Scuba diving locations in Egypt:

• Off the coast of Hurghada, a fishing village that has recently become a resort-town, a treasure trove of great dive sites are waiting to be found beneath the waves.
• Sharm El Sheikh has been a major Egyptian city and sea port for many years and is one of the most popular places to go on holidays to Egypt.

When to scuba dive in Egypt:

All year in warm water, though keep an eye out for flash flooding and earthquake warnings.

Local standards for gear:

The best scuba diving spots in Egypt:

• Near Marsa Alam, Elphinstone is famous for its hammerhead sharks.
• At Sha'ab Sataya (Dolphin Reef) you can swim amongst the dolphins.
• From Sharm El Sheikh, Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef has barracudas, silky shark, coral forests and the wreck of the Yolanda.
• Ras Ghozlani has stunning coral reefs and high numbers of fish and Manta ray.
• Abu Rimata, nicknamed The Aquarium, is famous for the teeming schools of tropical fish that are to be found there.
• Another must-see is Sha'ab Abu Nahas. Weather conditions need to be good to visit this exposed site, but the five shipwrecks that are found here make it well worth the wait.
• If you like shipwrecks, the Wreck of the El Mina is also well worth visiting.

The best spots to snorkel in Egypt:

• Mangrove Bay has wonderful reefs and empty beaches.
• Lahami Bay, Hamata, has loads of big fish, sharks, rays, Napoleons, Guitar fish and turtles.

Fun scuba Facts:

Country data:

Administrative details

• Currency: Egyptian pound (EGP)
• Population: is about 81,000,000 (2011)
• Time Zone: varies by location EET (GMT+2)
• Main languages spoken: Arabic ## Diveable overseas territories:
  

Egyptian diving federations:

• EGYPTIAN UNDERWATER & LIFESAVING FEDERATION (EULF) is a member of Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS).
• The Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS) as of July 2011 has been denied funding by the government, so its future is uncertain. All (CDWS) member dive operators have met ISO standards EN 14467 / ISO 24803 and should bear the (CDWS) logo.

Local diving laws and regulations (and PADI-equivalent certifications):

Non-marine Park Itineraries: Open Water Diver or equivalent. Divers with minimum experience and training can only dive on northern routes.

Marine Park Itineraries: Advanced Open Water Diver or above and at least 50 logged dives. Divers must meet these minimum experience and training to dive southern route itineraries and absolutely for Brother's Islands and Zabargad.

Remember to take your log books and certification card - they're required to dive on liveaboard boats.