dives from the unlimited housereef package.
It was nice the time I was there (have been to all 3 places), where I liked the south most. But at the moment I think they are getting too expensive for what you get. It is not cheap anymore sadly. If I look from our country, normal hotels with aircon and other luxery are cheaper for the same things now. So the idea of 'eco village' is sadly completely gone. I liked the concept. But pricing is important too of course. I don't need 5* hotels, but if you pay the same, then I choose for some more luxery of course. The diving is the same then.
In Bali we stay very cheap with cheap diving too (2 weeks Bali is cheaper including everything than 2 weeks Egypt, and Egypt is just a 5 hour flight and Bali 17). I am a little bit afraid that Egypt is loosing market at the moment due to its prices and rules and changing rules.

Dahab I haven't been to. So don't know how nice or crap diving is there, haha.

Note that ’eco’ in RSDS concept stands for ’ecological’ and not ’economy’. The idea has been to build a resort with little impact on the reefs and the sea, unlike the bigger hotels that often wreck havoc on the coast. RSDS has never been a cheap alternative. But as discussed in other threads, safety and quality costs.
There seem to be two discussions going on: dive w/o a guide (with buddy) and then on your own (solo).

 

[Mobulai]

So shore dives are maybe no problem, but boatdives are? I don't know, I haven't been to dahab.

There are no real boat dives in Dahab (only 2 or 3 spots that are day boat based; or alternatively highly technical dives)
Almost exclusively everything is shore based

Dahab doesn’t offer as much marine-fauna like the southern part of the redsea, but has some nice things to see still
Now the last 3-5 years had a huge impact on all marine life in the redsea (and elsewhere), so there has been some decline beyond that (I remember 5 years ago reefs in the Nueibaa area, north of dahab, were quite dead vs 7-10y ago) [the more north you go the shallower the average depth gets, the warmer the water is{

I love Dahab because it has a nice mix of calm waters (very secluded), marine life, and underwater topography (caverns/slopes/cracks..; heck my favorite dive in the world is the Canyon in Dahab); oh and the high availability of tech training. Besides i got lots of friends there
It’s an all rounder in my case. YMMV

 

[Chris-Wood]

Not really related to unguided diving, but in January this year I snorkelled at the Blue Hole, and dived in Sharm. The outer wall to the north of the Blue Hole was lovely, packed with corals, clams, and fish.