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World | Red Sea | Diving North Hurghada:
North Hurghada (El Gouna) overview
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companies listed. We recommend that you only dive with dive centers that are accredited by a major diving association or by their local tourist authority. |
We have teamed up with Travelling Diver to offer you printed guides to the Red Sea. Text and illustrations of dive sites are provided by amongst others Rik Vercoe, our largest contributor to the region and one of the foremost authorities for information in the area with over 1000 dives undertaken in the region during his research.
- Lightweight - ideal for airline baggage weight restrictions
- Fits into your standard diving logbook binder
- Recommended and approved by leading organisations
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Scuba Diving in North Hurghada (El Gouna), the Red Sea
Water temperature: |
20°C (68°F) in February to 27°C (81°F) from July to October |
Suit: |
3mm or 5mm wetsuit (November - April), shortie for rest of the year |
Visibility: |
20 - 60 metres (65 - 200 feet), 30 - 40 metres (100 - 130 feet) on average |
Type of diving: |
Reefs, walls, wrecks |
Marine life: |
Turtles, blue spotted rays, jacks, snappers, barracudas, lionfish, reef fish, colourful coral |
When to go: |
Any time of year, although if you are after really warm water it is best to visit the Red Sea between June and September. Air temperatures reach 40°C (104°F) in August and fall to 20°C (68°F) in the winter, which may also dictate when you travel |
How to get there: |
Entry visas are required when visiting Egypt. These can be purchased at the airport itself at a cost of about $25 USD / £15 GBP.
From the UK - Direct five hour flights from Gatwick and Manchester on Sundays to Hurghada. Transfers to hotels from the airport take about 30 minutes |
Day diving from Hurghada is characterised by sheltered
reef, tower and pinnacle dives close to shore, and boat dives around the Giftun
Islands and Sha’ab Abu Nuhas. There are also a few local wrecks such as
the El Mina or the possibility of journeying slightly further to the Salem Express.
Marine life is abundant and varied, and the hard and soft corals are improving
since conservation efforts increased in the early 1990’s. If you are a novice
the conditions are perfect: shallow, warm, clear with the possibility of visiting
fantastic wrecks that are within your depth. The wrecks on the north of Sha’ab
Abu Nuhas Reef are outstanding and shallow enough for inexperienced divers to
visit on extended day trips. From west to east these are the Giannis D, the Carnatic,
the Chrisoula K and the Kimon M.
Hurghada is less developed than Sharm El Sheikh, although it is growing all
of the time. It was once a traditional fishing village and the old town is situated
slightly north of the large hotels that stretch along the coast. Here you can
visit local bazaars selling leather, gold, carpets, clothes and shisha pipes.
Be prepared to barter and to be accosted by the locals to spend money in their
shops. From the hotels, it is possible to go on two-day trips to Cairo and day
trips to Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings and the Temples of Karnak. They
also offer jeep safaris and quad biking in the desert. However, for non-divers
a holiday to Hurghada will ultimately be spent relaxing by the pool or on the
beach.
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