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Your Guide to Diving Red Sea
including Egypt (Dahab, South Sinai, Hurghada), Israel, Jordan, Sudan

All of Undercurrent's information on diving Red Sea, including articles, reader reports, Chapbook sections, ...

Diving Red Sea Overview

This body of water has been a main sea route from Asia to Europe for centuries and as such is well supplied with shipwrecks of all ages that have come to grief on the many coral reefs. Europeans flock to the Red Sea for excellent liveaboard and day boat diving and for this reason Egypt has the world's most burgeoning dive industry. Hurghada is a good point of embarkation, but divers also head farther south to Marsa Alam or north to Sharm el-Sheikh. Liveaboards get divers to the best Red Sea diving. Water temperatures can drop into the cool 60s during February and rise into the 80s by August and generally the diving is easy. The best diving is north of Port Sudan in Sudanese waters, and many liveaboard divers choose the option of less hassle by departing from Port Ghalib in Egypt, although the vessel must put into Port Sudan first to get the required paperwork. With no rivers and little rainfall, bordered by desert on both sides, the Red Sea usually has water clarity second to none.

Red Sea Seasonal Dive Planner

Red Sea (Egypt): It rarely rains in the desert but when it does it floods. The Egyptian coast is not tropical, but the Red Sea is unique in that it is heated by the submarine thermal vents of the African Rift, of which it forms a part of this far north. This explains why it has the most northern coral reefs of anywhere in the world.

Air temperatures in winter range from 60-75°F (15-24°C) and the water can drop down to 68°F (20°C), with the coolest temperatures occurring in February when it can be very windy, even drawing up sandstorms inland. Summer air temperatures slide right up past 100°F (38°C) with the water temperature rising to 85°F (28°C) but take a wetsuit anyway. The hottest month is August. If you are going to do any land exploration (and how do you visit the Red Sea without at least a peek at the pyramids), the trade-off for warm water is hot weather. The manta and whale shark season is from March to June

Sudan: The Sudanese coast has arguably the best diving in the Red Sea but the weather can be oppressively hot in the summer and the seas particularly rough and uncomfortable in winter thanks to a powerful wind (usually Force 8 or stronger) blowing off the desert. Surface water temperatures can get as high as 91°F (33°C) although it cools down to a balmy 84°F (29°C) at depth. The summer sea is calm.

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Diving Red Sea Reader Reports and Feature Articles

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Latest Reader Reports from Red Sea

from the serious divers who read Undercurrent

All Reader Reports from Red Sea

All 10,000+
Reports
Orca Dive Club /Wadi Lahmy Azur Resort Report in Red Sea/Berenice
"Nice dives in Berenice"
filed Nov 29, 2023 by Giuseppe Corcione (Experience: Over 1000 dives, 4 reports, Reviewer )
3 stars

I've dived Berenice area +20 yrs ago and even now I've found corals still healty, coloured and a sea full of life. The bad side is the ... ... Read more


Grand Sea Explorer Report in Red Sea/Hurghada LiveAboard
"Happy to dive in the Red Sea, not going back"
filed Nov 27, 2023 by Alice Ribbens (Experience: Over 1000 dives, 19 reports, Contributor )
4 stars

We were part of a REEF trip on the Explorer Ventures' Grand Sea Serpent. We traveled around Egypt for about a week before meeting up wi... ... Read more


Blue Planet Liveaboards Report in Red Sea/Daedalus Elphinstone Fury Shoa LiveAboard
"Daedelus, Elphinstone & Fury Shoals - Excellent Service & Crew!"
filed Nov 17, 2023 by Katie Alpers (Experience: Over 1000 dives)
4 stars

We booked a weeks diving with Blue Planet Liveaboards on board Blue Storm. We made the reservation through Liveaboards.com, but soon f... ... Read more


all star liveaboard Report in Red Sea LiveAboard
"far exceeded our expectations"
filed Nov 6, 2023 by Marcelene Wrona (Experience: 501-1000 dives)
5 stars

[None]... ... Read more


Sinai Divers Aqaba/Movenpick Talay Bay Report in Red Sea/Gulf of Sinai
"Fun diving in Aqaba but chilly in February"
filed Oct 24, 2023 by John Yavorsky (Experience: Over 1000 dives, 30 reports, Top Contributor )
4 stars

Colorful Red Sea life in this offshoot of the Red Sea but not quite as good as the Red Sea itself. Boat dives can take you to a C130 ai... ... Read more Photos available


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Complete Articles Available to Undercurrent Online Members; Some Publicly Available as Indicated

Diving Red Sea Articles - Liveaboards

Another Red Sea Liveaboard Damaged, 11/23
MY Vita 2, Red Sea, Egypt, eight wrecks and reefs in a week, 8/23
The Deadly MY Hurricane Fire, yet another liveaboard tragedy, 8/23
Carlton Queen Capsizes in the Red Sea, what happened next, 7/23
Two Liveaboards Capsize and Sink in April, 5/23
Red Sea Liveaboard Smacks into a Reef at Night Red Sea Liveaboard Smacks into a Reef at Night -- Publicly Available, Are liveaboards getting reckless?, 2/23
Raja Ampat, St. Lucia, Rangiroa, Vancouver Island, some great diving, some questionable characters, 11/22
Scuba Scene – Another Liveaboard Burns, with conflicting perceptions of the aftermath, 6/22
Were You Booked on a Future Scuba Scene Trip?, 6/22
Blue O Two a Casualty of COVID, 1/22
South Caicos, Jupiter, St. Vincent, Cozumel South Caicos, Jupiter, St. Vincent, Cozumel -- Publicly Available, Undercurrent subscribers are traveling again, 10/21

