Tips for where to go alone?

[InTheDrink]

Anyone got any thoughts about where to go for a brief (5 days?) diving trip by myself? I'm looking to go end of April.

My major criteria are:

Diving
The bigger the life the better (yes, I am shallow)
Interesting dives/topography (e.g. Canyons @dahab)
Ability to get buddied up with someone

Non-diving
Good place to hook up with people in the evenings for a beer
Doesn't require driving to it
Modest to moderate budget for eats and sleeps

I was thinking Dahab but from memory there wasn't a huge amount there so not sure whether the social element would be fulfilled.

TIA
John

 

[Scared Silly]

I would head to Sharm as it is easy access with flights and to find other folks to hang out with. Lots of places to eat and drink. I stayed at a place across the hwy from all the hotels. Cheap, easy walking distance. If you want to go anywhere just grab a taxi.

 

[samaka]

Hamata!

Wicked daily diving in Wadi Gamal and Fury Shoal area where you otherwise can only dive from liveaboards.

Absolutely outstanding. Last time I was there we has sharks on the hous reef twice! How cool is that?

.......a.......

 

[masterstroke]

Stick with Dahab and stay in town - no need for wheels there.

If you dive with the right people (pm for more info) you'll get more interesting dives/topography than you can handle in 5 days. Dahab has quite a few canyons...:reaper:

Place to hook up is Rush (next to the Illy coffeeshop

 

[InTheDrink]

Thamks for the kind respnses.

Fish/Samaka
Where is Hamata? Hurghada? (Sharks on the house reef indeed always welcome!)

Masterstroke, I'll PM you for further details as I am drawn by Dahab, I've loved the Bells and the Canyons so if it has more to offer in that vein I'd struggle to say no.

I have been tempted to go a little further south to Marsa Alam cos of some bigger critter encounter possibilities (Oceanic White Tips are bound to take my mind off work !) but outside of that, Dahab if it has more than the dive sites I've mentioned that are of interest I'll probably look at that for reasons of cost.

Scared Silly - I'm still considering Sharm altho sometimes it seems like there's TOO many people there to make friends, which might sound silly. The other aspect is that I've been there quite a lot and it's also been v crowded at the dive sites. But still a backup plan.

Thanks again guys!

 

[ArthurGerla]

Where is Hamata?

In the deep south beyond Marsa Alam.

 

[String]

Dahab is MUCH less crowded and frantic than sharm. Diving wise on your own isnt an issue as you'll be buddied up or this time of year may end up 1 on 1 with a guide.

Not sure of any sites to provide "the big stuff" though.

 

[stiwi]

Dahab would definitely suit all your needs. If you can't decide whether Sharm or Dahab, you can do 2 days Sharm (Tiran + Ras Mohammed) and 3 in Dahab (South, Canyon and Gabr El Bint by camel/boat).

 

[Lord Melch]

Stick with Dahab and stay in town

Place to hook up is Rush (next to the Illy coffeeshop

One of the places to hook up..

Dahab is :cool2:

Not sure of any sites to provide "the big stuff" though.

It's all down to luck. I have seen turtles, rays, a nice shark, barracuda huge eels... big fish..

Admittedly your not talking OZ type amounts of sharks, but then again Dahab isn't 24hrs flying away either

 

[Red Sea Shadow]

Dahab is not known for big stuff. However, occasionally surprises happen (whale shark, white tip shark, and even a tiger shark was spotted in the caves).

For more info about Dahab dive sites, visit SCUBA diving vacations and liveaboard trips in the Red Sea