Egypt Red Sea pricing for dive resort beach diving?! Am I missing something

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uwgreg

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Messages
32
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Location
Montreal, Canada
# of dives
100 - 199
Hey everyone!

I'm heading to the Red Sea diving for the first time and am completely unfamiliar with how things are done there. Looking for explanation of the diving situation when doing local/beach dives from a dive resort.

If I bring my entire gear and am only missing air/nitrox tanks + weights to dive, then:

I was under the impression you would be able to dive cheaply (some fees for park, tanks, weights) if booking a room at a dive resort with a local house reef.

So far, all the self-proclaimed dive resorts and hotels I've looked at do not include house reef diving or cheap access.. they forward you to their in-house dive center webpage... which seem to all have very high prices to dive the resort reef (~35-60$ PER DIVE)?!
Is this the expectation for the Red Sea.. It's almost as expensive as the full day boat trips...?

Here's an example:

Diving | The Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge
3 dives house reef - 92,00 € --> 115$ (38.5$ per dive)

vs.

Full day boat trip incl. 2 dives and tank/weight 78,00 €
Surcharge 3rd dive boat 25,00 €
total: 103 euro --> 129$ (43$ per dive for a full day of boat diving)
I don't understand how filling a tank and lending weights costs close to the same price as going on a full day of boat diving an hour + away..? Especially when you are staying at the hotel that hosts the dive center and calls itself a "Dive Resort"

Cheers
 
In Egypt I seem to remember that you often have to have a guide even when diving the house reef. This is the case in most countries we have dived in. The shop has overheads and has had greatly reduced or no income during Covid. You might be able to negotiate a lower price when you are there. Staff and overheads cost money !
 
"You might be able to negotiate a lower price"

that's the key in this part of the world....

The Breakers ar very well situated and quite expensive resort, this explains the price.

If you go to another dive center (Dune, Turtles, Dimension bleue, United divers, and many others), you have 5 full boat days/10 dives for less than 300 eur / 350 usd (less than 35$ per dive) ... but there is no house reef.
 
You will get better prices if you book in advance. Most of the hotels have a dive center within but you can always stay in a hotel but dive with a center in the hotel next door. For breakers lodge, you will be diving with Orca DC if you use the default dive center. So prices would be here Orca Tavel. Bigger package you book in advance, cheaper total diving will be. I would book 6 days of boat diving if I travelled for a week. Orca dc has privileged location due to access to house reef so their prices could be a bit higher but they are also reputable. As mentioned above, any dive center in the vicinity will happily transfer you, so, you are not limited to the one you stay.
 
Let me just add that, albeit a bit pricey, The Breakers and its in house dive shop Orca, are very much to be recommended. We've been here twice in the past and are currently on our third vacation starting yesterday. Always had a great time!
 
The hotel and the Dive Centre are 2 different companies, although cooperating, indeed.

In Egypt I seem to remember that you often have to have a guide even when diving the house reef. [...]
That's not the case here: if your check dive / orientation dive is fine and you have enough experience, you will be allowed to dive alone with your buddy.

Prices:
Keep in mind you will have to add various taxes as well (up to 14 EUR). So, even higher costs than you calculated.
However, you will get min 10% discount if you book in advance, and - if i recall correctly - all your dives will have the same price, even if you added some to your booking once onsite. And again 3% (TBC) discount if you take an ORCA membership card.
Negotiations to lower that prices won't be successfull: it's a German operation...
Yes, they may be higher than others. Why? because they can.
The different dive operations in the Red Sea have all different prices depending on location, infrastructure, number of staff/DM, ...
That's how the cookie crumbles...
 
I think I paid around EUR160 for 10 shore dives off Dahab last July inclusive of the compulsory dive guide.
 
Check out Red Sea Diving Safaris. They have ”camps” on a few different locations with the northernmost being Marsa Shagra, near Marsa Alam. One of the nicest house reefs and on a basic dive package you have unlimited diving, after you have made a orientation dive with a guide, you are free to dive with a buddy. Just pick up a tank, sign up on the dive board and dive. Boat dives to e.g. Elphinstone is extra charge on top of your dive package. Don’t know the tariffs, but they are available on their website.

Red Sea Diving Safari - Marsa Alam - Home

Good luck
 
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