Sharm advice

[scubacopper]

Hey all,
I am hoping to take a week long trip to Sharm with my girlfriend in December just to get some underwater time in, as I am addicted. I am doing my AOW (PADI) on Nov 3/4 and I am hoping to persuade my girlfriend to do an OW course whilst we're there......but:

Could anyone who has been there post advice about good places to dive, good companies to visit who look after new divers. I am also curious about places to see when not diving, places to eat, and what to bring (apart from diving gear!! clothes etc - Are there strong Muslm laws there?)

Also, could you include places not to see and people to stay away from.

All advice will be welcome, as I hope to make yearly diving holiday part of my recreational plans. You never know.....the other half may like diving and then diving is all I will be able to do.(hopes and dreams!!)

 

[Gary D.]

Hey all,
I am hoping to take a week long trip to Sharm with my girlfriend in December just to get some underwater time in, as I am addicted. I am doing my AOW (PADI) on Nov 3/4 and I am hoping to persuade my girlfriend to do an OW course whilst we're there......but:

Trying to persuade your girlfriend is not a good thing to be doing. Let her tag along and watch. If she is interested in it she will ask to learn. If you push her into it or even just nudge her to hard it could turn her off for ever. Worse yet she could get going, not be comfortable and end up being a statistic.

Don't use peer pressure to get someone diving or do a dive they are not comfortable with.

Gary D.

 

[mania]

Here you can find some basic tips:
http://www.scubaboard.com/t68804-tips-for-all-going-to-egypt.html

Also in Africa/Middle East section you can find a lot of info.
As the restaurants in Sharm - I love Safsafa - they are in Naama Bay and in Old Sharm - the best giant prawns grilled in the world!!!!! There is also a very good Lebaneese restaurant in Bus Stop - Naama Bay.
There is also another good one in Hadaba - La Terazze - on the beach - close to the jetty.
If you have any other question - you can PM me - I know Sharm very well
Mania

 

[mogwai]

Whole lot of questions in there but will try to answer at least some

Was in Sharm last march, going again in feb hopefully. Went with Ocean College, decent digs, plain but clean and everything you need. Unless of course you want to go 5 star. Had great guides on our boat and had no probs at all the whole holiday. Good boat, good guides. Wouldn't worry too much about dress code. Is a muslim country but Sharm is very much set up for divers and is very western, albeit a muslim country. If going outside Sharm would then look more at dress code issues etc. I never moved from Sharm/Namma Bay other than when the boat left the dock.

Best places too dive i can only recommend on my own experiences but reckon they wont be too far away from most peoples opinions (hopefully). Depending on cert and experience also determines what kind of diving is available. Some lovely dives in not too deep water with loads to see. The best dives we had however were in the Straits of Tiran and Ras Mohamed National park. Big reefs with deep deep drop offs. Masses of life and blue water, pretty stunning stuff. Absolutley loved these sites. Can dive them up to 30 metres and is great diving.

Places like Wooodhouse and Jackson Reef in the Straits, and then Reefs like, Shark reef and Yolanda Reef. Great dives. Do a search there is pictures on the net that show people diving there and some of the stuff you can see. Saw some amazing shoals of Barracuda close up, probably a bit too close, Napolean Wrasse, Crocodile Fish, Puffer, Trigger to name but a few.

Hope this helps, feel free to pm me if you want to ask anything else, will even recommend a couple of bars for the last couple of days when the diving is done

 

[DocVikingo]

In our Scuba Diving Vacation & Destinations section we have a forum dedicated to Africa/Middle East. I have taken the liberty of moving your post in the hope it will get a more complete response.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[DutchDown]

I'll agree with Gary...don't encourage your girlfriend too much. Could turn her off the idea completely.

Mania has some great suggestions of you read her posts. I will put a plug in for Camel Dive Club...nice, but not overly luxurious hotel, great bar and a very good dive operation all under one roof. You'll do a couple of local dives the first day so the dive guides can help you sort your weighting and to make sure you won't destroy the coral. Other days you'll dive the Straits of Tiran...Jackson Reef, Woodhouse Reef and other sites within an hour or so by boat. I went in January and fell in love with the place. Playing with the idea of going back this December.

Hope this helps!

Phil

 

[Belushi]

ScubaCopper if you want to email me then please do. Firstly I am only just down the road, and secondly I lived there for a year and am going back for the second time in the last three months to find somewhere to live for me and Scubababy.

We are planning on moving out there to buy land and build property.

mail me at Belushi[at]Scubagod.com just remove the [at] sign and replace it with a @

 

[mania]

going back for the second time in the last three months to find somewhere to live for me and Scubababy.

We are planning on moving out there to buy land and build property.

Belushi - get somothing in Hadaba - then I'll drop by. I'm also looking for some property to buy there - but I'm too lazy to build. So if you find something nice and not too expensive (forget the Hadaba cliff!!!!!) pls let me know.
Hope to see you both there
mania

 

[Belushi]

We are renting somewhere in Hadaba for six months to find out the legal implications of buying land and building property. Then we are planning on building a 6-8 apartment block and rent them out to the locals and then we can just go diving and take u/w video and diving, and u/w photos and diving and .... if we get really bored .. then we will do a bit of teaching .. well I will ... of? Diving ...yeah!!!

 

[divebunnie]

Well it sounds as though everything has been covered here, except the Al Fanar restaruant in Hadaba! The most romantic place to watch the sunset before tucking into some beautiful food. The Camel do GREAT buffet lunches too!
As far as dress codes, go, whilst it is very relaxed in Sharm, your girlfriend will probably feel more comfortable if she covers up a little when wandering around town, nothing major, just best not to wander around in a bikini once away from the beach.
Mogwai, you must have been there just before me, I was with Ocean College for most of April doing my Divemaster course… loved every minute.
BTW good luck Belushi n Scubababy, I'm hoping to get out there next spring for certainly an extended stay to do my IDC.