Guides & Stories
Local knowledge from the people who dive Hurghada and Marsa Alam every day — site guides, course advice, and honest travel tips.
Hurghada Good for diving
Marsa Alam Good for diving
Updated 10:03 · Forecast data: Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Model values for the area, not a reading at the reef — your skipper and guide make the call on the day.
The oceanic whitetip shark returns to the deep reefs of Elphinstone and the Brothers in October. How to recognise it, where and when it is seen, how to behave in the water and how to plan your trip.
Green and hawksbill turtles in the Red Sea: how to tell them apart, the best dive and snorkel sites around Hurghada and Marsa Alam, and how to behave so they stay.
A pod of eight false killer whales was reported in the Red Sea near Hurghada in October 2026. What the animal is, how rare it is here, past sightings and how to behave if you meet one.
A map-style guide to Hurghada dive sites grouped by area: the Giftun islands, Abu Ramada, Umm Gamaar, the close reefs, the south and the wrecks, with depth and difficulty for each.
Certified years ago and unsure it all comes back? What a PADI ReActivate refresher covers in Hurghada or Marsa Alam, who should take one and how to fit it into your trip.
How warm is the Red Sea each month in Hurghada and Marsa Alam, which wetsuit to wear for diving and snorkelling, and what the sea feels like in October and November.
Dolphin House near Hurghada, Samadai and Satayeh near Marsa Alam compared: which dolphins live where, how to swim with them respectfully and which trip suits you.
A sample five-day, ten-dive week in Hurghada: which reefs to dive each day, what is included, what costs extra and how to stretch the plan to 7 or 10 days.
An honest look at safety in Hurghada: the tourist areas, travelling alone as a woman, the everyday hassles to expect, and how safe diving in the Red Sea really is.
From clownfish and moray eels to turtles, dolphins, dugongs and whale sharks: ten Red Sea animals ranked from near-certain to lucky, with the Hurghada and Marsa Alam dive sites to find them.
Two whale sharks were reported near Giftun Island in Hurghada, between the Hamda and Sabina reefs. What the Red Sea Protectorates said, how the world's largest fish lives, and how to behave around it.
Egypt's environment authorities reported three dugongs near Magawish Island in Hurghada and a dugong filmed at Abu Dabbab. The bride of the sea: numbers, sites, the law and how to see one responsibly.
A dugong with her calf off Marsa Alam is a rare sight. How dugong mothers raise their young, why calves matter for such a small population, and how to behave if you meet them.
Tired divers, panicked divers, missing divers, a lot of swimming. Everything about the Rescue Diver course in Hurghada — what the scenarios actually involve, the EFR prerequisite, price and prep.
Five dives, no exam, and 30 metres instead of 18. Everything about the Advanced Open Water course in Hurghada — the five dives, the price, what it actually unlocks, and whether you are ready for it.
Divemaster is not the end of the ladder. Here is what actually separates a Divemaster from an Instructor, why the IDC is not something a dive centre runs, and how to find one on the Red Sea.
Three ways to start diving in Hurghada, at three very different prices and commitments. A straight comparison to help you pick the right first step instead of guessing.
Searching for night dive sites in Hurghada? Here is the honest current picture — where the PADI Night Diver specialty runs today, and what a guided night dive actually involves.
A cargo ship that sank in 1993, resting in just 5 to 18 metres off a quiet village south of Marsa Alam — one of the very few Red Sea wrecks genuinely accessible to new divers and snorkellers alike.
Two pinnacles rising from open water, an unpredictable current that feeds an unusually rich food chain, and the occasional early-morning hammerhead. What Carless Reef actually demands, and what it actually gives back.
El Fanadir and Carless Reef get all the attention. Here are 17 more Hurghada sites we dive — depth, difficulty and what you will see at each, from the shallow Fanous West to the 100-metre wall at North Abu Ramada.
A protected horseshoe-shaped reef in Marsa Alam sheltering a resident pod of spinner dolphins, with regulated access that keeps the encounter genuinely calm. What to expect, and why the rules exist.
A calm, shallow bay in Marsa Alam where green turtles graze the seagrass and, with real luck, a dugong shows up. Depth, what you will actually see, and honest odds.
No certification, no experience, just curiosity. Here is exactly what happens on a Discover Scuba Diving day in Hurghada, from pickup to your first breath at 8 metres.
The names that come up constantly around Red Sea liveaboard safaris — what each place actually is, roughly what a route costs, and how to arrange a week on board through us.
One-on-one instruction instead of a small group. What actually changes with a private course, when it genuinely matters, and how to arrange it.
A stag do, a dive club trip, a family reunion with mixed abilities — group bookings work differently from a solo booking. What changes with numbers, and how to actually organise it.
These three do not exist as standalone bookable courses on our site — here is exactly why, and how you actually get each one on the Red Sea.
The Thistlegorm gets the headlines, but Hurghada has its own wrecks ten minutes from the harbour. Depth, condition and what you will see on the El Minya minesweeper and the wreck at South Abu Ramada.
An honest answer, not a marketing one: what solo female travellers actually experience diving in Hurghada, and the practical choices that make the trip smoother.
Searching for a "3 day" or "5 day diving package Hurghada"? Both Hurghada and Marsa Alam have multi-day packages. What each one includes, how the lengths compare, and which to book for your holiday.
