Stretching for more than 1,000 miles and boasting over 200 types of corals and hundreds of species of fish, the Red Sea is an oasis in a startling land of contrasts. A new visitor to Egypt and the Red Sea should allow enough time to explore the magnificent antiquities in the Cairo Museum, the ornate temples and tombs at Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, and stand in awe in front of the sphinx and pyramids at Giza. Modern civilization is crowding around these ancient wonders and makes the contrasts even more vivid when you can capture a new Mercedes next to a donkey cart loaded with cut sugar cane in your viewfinder, or a straw and mud-brick house along the Nile with a satellite dish on the roof—Egypt never ceases to amaze visitors.
Hurghada is the jumping off point for many Red Sea dive operations and live-aboards now, as this once sleepy fishing village is transformed into a tourist mecca. The desert shores from El Gouna south to Hurghada, Safaga and El Quseir are lined with resorts, marinas, casinos and dive operations, with new construction underway everywhere you look. The Hurghada International Airport serves direct flights from Europe and connecting flights from Cairo several times daily. The major hotel chains are represented here with lavish resorts and marina complexes, complete with several restaurants, pools, beach and watersports facilities. Day boats have access to local dive sites as well as the wrecks of Gubal to the north, plus the offshore seamounts and the Brothers Islands to the south.
Dive conditions here vary widely depending on the time of year. Summer, though hot for the land tour, is the best time to dive this part of the Red Sea. Winter brings stormy, windy weather that often keeps boats tied to the dock. The lack of fresh water flowing into the Red Sea as well as evaporation caused by the arid climate and steady winds causes the sea to be saltier than most oceans. Consequently, you may need to adjust your weight belt a pound or two to overcome increased buoyancy. The water temperature here is cooler than you would expect, reaching 82F degrees in the summer and dropping to the 60’sF in the winter. Visibility varies with the currents, location, and wind, but you can expect 50-100 feet at most sights, with that occasional “wow” factor approaching 150 feet on a clear, current-fed drift dive.
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