The name Dahab means ‘gold’ in English and the inhabitants chose it because of the shimmering gold-coloured sandy coast. The region of Dahab stretches across a wide plateau of rock and sand at the end of Wadi Nasab and emerged from a small oasis where Bedouins once settled. Diving camps were set up in the areas around this inconspicuous little town, and then in the past few years developed into a diving and holiday paradise.
The little Bedouin village of Dahab, once known as a place for hippies and drop-outs, is about 75 km from Sharm el Sheikh on the East coast of the Sinai Peninsula and is surrounded by a bizarre high mountainous landscape. Nowadays in the center of the little Bedouin town Assalah, which is only a few minutes taxi ride from the hotels by the lagoon, there´s a great array of cosy bars, typical Shisha eating places, little restaurants and lots of shops all situated along the seafront.
Due to the exposed location of Dahab on the Gulf of Aqaba which features spectacular underwater geography it is possible to reach greater depth very close to the shore. Many different reef structures offer the beginner and the experienced TEC Diver a variety of interesting TEC dives.
With the increasing interest of TEC Diving and ideal diving conditions all year round Dahab developed to a “hotspot” for TEC Diving. Famous dive sites like the Blue Hole and the Canyon increased Dahab’s popularity.
TEC divers are able to explore these dive sites to an extent which is impossible for sport divers. With the arrival of our new dive boat we have been able to add even more new attractive dive sites.
SINAI DIVERS offers a full range of TEC equipment and education: TDI Training facility, equipment from Apeks and Dive Rite, education up to Extended Range Instructor and decompression diving with our highly motivated and specialized team of instructors.
Dahab lies alongside the deepest section of the African rift, the giant crack in the earth’s crust that formed the Red Sea.
The jagged mountains above, continue at much the same angle underwater, forming a dramatic seascape of valleys, canyons and caves. Most of Dahab’s dive-spots are geologically unique.
Two dive-sites, the Canyon and the Blue Hole, are worldwide known amongst divers. Sport divers are allowed to explore the two sites to a maximum depth of 30m.
To dive the deeper section of these fascinating formations one has to be a TEC-diver, using special gas-mixtures. Several dive-operators in Dahab offer TEC-courses and diving.
Diving in Dahab is shore-diving. With a few exceptions you simply drive along the shore by jeep or pick-up truck, gear up at the beach and start your dive. When entering the water one has to be careful, especially with high waves and during low tide.
The most northern dive-site is “The Bell” and in the south “The Caves”. Ras Abu Galum and Gabr El Bint can only be reached by camel. Some dive-operators offer one- and two-day camel-divesafari.
Our new dive boat, the Ghazala VI is available to reach the dive sites further south.
Flora and Fauna: Due to the slightly colder water, coral growth is quite different than in Sharm El Sheikh. The dominant species are Acropora, Brain- and Stonecoral, Leather- and Blackcoral. Only occasionally you will come across Softcorals.
Fishlife is represented by the typical Red Sea Reefdwellers, Trigger- and Surgeonfish, all kind of Groupers, Emperor- and Parrotfish. With some luck you can observe Pelagius, such as Jackfish, Barracudas or even a Reefshark.
