Housereefs/shore diving Sharm?

[Adriaan557]

Hi all,

We just booked a trip to Sharm for middle of July and we're taking a friend with - will be staying in Ocean Club in Ras Um Sid We're both AOW, but our friend has just completed her Open Water certification. This will be her first diving holiday.

So I've got 2 questions for all the Sharm experts here on SB:

1. Are there any good house reefs you can dive from shore in Sharm? I'm thinking that our friend will have to do a few simple dives just to get a bit of expereince. We'll be happy to do a few such dives with her, so long as there are lots of stuff to see and I can practice my macro photography a bit.

2. Are Beginner divers allowed to go dive Tiran and Ras Mohammed? If not fair enough, if yes then we might pay extra and get a personal guide for the 3 of us.

Appreciate your help!

 

[Scubadad1]

If you're staying at Ocean Club then I expect you will be diving with them. They have a house reef off the Hilton Waterfalls - Paradise which is OK. Otherwise you will be looking at boat dives even on "local" reefs. However I think that the Gardens are great, especially Fiddle, and good for photography. Ras Um Sid is fantastic and even Temple and Ras Katy have good photographic opportunities. You will have to do a day local boat diving before they will let you go to Tiran or Ras Mohammed - as will most dive operators.

As for your friend, if she is a competent diver then she will most likely be allowed to go to Tiran and Ras Mo but she should consider doing her AOW as with the equipment hire, daily dive charges etc it is nearly the same price to do her AOW as it is to just dive; certainly if you have to hire a private guide.

Hope this is useful.:14:

 

[Adriaan557]

Thanks Scubadad, this is exactly the kind of info I was looking for!