Red Sea Compared to the World

[vogtelizab]

OK - maybe not the whole world - but my husband and I are going to be traveling around the world for 8 months and are trying to decide where best to spend our diving dollars as we won't be able to do week long liveaboards, etc in every location and we could use some help from anyone who has experience diving in the places we'll be headed - namely Egypt, Thailand, Borneo (Sipadan area), Bali, possibly the Maldives and the Great Barrier Reef.

I did a liveaboard in the Great Barrier Reef which I loved so I have that as a base for comparison. I have over 50 dives and AOW and Nitrox certifications. My husband has only OW and about 5-6 dives. We'll be visiting in October. Some questions we are pondering concerning how much time to spend in the Red Sea are:

1 / with a less experienced diver, is there a liveaboard option that we could both do comfortably?
2 / if we did not do a liveaboard b/c we were only going to spend a few days in Dahab, are the sites you can either dive from shore in Dahab or by day boat worth it? (mostly I ask this b/c when in Australia it seemed that the dives you could do by day boat were not worth it b/c those parts of the reef get so many visitors that they are very damaged, lots of dead coral, etc - wasn't sure if this was the case in the Red Sea as well?) also b/c i do like the big stuff - but i understand finding sharks in the Red Sea is becoming less and less likely, especially for the dive sites that we may be able to dive given our different experience levels.
3 / are some of the other places I've listed comparable or even "better" in terms of what we might be able to see with less difficult/technical diving (given my husband's experience)
4 / if we don't go liveaboard - is there a big difference in the dives you have access to from Dahab versus Sharm? (as we would prefer to stay in Dahab)
5 / lastly - since I'm new to the forum - if there's another area of the forum or another thread that anyone has seen comparing various diving round the world - i would love a link to that - i've been searching and reading thru the boards but haven't found one quite yet!

Thanks so much for any info! With so many countries to research for our trip, the help we are getting from forums such as this has been invaluable so we appreciate it immensely!!!
cheers,
beth

 

[Jai Bar]

What an honor to be the first responder

1. Yes, of course. Most dive sites are just as good for both experienced and novice divers. Many are just as good for snorkelers (and I recommend to everyone also to spend some time snorkeling- I have experienced some of the best sightings while snorkeling).

2. Dahab has really nice shore dives. I think most diving operations are actually "shore based". Dahab is worth diving and some of the more famous dive sites are unique. Although you may have some encounters with big animals (In Helmut Debilius Red Sea Fish Guide there is a documented encounter with a Humpback whale in Dahab!!!), don't fantasize about meeting sharks. Just focus on the superb reefs with huge drop to unfathomed depths and lots of smaller fish...

3. Besides Dahab, Sharm El Sheikh could be a better option for daily boats (To the straits of Tiran, Ras Mohammed), short liveaboards (say 3-5 days), and also shore diving, which is good in my opinion. However, Sharm and Dahab are completely different towns with different atmosphere.

4. I am not sure how many places can offer a liveaboard based from Dahab. There are options like Taba-Dahab liveaboards, which are good if you are coming to Egypt through Israel-Eilat-Taba. The major advantage is a far less crowded scenario. Probably you'll be the only boat most of the route. Tiran Straits and Ras Mohammed park are just "over the street" from Sharm, also the rest of relatively near dive sites like the HMS Thistlegorm, Shaab Abu Nuhas with its wrecks etc.

I'd summarize it like this:

- If you have time, go for both Dahab and Sharm
- Liveaboard only: Sharm
- Shoredive only: Dahab

5. Don't know about such comparisons. I think in Rodale's scubadiving magazine they used to "rate" dive sites around the world in terms of visibilty, shoredivinhg possibilities, big stuff encounter, etc etc but it used to be very "American Oriented". As there are so many different categories it is really difficult to rank and compare places around the world especially if each is unique in its own way. I don't know how can one compare The Great Barrier reef with Red Sea, or with Bahamas or any other place. Each is different, and different dives look for different things not only underwater stuff- also accessibility, topside attractions, prices, how long/cost to get there, water temperatures, currents (some love it, others hate them) etc. etc.

Just go and see them all then let me know which is the best

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

I'd summarize it like this:

- If you have time, go for both Dahab and Sharm
- Liveaboard only: Sharm
- Shoredive only: Dahab

5. Don't know about such comparisons. I think in Rodale's scubadiving magazine they used to "rate" dive sites around the world in terms of visibilty, shoredivinhg possibilities, big stuff encounter, etc etc but it used to be very "American Oriented". As there are so many different categories it is really difficult to rank and compare places around the world especially if each is unique in its own way. I don't know how can one compare The Great Barrier reef with Red Sea, or with Bahamas or any other place. Each is different, and different dives look for different things not only underwater stuff- also accessibility, topside attractions, prices, how long/cost to get there, water temperatures, currents (some love it, others hate them) etc. etc.

Just go and see them all then let me know which is the best

Ditto

I'd add that if you want a more laid back environment, go Dahab. Sharm is bigger and more touristic. However, each one has its own charm!

If you want more info about Dahab and Sharm dive sites, visit SCUBA diving vacations and liveaboard trips in the Red Sea

 

[vogtelizab]

Thanks for the thoughts! Will check out that link as well. Yeah - it's definitely a tough decision given all the variables of different dive sites - but it is good to hear that doing some of the closer in dives isn't "ruined" by over-diving like some of the places close to shore in Australia. As we travel, we'll try to report back what our thoughts were on each place as well!

 

[Scared Silly]

The Red Sea compared to the rest of the world, one word: saltier.

There what more do you need to know other than there is some good diving to be had .

 

[opti12206]

Sounds like an awesome trip.

 

[Seadeuce]

I would suggest you both go to Dahab, and your husband does his AOW. Meanwhile you could re-aquaint yourself with the UW world by doing guided shore dives, then bring your hubby along for same - maybe after his day's AOW diving.

When completed you should both be dive-fit, and maybe a three-day liveaboard would appeal out of Sharm.

The above would serve as a gradual introduction to what promises to be a varied diving trip. Comparisons between Red Sea dive locations are easily found, as are between the Red Sea and the world.

But to have these comparisons - which are, after all, opinions - be of worthwhile value to you and your intended dive excursion, you must first guage them by looking at the dive experience of the person making that comparison and giving that opinion.

For example, if a diver with 30 dives to his credit is asked what Red Sea diving is like, he will garnish his answer with superlatives. Whereas a diver with 300 dives will be more selective and say that one location was better than the other because...

Likewise, if a well-travelled, well-dived diver gives his opinion of diving different worldwide locations he will base it on what his likes and dislikes are. These may be wholly inappropriate for your particular style of diving, and therefore the information contained therein of little practical value.

Eight months should give you both adequate time to develop and identify your style of diving. You will find that any opinion offered will differ from your particular experience, that your experience will define your own opinion - which, in turn, will be the basis for your comparisons.

Enjoy the journey. Share the adventure. Delight in the differences. Build your knowledge base while developing your diving prowess. Hop onboard a Rescue Diver course in Thailand; dive towards Divemaster on your return leg. Learn ad infinitum.

And keep a diary!

By trip's end you will both have evolved into capable homo aquatica with memories to last a lifetime.

Bon Voyage!!



Seadeuce