Diving holidays in Egypt: which area for which level?

On June 8, 2023, a tiger shark killed a young man swimming in Hurghada. Authorities closed 74 kilometers of coastline. The photos in the catalogs, however, had not changed.

This tragedy involved a swimmer near the shore, yet it reminds us of a simple rule for the Red Sea: you choose your area based on dated conditions, never on a brochure.

Here we compare six areas, from Hurghada to offshore cruises. Level, current, season, supervision, and fallback plan are all filtered through the same lens, with official dated rules. The rest, we tell you frankly.

Which Red Sea area to choose according to your level?

For a first stay, Hurghada, Safaga, Sharm el-Sheikh, and Dahab offer sheltered reefs, short outings, and at least one hyperbaric chamber on site according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Marsa Alam requires a bit more flexibility. Cruises to Brothers, Daedalus, or Elphinstone target divers already experienced with currents.

Area	Level (indicative)	Current	Access and chambers	Fallback plan
Hurghada	Beginner to advanced	Weak on sheltered reefs, stronger on points	Day boat, 2 chambers	Sheltered reefs near the port
Safaga	Beginner to advanced	Variable depending on exposure	Day boat, 1 chamber	Sheltered coastal sites
Marsa Alam	Beginner (shore) to advanced (offshore)	Strong on offshore reefs	Shore, boat, cruise, 1 chamber	Shore diving
Sharm el-Sheikh and Ras Mohammed	Beginner to advanced	Frequent drifts at Ras Mohammed	Day boat, 2 chambers	Bay or Tiran reefs
Dahab	Beginner to advanced	Weak to moderate on most sites	Shore diving, 2 chambers	Change shore site
Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone	Advanced, comfortable with currents	Often strong	Cruise or RIB, no night dives announced	Limited, depending on weather

The “level” and “current” columns provide a general reading that the daily briefing adjusts site by site, and it is the briefing that counts.

The current decides more than the photo.

Dahab deserves a separate line. Most diving there is from shore, which leaves some margin if the sea rises. But the Blue Hole also attracts divers to its arch, which opens beyond 40 meters. However, the Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Water Sports (CDWS) limits recreational air diving to 40 meters, in a rule published in 2007. Below that, training, gas, and supervision change. Our page on trimix diving explains what changes with a mixture.

When to go diving in Egypt, season by season?

The Egyptian Red Sea can be dived year-round. Winter brings cooler water and mild days on land, summer warm water and intense heat on the coast. No season guarantees a given visibility, calm sea, or encounter with a specific species.

Temperatures displayed by operators remain indicative. A cruise booking site, for example, announces 24 to 30 °C at Daedalus depending on the season, without recording dates, and in the north, around Sharm and Hurghada, winter water is noticeably cooler. Take these figures as rough estimates. The daily thermometer decides. A thicker wetsuit may be useful.

And wind often weighs more than temperature.

Choppy seas can cancel outings to exposed reefs, especially for boats targeting offshore sites. Ask the center which sites they keep in reserve. Very clear water says nothing about the current or ascent.

Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone: what level for these cruises?

These offshore reefs are for divers who manage strong currents, entry from a RIB, and a mid-water safety stop. Operators often list Advanced level and about 50 logged dives. We found no official published text setting this number, so check the exact rule of your boat.

The Brothers have a dated history. Diving there was suspended in December 2018 after incidents with oceanic sharks, then resumed in 2019 under conditions, according to Divernet. Diving from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., a maximum of 18 boats per day, CDWS permit mandatory, and no organic discharge allowed within five nautical miles of the islands. Experts then blamed waste dumped at sea. Asking if these 2019 rules still apply.

The level that counts is the one your logbook can prove to the guide, regardless of the boat’s brochure.

However, the logbook is not everything. A cruise involves several dives per day for a week, far from a decompression chamber, with limited fallback plans if the weather turns. Elphinstone can also be reached by day boat from Marsa Alam. The reef remains exposed.

What do the shark incidents from 2022 to 2024 say?

Serious accidents remain rare in Egypt, but they exist and are dated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds that the Red Sea is home to dangerous shark species and that these accidents, when they occur, can be fatal. The most well-known recent cases involved people near the shore.