Available to the Public
Harrowing Tales from the Red Sea Aggressor I Fire, errors led to the disaster and post-disaster mismanagement, 1/20
American Diver Dies in Red Sea Aggressor I Fire, 11/19
Why Are Red Sea Sharks Biting More Often?, 1/19
MV Tempest, Red Sea, Egypt, great diving on a liveaboard we’d never recommend, 8/18
Our Picks for Top Red Sea Liveaboards, 8/18
Wooden Hulls, Tumble Dryers and Single Engines, 1/18
Fire Aboard a Red Sea Liveaboard, and a crew ill-equipped to deal with it, 6/17
Sick Divers, Macho Divemasters, travels in Egypt, Fiordland, Bonaire, the Bahamas... , 11/16
Egyptian Diving Market Sinks, 4/16
Red Sea Aggressor, Egypt, big critters will give you bang for your buck, 11/14
Fire Aboard!, how John Bantin escaped a burning Red Sea liveaboard, 8/14
Bahamas, Hawaii, the Red Sea. . ., one Micronesia resort worth visiting, another that’s not, 7/13
The Red Sea, Egypt, three great dive trips, three prices, 2/12
Andromeda, Red Sea, Sudan, Americans, you’re missing out on fantastic diving, 7/11
Curacao, Fiji, Papua, Maui . . ., dive sites where you can expect the unexpected, 4/11
Heaven Diamond, The Red Sea, Egypt, a desert oasis of world-class diving, 1/07
Three Perish in Red Sea Live-Aboard Explosion, 4/04
The Red Sea, North and South, for big fish action, avoid the day boats, 2/01
Sea Surveyor, Red Sea, 1/96
Red Sea: Poseidon's Quest, 8/95
Poseidon's Quest, 11/94
The Gazala I, Red Sea, Some Things Never Change, 1/89

Diving Red Sea Articles - Land Based


Available to the Public
Raja Ampat, Bonaire, Maldives, Cozumel . . ., and endless trash spilling into the water, 7/19
Bait al Aqaba Resort, Jordan, a Red Sea site worth seeking out for its wreck diving, 2/19
St. Vincent, Maldives, Roatan, Belize, destinations for everyone, 4/18
Ambergris, the Red Sea, Raja Ampat, bad briefings, free flowing regulators, overflowing toilets, 9/17
“The Most Dangerous Dive Site in the World” Claims Free Diver, 9/17
Two Deadly Dive Sites, where Americans rarely go, thankfully, 1/16
Egypt? Now? Yes!, 11/14
Eritrea, Kiribati, Sipadan . . ., why to consider Wananavu, when not to consider the Odyssey, 9/13
Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Fiji, Truk. . ., plus unexpected cold water, and a liveaboard to avoid, 8/12
Yes, But Is Egypt Safe?, 2/12
At What Cost For a Third Dive?, not so charming at Sharm El-Sheikh, 7/10
Caribbean, Hawaii, Indonesia, Red Sea…, hidden travel charges, Hawaiian fish, and a good Caribbean site, 8/09
Flashing the Marine Life, 8/09
Serious Diver Impact on the Red Sea, 1/09
Diving The Red Sea, 1/89
Fantasea, Red Sea, And Fantasy It Is, 10/85
The Red Sea, Update And Mini-Review Of The Sun Boat And La Mer Tours, 2/80
Diving the Red Sea: The Egyptian and Israeli Accords, 5/79
The Ultimate Underwater Wilderness, The Red Sea Part II, 2/79
The Red Sea; Sharm-el-Shiekh: Part I, There's no need for exaggeration, 1/79

Red Sea Sections from Our Travelin' Diver's Chapbooks

Reader Reports filed for that year
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Red Sea Liveaboards

For Members Only

2024
(Red Sea)
2023
(Red Sea)
2022
(Red Sea)
         

For Public

2020
(Red Sea)
2019
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2018
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2017
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2016
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2015
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2014
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2012
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2011
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2010
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2010
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2009
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2003
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2002
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2001
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Land Based Dive Resorts in Red Sea

For Members Only

2024
(Red Sea)
2023
(Red Sea)
2022
(Red Sea)
         

For Public

2020
(Red Sea)
2019
(Red Sea)
2017
(Red Sea)
2016
(Red Sea)
2015
(Red Sea)
2014
(Red Sea)
2013
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2012
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2011
(Red Sea)
2010
(Red Sea)
2009
(Egypt)
2008
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2006
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2005
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2004
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2001
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Editor's Book Picks for Scuba Diving Red Sea
including Egypt (Dahab, South Sinai, Hurghada), Israel, Jordan, Sudan

The books below are my favorites about diving in this part of the world All books are available at a significant discount from Amazon.com; just follow the links. -- BD

Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide
by Gerald R. Allen, Roger Steene.

I was trying to pack light for a change. Surely the Solomon Sea would have good identification books aboard. Not so; the only book on the boat belonged to a fellow passenger. It was one that I had not seen before, the Indo-Pacific Coral Reef Field Guide, by two of the best fish guys around, Gerry Allen and Roger Steene. The problem was this fellow passenger kept it in a plastic baggie most of the trip and I had to beg to see it. Great book, good traveling size, and it covers everything from fish, shells, marine plants, mammals, corals, and invertebrates to sea birds and more. Now I've got my own, and it won't do you any good to beg me to borrow it. This is one of two books that I will not travel to the Pacific without. Good for travel to the Red Sea, East Africa, Seychelles, Mauritius, Maldives, Andaman Sea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia, Micronesia, Polynesia, and Hawaii, it has 1,800 color illustrations in a 6x8 1/2 paperback format with 378 pages. $39.95.



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You might find some other books of interest in our Editor's Book Picks section.

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