Comprehensive Reference

The Professional Guide
to Red Sea Diving

The complete encyclopedia: Medical requirements, dive site maps, gear physics, and seasonal planning. Curated by Salem (15 Years Local Experience).

Medical Fitness & Safety

Diving is physiologically demanding. Know the contraindications before you book.

Diving Medical Safety Chart

⚠ī¸ Absolute Contraindications

  • Active Asthma: Induced by cold/exercise. Risk of lung overexpansion.
  • Epilepsy: Risk of seizure underwater is fatal.
  • Pneumothorax: History of collapsed lung requires strict clearance.
  • Pregnancy: Nitrogen effects on the fetus are unknown but assumed dangerous.

đŸŠē Required Medical Tests

If you have any "YES" answers on the PADI Medical Statement, you need:

  • Signed Physician's Clearance: Must be an MD, not a nurse.
  • Stress ECG: Recommended for divers over 45 with cardiac history.
  • Hyperbaric Chamber: Located at Hurghada Naval Hospital and El Gouna Hospital. Keep these numbers saved.
"Don't lie on the medical form. Insurance will void your claim if they find a pre-existing condition you didn't declare."

🚑 Insurance Reality Check

Hyperbaric chamber treatment costs â‚Ŧ2,000 - â‚Ŧ5,000 upfront. Most standard travel insurance policies EXCLUDE diving deeper than 18m.

I use Ekta because they specifically cover adventure sports.
👉 Get a Quote (Includes Diving) or read my full Insurance Guide.

Hurghada Dive Sites Map

From the shallow reefs of Fanadir to the deep wrecks of Abu Nuhas.

Map of Hurghada Dive Sites
Beginner / Open Water

Small Giftun (Police Station)

Depth: 5-20m.
Features: Drift dive along a wall of Gorgonian fans. Massive Moray Eels. Very common current.

Beginner / Check Dive

Gota Abu Ramada (The Aquarium)

Depth: 10-15m.
Features: Flat sandy bottom with coral blocks. Insane amount of yellow snappers and butterflyfish.

Advanced / Wreck

Abu Nuhas (Ship Graveyard)

Depth: 18-30m.
Features: 4 wrecks (Carnatic, Giannis D, Chrisoula K, Kimon M). Strong surge possible. Only for AOWD+.

Technical Gear & Tools

The anatomy of your kit. Every hose, valve, and blade explained.

Full Gear Layout

Life Support Breakdown

  • Regulator (First Stage): Reduces tank pressure (200 bar) to Intermediate (10 bar).
  • SPG (Submersible Pressure Gauge): Analog is best. Don't rely solely on digital transmitters.
  • BCD (Wing vs Jacket): Wings offer better horizontal trim (good for photography). Jackets are easier on surface.
Safety Tools

Cutting Tools (Not Weapons)

We do not carry weapons. We carry tools to survive entanglement.

  • Titanium Knife: Blunt tip to pry/dig. Titanium holds edge vs salt water.
  • Line Cutter (Z-Knife): Protected blade for slicing fishing line. Safer than a knife.
  • Trauma Shears: Can cut steel leaders that knives graze over.

Logistics: Centers & Shops

Where to get certified and where to buy that 5mm wetsuit.

Dive Shops and Centers

🏆 Top Dive Centers

  • Ilios Dive Club (Steigenberger): High-end, accessible boats (good for disabled divers).
  • James & Mac: German precision. Boat departs from Giftun Azur.
  • Emperor Divers: British owned. Legendary guide training.

🛍ī¸ Gear Shops

  • New Marina Area: Several boutique shops for masks/fins (Brands: Mares, Cressi).
  • Sheraton Street: General sports shops. Cheaper availability for weights/belts.
  • Decathlon (Senzo Mall): Good for basic rash guards and neoprene accessories.

Seasonal Planner

Water temperature and wetsuit recommendations by month.

Red Sea Seasonal Chart

❄ī¸ Winter (Jan-Mar)

Temp: 21-23°C
Suit: 5mm minimum + Hood. Semi-dry recommended for repetitive dives.

đŸ”Ĩ Summer (Jul-Sep)

Temp: 28-30°C
Suit: 3mm Shorty or Rash Guard.
Bonus: Whale Shark season (May-July).

🍂 Shoulder (Oct-Dec)

Temp: 25-27°C
Suit: 3mm or 5mm Full Suit. Best visibility and hammerhead sightings.

Marine Life Protection Guide

The Red Sea is one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on Earth. Here's what you need to know about protecting it — and the laws that protect you from fines.

🚨 Endangered & Protected Species

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

đŸĻˆ Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Arabic: اŲ„Ų‚ØąØ´ اŲ„Ų…Ø­ŲŠØˇŲŠ (El-Qirsh El-Moheeti)

Once the most common shark in open water, now critically endangered. Historically targeted for fins. Any interaction must be reported to marine authorities.

