Diving Trip by Boat to Ras Mohamed or Tiran Island from Sharm

Have breakfast at your hotel before you set off; a solid meal matters on a dive day, and you will be glad of it by the first descent. Then meet your guide and transfer to the marina in a private air-conditioned vehicle.

Mornings at Sharm El Sheikh's marinas are lively: crews loading tanks, guides briefing groups, boats lining up to head out. Once you are aboard, the crew settles you in and the guide explains the plan for the day.

If you are a certified diver, bring your certification card and logbook, since dive operators in Egypt routinely ask to see them, and keep your insurance details at hand. Pack a towel, sunscreen, a warm layer for the ride home and any personal equipment you prefer to use, such as your own mask or dive computer. The equipment provided for the trip is confirmed in your quote.

The boat sets out for Ras Mohamed or Tiran Island, depending on the day's conditions and itinerary. Both are well-regarded dive areas; the choice comes down to sea state, wind, and which sites are diving best that day.

Ras Mohamed, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, became Egypt's first national park in 1983. Here the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet, and the currents sweeping around the headland feed an explosion of marine life. Its best-known sites, Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, drop along sheer walls into deep blue water, and Yolanda is famous for the scattered cargo of a wrecked freighter lying on the seabed nearby.

Tiran, to the northeast, guards the narrow Strait of Tiran at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Four reefs in the strait, Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse, and Jackson, rise from deep water and are known for strong currents, steep walls, and big schools of fish. The island itself is not visited on land; the attraction lies entirely beneath the surface.

Enjoy the ride. From the deck, the view takes in the Sinai mountains on one side and, on clear days, the Arabian coast across the gulf.

At the selected sites, you enter the water among coral reefs that are well known in the region. Expect hard and soft corals in every form, from towering pinnacles to delicate fans, alive with colorful tropical fish, rays, and a wide range of other marine life. Your guide stays with you throughout, keeping the group safe and leading you to the best features of each site.

Visibility in the northern Red Sea is often exceptional, and on a good day you can see a long way into the blue. That clarity made the area famous with divers worldwide, and it is a joy for underwater photographers.

Protected waters come with rules. Do not touch, collect, or stand on anything, keep your buoyancy under control near the reef, and give turtles and larger animals plenty of room. Currents can be strong at both destinations, so listen closely to the briefing, stay with your guide and buddy, and surface where you are told. If you are snorkeling rather than diving, the reef tops and shallow sections offer plenty to see from the surface.

After your time in the water, you return to the boat for a freshly prepared lunch served on board, with a selection of local seafood and Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Eating at anchor with the reef just below you is one of the quieter pleasures of a dive day.

Use the break well. Rehydrate with plenty of water, keep out of the midday sun and rest; your surface interval is part of safe diving, not wasted time. Log your dive while the details are fresh and compare notes with the rest of the group on what everyone saw. Reapply sunscreen while you are out of the water, since the glare off the sea burns quickly even under a light breeze.

If you have dietary requirements or a seafood allergy, mention it when you book so the crew can plan for you.

Throughout the day, the boat may pause at scenic spots and shallow reef areas that are ideal for photography and sightseeing. Shallow reefs look their most colorful in bright light, because the reds and oranges that fade with depth stay vivid near the surface.

These stops let snorkelers and divers alike get back in the water without heavy gear, or simply enjoy the view from the deck. If you carry a camera in an underwater housing, this is the moment for wide shots of sunlit coral gardens. From the boat, the contrast between turquoise shallows and the dark water beyond the reef edge makes a striking picture in its own right. Keep a polarizing filter or polarized sunglasses handy if you shoot from above, as they cut the glare and let the reef show through the surface.

As the afternoon draws to a close, the boat begins the cruise back to the marina. Rinse your equipment, pack your bag, and check that nothing is left behind before you step off.

Your private transfer then takes you back to your hotel. Divers should keep the standard flying rule in mind: wait at least 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive, and at least 18 hours after multiple dives or several days of diving, before boarding a plane, and longer after any decompression dive. Plan your departure accordingly.

Tips are not included and are recommended for the guide and boat crew if you enjoyed the day. Then rest: a day of diving under the Red Sea sun is more tiring than it feels at the time.