Experience Required?

[Curiousite]

Hi all -

Hoping others could offer advice on experience level required for Red Sea/Egypt diving.

My goal is to do a week long liveaboard out of Hurghada or El Sharm. From what I've read to date, most sites seem to be on the "advanced" to "very advanced" end of the dive experience scale. I think I also read that the national park requires 50 logged dives.

My experience consists of half a dozen or so 2-tank dives while on cruises in the carribean (I love going cruisin!) and primarily a week long liveaboard in the Bahamas (Blackbeard for those familiar). All told, I have about 35 dives logged. I'm comfortable with my abilities, but haven't committed to purchasing gear just yet.

So my question - is this enough? What conditions or experiences correlate to "advanced" as I've read or seen designated? Navigation skills? Strong swimmer/currents? Depth/nitrox knowledge? Simply more time in the water?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[TSandM]

I think there is beginner diving in the Red Sea, but the liveaboards seem to go to places like Elphinstone and Daedalus reef in the south, and the Brothers Islands in the north. All of those sites have walls that fall off well below recreational depth, so good buoyancy control is a must. All of them have the potential for very strong currents, and if you get blown off the structure, there is no land anywhere near you. Many of the wrecks are in the deeper recreational range, as well, or into technical depths.

The Red Sea will still be there when you have a 100 or so dives, and some experience in current. It's a lovely place to dive (although I'm not real sure I'd want to be there right now).

 

[diverLux]

Hi,


Most dive centres, with your limited experience, allow you to go to 18 m ( 60 ft ) with your - open water certification - and 30 m ( 100 ft ) with - advanced open water certification - the recommended maximum depth for recreational diving in the Red Sea is 40 meters. There is no law as such just rules and regulations imposed by your dive centre.


Out of Sharm ElSheikh or Hurghada you'll do the Norther route. They will want 50 dives plus the - advanced - certification to let you do the Thistlegorm and also possibly Ras Mohammed and Tiran. Although I did the later two fresh out of certification. Look up PADI - advanced open water diver - to see what's involved. Quite obviously everybody will be eager to sell you the - advanced open water - course.


I'll wait till the end of the month hoping for the temperatures to improve a little and I am not worried whatsoever to go there. Did 7 trips last year and will do 8 this season.


Happy diving.

 

[String]

Depends on the itinerary. A lot of red sea diving is very very easy and anyone can do it at any grades. SOME of the more remote sites such as Brothers, Elphinstone and so on require more dives and experience.

Hurghada does northern and southern routes (so about 6 different routes) so where it goes from is no indication.

You'll need AOW to do 30m (so to do ras mo/thistlegorm ) the sites justice.

There is no law as such just rules and regulations imposed by your dive centre.

Actually there is. CDWD / MoT rules.

 

[DevonDiver]

I did 2 weeks diving with 'Red Sea Waterworld' out of Taba. The diving there was very applicable for novices - nice relaxed dives, with wonderful viz and unspoiled (as of 2006) corals.

 

[String]

nice relaxed dives, with wonderful viz and unspoiled (as of 2006) corals.

You'd be very disappointed by the 2013 corals....

(massively illegally overfished reef, plenty work dumping in silt, frequent algal blooms etc).

 

[DevonDiver]

Such a shame... it was pristine 6 years ago. The nicest coral dives I've done

 

[Solly]

I think you can target the northern wrecks & reefs itenry, it fits with your profile if you decide to get AOWD certified. you can do this prior to the trip or I think you can check with the operator if it can be arranged over the trip (or just a couple of days before it)