Protection: CITES Appendix II. Full protection in Egyptian waters.

ENDANGERED

đŸĸ Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Arabic: اŲ„ØŗŲ„Ø­ŲØ§ØŠ اŲ„Ø¨Ø­ØąŲŠØŠ اŲ„ØŽØļØąØ§ØĄ

Nests on beaches near Marsa Alam and Wadi el-Gemal. Egg collection is a criminal offense. Touching or riding turtles = immediate dive ban and fine.

Protection: Egyptian Environmental Law 4/1994.

VULNERABLE

🐋 Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

Arabic: اŲ„Ų‚ØąØ´ اŲ„Ø­ŲˆØĒŲŠ (El-Qirsh El-Houti)

The gentle giant. Seasonal visitor (May-July). Completely harmless filter feeder. Approaching closer than 3 meters is prohibited.

Protection: Full protection under PERSGA agreement.

PROTECTED

đŸŦ Dugong (Sea Cow)

Arabic: بŲ‚ØąØŠ اŲ„Ø¨Ø­Øą / اŲ„ØŖØˇŲˆŲ… (Baqarat El-Bahr)

Extremely rare in the Red Sea. Fewer than 20 individuals estimated. Seagrass feeders in shallow bays. Sightings are incredibly lucky.

Protection: CITES Appendix I. Maximum legal protection.

đŸšĢ Fishing Prohibited Species

The following species are strictly prohibited from fishing in Egyptian Red Sea waters. Penalties include fines up to 100,000 EGP and imprisonment.

PROTECTED

🐟 Napoleon Wrasse (Humphead)

Arabic: ØŗŲ…Ųƒ Ų†Ø§Ø¨Ų„ŲŠŲˆŲ† (Samak Napoleon)

Large, friendly reef fish with distinctive bump on head. Lives 30+ years. Highly targeted by illegal fishing for Asian markets.

PROTECTED

🐠 All Parrotfish Species

Arabic: ØŗŲ…Ųƒ اŲ„ببØēØ§ØĄ (Samak El-Babagha)

Critical for reef health — they produce sand by eating coral. Removing them damages the entire ecosystem. Full fishing ban.

PROTECTED

đŸĻž Ornate Spiny Lobster

Arabic: اŲ„ŲƒØąŲƒŲ†Ø¯ اŲ„Ų…Ø˛ØŽØąŲ (El-Karkand)

Night-active crustacean. Populations crashed due to overfishing. Seasonal ban now permanent. Even possession is illegal.

PROTECTED

🐚 Giant Clams (Tridacna)

Arabic: اŲ„Ų…Ø­Ø§Øą اŲ„ØšŲ…Ų„اŲ‚ (El-Mohar El-Emlaq)

Massive bivalves embedded in reefs. Can live 100+ years. Historically harvested for shells. Now fully protected.

⚖ī¸ Fishing Laws & Regulations

📅 Fishing Seasons

  • Grouper Ban: April-June (spawning season)
  • Sea Cucumber: Completely banned (all year)
  • Coral Collection: Completely banned (all year)
  • Night Spearfishing: Prohibited

📍 Marine Protected Areas

  • Ras Mohammed National Park — No-take zone
  • Giftun Islands — Regulated diving only
  • Brothers Islands — Permit required
  • Elphinstone Reef — Protected shark site

⚠ī¸ Penalties (Law 4/1994)

  • Fishing protected species: 50,000-100,000 EGP fine
  • Coral damage: 10,000 EGP per incident
  • Illegal fishing gear: Equipment confiscation
  • Repeat offenders: Up to 2 years imprisonment
"Look — I've seen tourists try to 'take a piece of coral home'. One guy in 2018 got caught at the airport with a dried seahorse in his bag. 20,000 EGP fine and a night at the police station before his flight. The Red Sea didn't get this beautiful by accident. Don't be the reason it stops being beautiful."

The Diving Academy

Professional theory content for training.

Physics 101: Boyle's Law

P1 × V1 = P2 × V2

Pressure is inversely proportional to Volume.

  • Ascent: Air in BCD expands -> You float faster -> Runaway ascent danger. Vent air constantly.
  • Descent: Wetsuit compresses -> You lose buoyancy -> You sink faster. Add small bursts of air.

Physiology: The Bends

Decompression Sickness (DCS) mechanism: Nitrogen dissolves in tissues under pressure. If you ascend too fast, it bubbles out like opened soda.

  • Ascent Rate: Never faster than 18m/minute (follow your computer).
  • Safety Stop: 3 minutes at 5 meters. Mandatory.
  • No Fly: 12 hours (single dive), 18-24 hours (repetitive dives).

Visual Communication

Signals

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