Eilat diving

[Red Sea Shadow]

I am moving to Israel in March '07 and I plan to dive in Eilat and farther south on the Red Sea. My OW, AOW, and Gold Master Certs are with YMCA. YMCA is not an internationally recognized organization. Are YMCA c-cards recognized in Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East? I have specialty certs with IANTD (Nitrox, Cavern) and NAUI (drysuit).

Regarding the Egyptian Red Sea, it depends on the operator. However, in general, there's no problem with YMCA.

 

[ScubaGil]

I am moving to Israel in March '07 and I plan to dive in Eilat and farther south on the Red Sea. My OW, AOW, and Gold Master Certs are with YMCA. YMCA is not an internationally recognized organization. Are YMCA c-cards recognized in Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East? I have specialty certs with IANTD (Nitrox, Cavern) and NAUI (drysuit).

Israel is one of the few countries that has a government regulated diving association, that has some strange rules and regulations. You will have to check with the local dive shop if they think you will have any issues with your YMCA certification. If you can read and write Hebrew and I will forward you a link to a great Israeli diving forum where they could answer you for sure.

 

[ofleisher]

Hia,
Just checked for you with Coral sea divers in Eilat.
Not a problem at all as long as you will come with your log book (they will look after your last dive should be less than 6 months), valid diving insurance (that you can buy at the counter) and don't forget your plastic money -
Enjoy

 

[nuballawalla]

Hia,
Just checked for you with Coral sea divers in Eilat.
Not a problem at all as long as you will come with your log book (they will look after your last dive should be less than 6 months), valid diving insurance (that you can buy at the counter) and don't forget your plastic money -
Enjoy

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies.

As far as diving insurance goes I am currently a DAN member. Is DAN accepted by Israeli dive shops?

Thanks again.

 

[rubbachicken]

i've dived a lot out of aqua sport, very friendly the beach out front gets a bit crowded

medusa was newly opened last time i was out there, i did my nirtox course with them, friendly people, lots of space to kit up, i'll be diving from there next time i'm in eilat

 

[ofleisher]

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies.

As far as diving insurance goes I am currently a DAN member. Is DAN accepted by Israeli dive shops?

Thanks again.

Dan is okay !!!
Stay away from the divers village :no - all the rest are okay to dive with

Have fun

 

[Paco II]

Reviving this thread a bit. Planning to be in Eilat for one day of diving in late March. I'm looking for a recommendation for an Eilat-based Dive company. Emailed a bunch, and Aqua Sport is the only to reply so far. Are they Ok? Any stand-outs?

 

[SeaHorseWoman]

I dive mostly at AquaSport, but happy to go whereever I find a good buddy. All the dive centers are fine, friendly people, prices similar, just some have better showers than others.

 

[Paco II]

Thanks for that. They told me that my only option for my one day is a 'Sinai Boat Dive.' Do you happen to know what exactly that entails? Also, they offered a 2 or 3 tank trip. Do you think the 3rd tank is worth the expense? Thanks!

 

[Jai Bar]

Reviving this thread a bit. Planning to be in Eilat for one day of diving in late March. I'm looking for a recommendation for an Eilat-based Dive company. Emailed a bunch, and Aqua Sport is the only to reply so far. Are they Ok? Any stand-outs?

All clubs in Eilat are OK. It just depends on your needs- are you looking for one of the big ones, where your chances of finding a buddy are higher? Or, perhaps you want a small and quiet club?

Across the street from Aqua Sport you can find Manta/RedSeaSports dive center which is also a recommended place. Nearby, there are Marina Divers, Siam, Deep (Deep is also a technical oriented club), Nemo Divers (one of the smallest clubs with personal treatment. The owner is a gifted UW photographer). Then, a bit further you can check Coral Sea Divers.

All the mentioned above clubs are in the vicinity of "Coral Beach" nature reserve. Other recommended clubs closer to the port area are Dolphin Reef (You can dive with dolphins there for a bunch of $$$) and Meduza.

I don't think you need to book something in advance- you can phone them a couple of dives before or just get there and start diving, assuming you find a buddy. You'd have better chances on weekend days.