The best dive in Sharm el Sheikh

[PeteTheFish]

Hello all! I've just introduced myself in the intro section so this is my first proper post. I have a typical newbie question:

I booked a holiday in Sharm in August of next year. I'm open water qualified now but I hope to have gained a good deal of experience before next August. I'll probably only be doing 1 day's diving (its not just a diving holiday) so I need to know how best to use my time. In other words, what is the best dive in Sharm?

Cheers

 

[mania]

Well, i think everybody will agree with me - first of all Ras Mohammed - National Park. There you should do Jackfish Alley, Jolanda & Shark Reef (sometimes difficult dive - it's a drift dive with rather strong currents). Tiran Island - Jacson Reef, Thomas Reef. And if you like wrecks - Thistlegorm.
These are absolutly the best places. But I'm sure that after first day you will decide to change your plans and have more that one dive per day. anyway - Tiran and Thistlegorm are a whole day trip so anyway you have 2 dives.
Mania

 

[stefo2]

Agree with above, Shark reef to Yolanda reef is a great dive, in spite of a pretty strong current in one place.
Check the other recent threads here on diving in Sharm - it will be difficult if not impossible to find a diveshop that will take you to Ras Mohammed on the first the day of diving with them, so you may have to change your plans and allow at least two days for diving.
Thistlegorm is a great dive if it's not too busy (unfortunataly it often is), but you need to be pretty good with your buoancy inside the wreck - I had my mask kicked off and regulator kicked out by divers who weren't and were all over the place - and there isn't that much space.

 

[RSoper]

I would have to say i think one of the best dives in Sharm is called "The Tower." It is basically an increadable wall dive, with a verticle cliff face going off into the depths, with a kind of "chute" making for a very interesting dive. It is an increadable feeling floating there in the blue, and would highly reccomend it.

As stated in previous posts, your first days diving will most likely have to be local sites such as The Tower, and you will only be unleashed on sites such as Tiran, Ras Mohhamed or Thistlegorm after this first days diving. I would just spend the whole holiday diving, sod the pyramids!

 

[Belushi]

Fantastic thought.

Well it is a choice between 7000 years of history or 60 million, what a decision.
I would say no competition.

The Tower is a cool dive, and mania is spot on as well, but I have to disagree. The best dive is done on a Saturday night in the Camel bar with the live blues music and the peanuts on the floor, and beer, talking about the dives you did today with freinds you just met.

Dont go anywhere near the water if you want to see any of Egypt, because once you are hooked ... Sphynx? Wheres that wreck?

want a laugh? read this ... it might inspire you to stay in sharm and dive!
http://www.dsproffitt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/home/Stories/Civilization.htm

 

[PeteTheFish]

Thanks Belsuhi!

I agree that beer and jollity are a very fine cause! I don't remember doing the "regulator replacement with bottled beer" during the OW course so I'll have to concentrate on the diving before considering the Camel Bar.

Thanks everybody for you suggestions - I'll have to swot up on a couple of touristy dive books! The tower sounds like an incredible dive - but I'm new enough to appreciate a puddle of water at the moment - I'm sure I won't be dissapointed whatever I do!

 

[Washy]

PeteTheFish once bubbled...


I'll probably only be doing 1 day's diving (its not just a diving holiday) so I need to know how best to use my time.

Cheers

Many of the dive ops from Sharm insist on a local dive before you can hit the decent sites such as Ras Mohammed or Tiran (worth checking before you hand over cash).

In my experience the 'local sites' were pretty poor - great viz just nothing to see. You say you're a newbie so I'm not sure what you're expecting, but if like me you were expecting to go to the Red Sea and see one of the best dive sites in the world, then with only one day's diving available, prepare yourself for diappointment.

Some of the other guys on SB have said they have had great 'local dives' but I was v. bored on Ras Katy and Ras um Sid (I think that was my other local dive) was pretty much the same.

I did three dives in Ras Mohammed and these were much better - if you can swing it, that is definitely the way to go...

Best wishes...

 

[DesertEagle]

Good luck diving Ras Mohammed on the first day. I was there in October and they made me do my first day at a local site. Understand that I had made three previous trips to Sharm and I know the sites. It is policy to make you do your first dive locally. They gave me two primary reasons:

1. to make sure your skills are okay.
2. Fine tune your buoyancy

Don't go to the Gardens. They are crap. Try something further up like Ras Nosrani. Go to the other thread. I posted a photo taken at Ras Mohammed and one at Near Garden. You will be able to tell the difference.

Understand that visibility can vary. One day at Ras Mohammed we had low visibility, the next day was very clear.

My favorite dive is Shark Reef/Yolanda Reef. The coral wall at Shark Reef is spectacular. It is loaded with soft corals and fish. Out in the blue water is a resident school of barracuda. In the past I have seen lots of things swimming in the open water. Sharks aren't as common anymore but in the summer you can swim in a huge school of snappers.

 

[torbaydiver]

I'm going to sharm in January and can't wait, I'm particularly looking forward to diving the thistlegorm wreck still complete with tanks and motorbikes I had an excellent link but unfortunately I can't find it now!
I shall do a report on my return !
yep you can't go to Sharm and only do one dive "criminal"

 

[torbaydiver]

Found the link
http://www.sharm-el-sheikh.com/DiveSites/DiveSites.htm