A 300-metre reef standing alone in open water, walls that fall past 70 metres, and oceanic whitetip sharks that made it famous. Depth, conditions, what you will see and whether you are ready for it.
Yes — and it is one of the best reasons to dive here. Which sharks live in the Red Sea, where and when you will actually see them, and what the real safety record looks like.
Both are internationally recognised, both let you dive anywhere in the world, and the honest difference between them is smaller than the marketing suggests. Why we teach PADI, and what actually matters in your choice.
Euros are widely accepted but the Egyptian pound is genuinely cheaper. A practical guide to currency, cash, cards and tipping for a Red Sea diving trip — and how we price your booking either way.
"Diving safari" means three different things depending on who says it. Here is the honest breakdown — desert safari, liveaboard boat safari, and the day-boat packages we actually sell — so you book the right one.
Divers miss the hotel lunch almost every day — so the board plan you pick changes what your week really costs. What half board means on a dive holiday in Hurghada and Marsa Alam, the extras nobody quotes, and a worked example for seven nights.
You already paid for a policy. Here is the short version of how to use it properly in Egypt — four checks before you fly, three steps if something happens, and the paperwork we produce for you free of charge.
Jellyfish and fire coral stings, sea urchin spines, ear pain after diving, heat exhaustion, seasickness and decompression symptoms — what to do in the first ten minutes, and when it stops being first aid and becomes a doctor.
Whether your travel insurance covers scuba diving, what the dive medical questionnaire really asks, how care works on the Red Sea coast if you are hurt, and the paperwork an insurer will ask you for afterwards.
Elphinstone, Abu Dabbab, Samadai, the Hamada wreck at Abu Ghusun, Dream Reef, Halg Shouna and the rest — depth, difficulty, boat time and what you will actually see at every Marsa Alam site we sell.
Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster and every specialty we teach on the Red Sea — with the real 2026 price, the number of days, the minimum age and which base runs it. Plus an honest list of the courses we do not run.
Why the same dive trip costs €39 in one place and double that in another, how to tell a fair price from a dangerous one, and how to book diving, snorkelling and PADI courses on the Red Sea at close to the direct price.
Every PADI course you can take in Hurghada, in the order you would actually take them: what each one qualifies you to do, how long it takes, what it costs and who it is for. Including the specialties most centres never mention.
Hurghada has hundreds of dive centres and the price range is enormous. Ten checks that separate a good operation from a cheap one — and the questions worth asking before you pay.
From what age can children dive, what the Bubblemaker actually is, depth limits by age, and how to plan a Red Sea trip where the children and the adults both get a real holiday.
Two days, five, or ten? How to size a Hurghada dive package to your trip — what you can reach with each, how the per-dive price falls, and the flying rule that catches people out.
You do not need a certification to dive in Egypt. Discover Scuba Diving puts an uncertified adult on a real reef with an instructor — here is how deep you go, what it costs, and who cannot do it.
A straight price list for diving in Hurghada in 2026 — day trips, courses and multi-day packages, what is included, what gets added at the desk, and where the real savings are.
Dugongs at Abu Dabab, oceanic whitetips at Elphinstone and house reefs you can walk into — what makes Marsa Alam different from Hurghada, and how to plan a week there.
No experience, no equipment, and a few honest worries. Here is what the first dive is really like, what it costs, what disqualifies you, and the order to do things in.
Over 1,200 fish species live in the Red Sea and around 10% exist nowhere else. Here is what you realistically see on a normal dive or snorkel — and what you will not, despite the brochures.
Beyond the hotel pool — the sea trips, desert days and town corners actually worth your time in Hurghada, with 2026 prices and a straight answer on which excursions are overrated.
Everything you need to plan a dive trip to Egypt — where to base yourself, what it costs, when to go, which certification you need, and the reefs and wrecks worth building a week around.
Thinking about turning diving into a career? Here's a realistic look at what the first professional PADI rating actually demands — timeline, workload and what changes once you're certified.
From beginner-friendly walls to deep drop-offs patrolled by white tip reef sharks — here are five real Red Sea reef systems around Hurghada worth planning a trip around.
Water temperature, visibility, crowds and what you will see every month — the honest month-by-month guide to planning your 2026 Red Sea diving trip in Hurghada and Marsa Alam.
You do not need to dive to see the Red Sea at its best. Here are the best snorkeling spots around Hurghada in 2026, honest prices, what you will see, and tips for families and first-timers.
A transparent 2026 breakdown of what a diving holiday in Egypt really costs — flights, hotels, dive packages, courses and the hidden fees to budget for — plus how to save without cutting corners.
The SS Thistlegorm is the most famous wreck dive in the world. Here is its WWII story, the depth and difficulty, what you will see inside her holds, and exactly how to dive her from Hurghada in 2026.
From the legendary SS Thistlegorm wreck to the coral gardens of Abu Dabab — discover the top Red Sea dive sites in Hurghada and Marsa Alam, with the best season, difficulty level, and what you will see at each.
Nightlife and easy logistics, or untouched reefs and dugongs? An honest side-by-side comparison of Egypt's two most popular Red Sea bases for divers, snorkelers and families.
The complete beginner's guide to earning your PADI Open Water certification in the Red Sea — why Egypt is the cheapest AND best place to learn, day-by-day course breakdown, and how to book.
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