Discover Scuba Diving — Hurghada

Your day starts with a morning pickup from your hotel and a short drive to the marina, where a comfortable dive boat is waiting. Once on board, your PADI instructor gives a relaxed, easy-to-follow introduction: how the scuba equipment works, how to breathe through a regulator, how to equalise your ears, and the few simple hand signals you will use underwater. There is no exam and no paperwork beyond a standard medical statement — the goal of the day is simply to enjoy it.

The first dive begins in shallow, calm water where you practise breathing and getting comfortable while standing or kneeling within easy reach of the instructor. Once you are relaxed, the actual exploring begins: your instructor stays right beside you — holding your hand or your tank valve if you prefer — while you drift slowly over coral gardens full of butterflyfish, anemonefish, parrotfish and the occasional blue-spotted ray. Depth is kept shallow and beginner-friendly at all times, typically no deeper than 10-12 metres.

Between the two dives the crew serves a fresh lunch on board with coffee, tea, water and soft drinks, and you will have time to sunbathe, snorkel or just enjoy the sea. The second dive usually feels dramatically easier than the first — most guests are surprised how quickly it starts to feel natural.

The minimum age is 10 years, and you should be in normal good health and reasonably comfortable in water. Swimmers and non-divers travelling with you can join the same boat as snorkellers. If the day wins you over — and it usually does — everything you learned counts as a head start toward the entry-level certification courses, which you can begin on your next day in Hurghada.