Without a doubt, Sharm el Sheikh is one of the best diving destinations in the world. It has always been a beautiful place, but never before has it been as famous and comfortable as it is today. Twenty years ago a diving trip was real adventure. Divers had to accept a long trek through the desert and setting up camp at the beach before they could go for a dive. Today, visitors are offered a variety of adventures and luxuries. Four and five star hotels like the Ghazala, Hilton, Mövenpick, Conrad, Mariott and many others are present. But in the background there is still the never-ending magnitude of the Sinai Desert.
The center of activities where most of the hotels and diving centers are located is Naama Bay, 7 km from thenCity of Sharm El Sheikh. Due to the great demand new accommodations are also available outside of Naama Bay, such as the Conrad International Resort in Ras Nasrani.
Numerous bars, restaurants, shops and the attractive Mediterranean promenade, have made Naama Bay a busy holiday resort. In the center of Naama Bay, arabic stile bazars, shops and coffee houses invite the visitor for a stroll and shopping for typical souvenirs and handicrafts. A variety of bars,discos and even a casino offer
entertainment until late into the night.
Though diving is still one of the main attractions in Sharm el Sheikh, a lot of other water sports, excursions and activities are available. A camelride at sunset in the desert, visits to Mount Moses and the St. Katherine Monastery, excursions to the ancient City of Petra in neighboring Jordan or desert safaris with cross-country vehicles. Sinai Divers was one of the first Dive Operators to offer Nitrox and Rebreather Diving. The first step was a basic Nitrox filling station which developed over the years to a filling system able to cover the ever increasing demand for Nitrox.
More and more divers do up to three dives per day and with some of the best wreck diving of the Read Sea Nitrox became very popular. Nitrox or EAN (Enriched Air Nitrox) is an increase of O2 (Oxygen) and therefore a decrease of N2 (Nitrogen) in the breathing air mixture. The most common gas mixtures for EAN in recreational diving are EAN 32 and EAN 36. Which due to the reduction of N2 in the gas mixtures of EAN allows you to increase your bottom time.
Dive sites like Ras Mohammed, Straits of Tiran and the wreck of Thistlegorm become even more attractive when diving with Nitrox. It is also very noticeable that divers diving with Nitrox are less tired than air divers. Here an underwater world has developed which is unique in the Red Sea. Due to the topographical position, there
a strong currents throughout the whole year which are often hard to predict even for experienced divers.
However, it is exactly these currents which provide the reefs in the best possible way with the necessary nutrients. No other dive site in the northern part of the Red Sea offers as much of a variety and density of species as Ras Mohammed. The Gulf of Aqaba is a approximately 2000 meter deep cut in the bottom of the ocean. At the southern end of the Gulf, the island of Tiran is located. Here the Gulf narrows and becomes shallower.
With the change of tides, huge quantities of water flow through this bottleneck and cause very strong currents. In the center of the Straits of Tiran, a ridge pushes up, running from north to south. On its highest elevation four coral reefs (Gordon, Woodhouse, Thomas and Jackson, which are named after British cartographers) have formed. The currents around these reefs are the cause for the extraordinary diversity of corals and big fish swarms. Among others, you can see barracudas, snappers as well as sharks.
The so called local dives comprise all diving sites along the coast of Sharm el Sheikh, from Ras Nasrani in the north to Ras Cathy in the south. These dive sites can be reached on by boat, between ten minutes and one hour cruising time. Altogether 28 different sites are available and can be visited on half or full day tours. Beginners and experienced divers alike will have an enjoyable time Dive sites such as Ras Mohammed, Jackson Reef, Blue Hole and many more are legends among divers. Names like
Thistlegorm, Dunraven or Carnatic raise the attention of every wreck-loving diver.
Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1860´s, many ships have passed through the gulf heading Europe to the Orient. Many have also perished, snared by the shallow reef that loom beneath the surface. Most of the ships rest in safediving depth. So exploring them is not imposing any danger. During one week special wreck safaris, the wrecks of Shab Ali and Shab Abu Nahas (Chrisola K.,Giannis D., Carnatic - to name some of them) are on the itinerary.
One of the most unknown dive sites in Sharm is located right on our doorstep, Naama Bay. This is the only dive spot where you can dive all year round at any time day or night without using a boat or car. Simply get geared up in the center and walk 50 meters to the water edge and you start to dive. Here you will encounter all the sea life you can imagine. All kind of moray eels including the giant moray, schools of juvenile barracudas, sweet lips, rays and many more.
It is important to know where to find these treasures. The bay contains large areas of sand and sea grass. Here you will find a kind of marine life you cannot see on the drop offs and coral gardens. Many different kind of nudi branches and wart slugs, ghost pipe fish, shrimpfish, seahorses, crocodile and stone fish.
Night dives arranged on an individual basis in the dive center are a complete new experience with the activity of the nocturnal creatures in the reef. All day dwellers are sleeping in their night spots and can be observed from close range. Without any current and a gently sloping sandy bottom, the bay is perfect for Discover Scuba Dives and Scuba classes.