In early July 2022, two swimmers were killed in Hurghada a few days apart. The International Shark Attack File, the Florida Museum’s database, had until then recorded four unprovoked bites in Egypt over five years, including one fatal, all attributed to the oceanic shark. On June 8, 2023, a tiger shark killed a swimmer in Hurghada. On December 29, 2024, near the jetties north of Marsa Alam, one person died and another was injured in deep water, outside the swimming area, according to the media Egyptian Streets. The area was closed for two days.

Thus, in Sharm in 2010 as at the Brothers in 2018, the explanations given pointed to organic waste dumped at sea.

Feeding sharks is prohibited in Egypt, reminds the Save Our Seas foundation. The briefing must say what the dive group should do if an oceanic shark approaches, especially during the safety stop and ascent to the boat. If it doesn’t mention it, ask the question.

Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed: what are the rules on site?

The SS Thistlegorm, a British cargo ship sunk on October 6, 1941 by two German bombers, rests in the Gubal Strait, around 32 meters at its deepest according to the Thistlegorm Project. Ras Mohammed, 12 kilometers from Sharm el-Sheikh, has been protected since 1983. Ras Mohammed is dived from Sharm or on a cruise, the Thistlegorm also from Hurghada.

The shipwreck caused nine deaths, and Cousteau found the wreck in the early 1950s. The current varies greatly from one outing to another. Impossible to decide from here. Ask the center how they manage the descent, penetration, and return to the boat if the current strengthens. Other wrecks in the region are detailed in our guide to Red Sea wrecks in Egypt.

At Ras Mohammed, the HEPCA rule is summed up in three words: touch nothing.

Yet the park long suffered from anchors dropped on the coral, hence the mooring buoys installed with HEPCA, founded in 1992. We explain to you why you should never touch marine life, and what research says about the resistance of Red Sea corals to warming. The park entrance fee often goes through the center, amount to be confirmed.

Visa, security, decompression chambers: what to check before booking?

Open the Egypt file from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, updated September 21, 2026 and consulted October 3, 2026. It classifies northern Sinai and the Libyan and Sudanese borders as red zones. On the South Sinai coast, from Sharm el-Sheikh to Taba, it recommends secure hotels.

A visa is mandatory. The file indicates $30 for a single entry and $60 for multiple entries, payable in cash if you get it on arrival. A special visa exists if you stay in the South Sinai governorate. You need a passport valid six months after return, or an ID card under the same conditions with two photos. The file also notes a maritime security alert on the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, updated March 4, 2026.

Regarding decompression chambers, the ministry lists two in Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh and Dahab, one in El Gouna, Safaga and Marsa Alam, none in Nuweiba or Taba.

But a decompression chamber is useless if your contract does not cover it. The form requires a contract covering medical expenses and repatriation, and your insurance must explicitly mention diving. On the reef side, consider a sunscreen less harmful to marine environments.

The real cost is calculated as follows: a more comprehensive logbook for offshore diving, diving insurance that covers the decompression chamber, the no-dive period before flying recommended by your organization, and a pre-approved backup site. Would you book it this way?

FAQ

What level is required to dive in Egypt?

The sheltered reefs of Hurghada, Safaga, Sharm el-Sheikh, or Dahab welcome beginners under supervision. For Brothers, Daedalus, or Elphinstone, operators often require Advanced level and about 50 dives. Check your boat’s rules.

Is a visa required to dive in Sharm el-Sheikh or Dahab?

Yes. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ fact sheet updated on September 21, 2026, the visa costs 30 dollars for a single entry. A special visa exists if you stay within the South Sinai governorate.

Do sharks make diving dangerous in the Red Sea?

Accidents remain rare, but some have been fatal, in Hurghada in 2022 and 2023, or near Marsa Alam in 2024. These cases involved people near the shore. Follow the briefing and ask for instructions if a shark approaches.

What is the maximum depth for recreational diving in Egypt?

The CDWS sets 40 meters for recreational air diving, according to a rule published in 2007. Your own level may limit you much earlier.

Sources

• Travel Advice: Egypt (Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, updated September 21, 2026, accessed October 3, 2026)
• 3 Shark Related Fatalities (International Shark Attack File, Florida Museum, 2022)