First diving trip after OWD - Egypt or Indonesia

[Hydra1995]

Hey guys,

My girlfriend and I will do our OWD in September and are thinking about doing a diving holiday either in Egypt or Indonesia in October. First of all we were thinking about Indonesia for 2,5 weeks. About 10 days in Bali followed by 7-8 days in Komodo. But now we are a bit unsure because of the currents in Komodo since this would be probably the highlight and at this time we would be around +-20 dives? And now we are thinking about just doing 10 days in Egypt in Marsa Alam or Hurghada, since we are from Europe and its much closer. (4 hours flight against 17 hours flight)

What would you recommend us? Would Indonesia we worth it or is Egypt "good enough" for a first diving trip?

Thanks a lot in advance and appreciate your help,

Best wishes

 

[Bookworm11]

I would do Egypt. Indonesia is further and has harder dives. Even Egypt has some difficult ones. I would do research to see which of those places are easier, if either are. I only dove in Dahab, which you get to by flying into Sharm. And Dahab is pretty beginner friendly and probably cheaper than the other places, but that's a guess

 

[Hydra1995]

Unfortunately there is no direct flight from our city to Sharm... Is Hurghada or Marsa better for diving? Will it keep us busy for 10 days or is it too long?

 

[autrichon gris]

I have been 20 times on diving trip in Egypt (hotels, liveaboard, diving camps).

Both Hurghada and Marsa Alam are good diving destinations. I would suggest the Red Sea diving safari (Google it) if you are looking for a 100% diving place with unlilmited diving from shore (Marsa Shagra or Marsa Nakari, smaller). That's a must. Shagra is generally full almost one year in advance.

If you are looking for more cosy place, i would suggest the Breakers in Soma Bay (Hurghada zone), very comfy hotel, with Orca dive center, a German structure in it.

 

[Lorenzoid]

For a first trip, and being based in Europe, Egypt seems ideal. I suggest doing an Egypt trip to gain some experience and waiting to do the Indonesia trip. When you have done enough dives that you feel comfortable in currents, you will be better able to enjoy the diving, and Indonesia is spectacular.

 

[Valerii Vakshul]

Unfortunately there is no direct flight from our city to Sharm... Is Hurghada or Marsa better for diving? Will it keep us busy for 10 days or is it too long?

OWD and nitrox for 10 days is a good option. Stay in Hurghada - there is always something to do here

 

[Leobendive]

I have been to Hurghada in 2012, doing my OWD+Nitrox there, to Bali in 2014 and to Marsa Alam in 2017 for my AOW. Some things might have changed since, still I am going to share my thoughts.

When the main purpose of your trip is diving don't think twice - go to egypt. When you want to experience a completely different culture, combining sight seeing and diving Bali is a great choice. Travelling so far for diving only, would mean a missed chance in my opinion. Visit some temples around the island, go at least one or two days to Ubud where no diving opportunities are anywhere close, relax on a Black lava beach up in the north - absolutely don't stay in only one place your whole stay! Bali has great diving but it has so much more on offer. Already the smell near the temples is a whole new experience, that will stay with me forever: incense sticks mixed with clove cigarettes - a whole new World outside the ocean.
Of course there are also possibilities for sight seeing in egypt - but for me, if they wouldn't have the Red sea I would not go there again. I don't like the hot and dry dessert climate - nothing but sand everywhere
Now lets move on to my opinion on diving. First of All- both are very good - there is no wrong choice. In egypt I liked Hurghada more than Marsa Alam. Make sure you have a great house reef in Front of your resort, unless you want to spend time in a car or on a boat every day. In Hurghada we had a great wall right in Front. You could go directly from the entrance, take a zodiac that dropped you off so that you could drift back to the entrance - a good wall can give you a week of great diving without even going to other dive spots.
Im marsa alam I can recommend a new Video by a hobby-videographer I follow some years already. He dives there regularly. Of course he also made some other Videos there

In Bali as already pointed out in other posts they have a lot of current. But you can be sure, that the dive Centers and guides there know how to handle it also with beginner divers, although your options are maybe a bit more limited with less experience. I had only 18 dives when I arrived there. Most of the dives are drift dives - a great experience to fly slowly over the reefs (well sometimes not so slow...). The guides always did a current check there, i.e. one guide went in first to the planned depth to check direction and strengh of the current then returned and instructed the captain where to drop off the dive groups. They never got it wrong in 10-12 dives I did there (had definitley different experiences in other countries...). Don't miss to dive in Amed, the USAT Liberty in Tulamben, and of course menjangan and nusa penida are always worth a dive!
Can not comment on currents in Kommodo unfortunately...never been there

Long post with a lot of thoughts. Now it is on you to set your priorities

 

[Bookworm11]

Depending on how much time you have, and how much you love diving, I loved being a tourist in Egypt. The pyramids were amazing! And they just redid the Egyptian museum! You could fly to Cairo for 4 days or so at the end and then fly home from there if you wanted. Or if you are young, pay $5, and take the overnight bus to Cairo. I loved Bali, but even I found a few of the dives challenging. I'd hold off and go to Egypt and save Bali for your next trip or your trip after. Or just focus on diving on whichever place you decide you like. I would make sure you research and find a good dive shop, though. Nothing is worse than diving with a shop that doesn't fit your needs. InThailand, as an aAOW diver, I kept getting put with people who had dove 10 times or less, and repeating the same dive sites over and over and never going below 45 feet. The day I gave up on the shop was a day when there was 2 1/2 swells ( in Thailand, you must swim to the site from the boat), the DM and I went in, were at the mooring line of the site for 15 minutes waiting for the other 5 people in the group to come, they finally jumped in, swam over, the DM says everybody ready, and the one guy took his mask off ! I spent about 25 minutes waiting before we started. I was never so glad for a full jacket BCD!!