Sharm El Sheikh Diving Holidays: Dive the Red Sea with Red Sea Marine
Planning Sharm El Sheikh diving holidays is about much more than booking a few dives. It is an opportunity to explore one of the world's most spectacular underwater environments, where crystal-clear Red Sea waters meet colourful coral reefs, dramatic walls, fascinating wrecks, and an extraordinary variety of marine life.
From your first breath underwater to advanced dives at Ras Mohammed and the Strait of Tiran, Red Sea Marine Diving Center offers diving experiences designed around your experience, interests, and holiday schedule.
Based in Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea Marine provides daily boat diving, guided shore diving, PADI and SSI courses, equipment rental, snorkeling, private guiding, and access to some of the Red Sea's most famous dive sites.
If you're looking for a diving holiday in Egypt that combines beautiful reefs, professional guidance, small groups, and a relaxed atmosphere, Sharm El Sheikh is an exceptional choice.
Why Choose Sharm El Sheikh for a Diving Holiday?
Sharm El Sheikh occupies a unique position at the southern end of the Sinai Peninsula, close to some of the Red Sea's most celebrated reefs.
The underwater landscape changes dramatically from one dive site to another. You can explore shallow coral gardens close to shore, drift along spectacular reef walls, encounter large schools of fish, or spend a full day exploring famous offshore sites.
The area is particularly attractive to divers because it offers:
Excellent underwater visibility
Warm Red Sea water
Vibrant hard and soft coral reefs
Tropical reef fish and pelagic species
Dramatic reef walls and drop-offs
World-famous dive sites
Wreck-diving opportunities
Boat and shore diving
Diving opportunities for beginners and experienced divers
PADI and SSI training
Year-round diving opportunities
The combination means that one Sharm El Sheikh diving holiday can be completely different from another.
A beginner might spend the week discovering shallow coral gardens and developing confidence underwater, while an experienced diver could explore Ras Mohammed, Tiran's famous reefs, and the SS Thistlegorm.
What Can You See While Diving in Sharm El Sheikh?
One of the biggest attractions of Sharm El Sheikh diving holidays is the marine life.
The Red Sea's clear water and healthy reef environments provide excellent opportunities to see colourful reef fish, coral formations, turtles, rays, moray eels, lionfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, and large schools of pelagic fish.
At some sites and under suitable conditions, divers may also encounter larger species.
But marine life is only part of the experience.
The reefs themselves are spectacular.
Hard corals create intricate underwater structures while soft corals move with the current. Vertical reef walls disappear into deep blue water, and enormous schools of fish can transform an ordinary-looking reef into a spectacular underwater scene.
For underwater photographers, the combination of clear visibility, colourful coral, dramatic topography, and abundant marine life provides countless subjects.
The Best Dive Sites for Your Sharm El Sheikh Diving Holiday
One of the strongest reasons to choose Sharm El Sheikh is the variety of diving available around the peninsula.
At Red Sea Marine, dive trips can include local reefs, Ras Mohammed National Park, the Strait of Tiran, and selected wreck sites. The specific sites visited depend on conditions, experience, and the day's diving plan.
Ras Mohammed National Park
For many divers, Ras Mohammed is the highlight of a Sharm El Sheikh diving holiday.
Located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, the national park is famous for spectacular coral reefs, impressive walls, clear water, and abundant marine life.
The famous Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef area is particularly well known for dramatic underwater scenery and large concentrations of fish.
Ras Mohammed is not simply a dive site—it is one of the experiences that makes diving from Sharm El Sheikh so memorable.
Strait of Tiran
The Strait of Tiran offers another completely different Red Sea diving experience.
Four famous reefs—Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon—create an impressive underwater landscape at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba.
Depending on conditions and divers' experience, these reefs can offer exciting drift diving, colourful coral formations and walls, and opportunities to encounter larger marine life.
At Red Sea Marine, trips to Tiran are planned according to sea conditions and diver experience rather than treating every diver and every day the same.
Local Dive Sites Around Sharm El Sheikh
You don't need to travel far from Naama Bay to experience beautiful Red Sea diving.
The local dive sites between the Strait of Tiran and Ras Mohammed feature a variety of reefs that are particularly suitable for beginners, training dives, check dives, and relaxed underwater exploration.
Sites such as Ras Umm Sid, Temple, Far Garden, and Near Garden offer different underwater environments and are convenient alternatives when conditions or experience levels make local diving the better choice.
This flexibility is one of the biggest advantages of choosing a local dive center for your holiday.
Dive the SS Thistlegorm from Sharm El Sheikh
For experienced wreck divers, a Sharm El Sheikh diving holiday can include one of the Red Sea's most famous underwater attractions: the SS Thistlegorm.
The historic British cargo ship is widely regarded as one of the world's great wreck dives.
Exploring the Thistlegorm is very different from a reef dive. Divers can discover the ship's historic cargo, machinery, and marine life while exploring a genuine piece of maritime history beneath the Red Sea.
Red Sea Marine offers special wreck trips to the SS Thistlegorm and SS Dunraven by request, with early departures required for these longer excursions.
If wreck diving is one of your priorities, tell the dive center before your holiday so your itinerary can be planned accordingly.
Sharm El Sheikh Diving Holidays for Beginners
You don't need to be a certified diver to enjoy the Red Sea.
Sharm El Sheikh is an excellent place to discover scuba diving because there are sheltered, shallower environments where beginners can learn fundamental skills before progressing to open-water diving.
At Red Sea Marine, first-time divers can start with a Discover Scuba Diving / Try Diving experience.
The experience begins with an introduction to scuba equipment and essential safety procedures, followed by practice in calm, shallow water before a supervised open-water dive.
This makes it possible to experience the Red Sea without immediately committing to a full certification course.
And if you fall in love with scuba diving—which many people do—you can continue with a recognised certification.
Learn to Dive During Your Sharm El Sheikh Holiday
If you want to return home as a certified diver, Red Sea Marine offers PADI and SSI diving courses ranging from beginner programs to professional-level training.
Courses include:
Discover Scuba Diving
Scuba Diver
Open Water Diver
Advanced Open Water
Rescue Diver
ReActivate
Deep Diver
Night Diver
Nitrox
Underwater Navigator
Wreck Diver
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Drift Diver
Divemaster
The PADI Open Water Diver course, for example, combines knowledge development, confined-water skills, and four open-water dives on real Red Sea reefs. Red Sea Marine also offers small course groups, with a maximum of four students per instructor on the listed Open Water program.
For visitors staying in Sharm for a week or longer, combining a diving holiday with an Open Water course can be an excellent way to make your trip even more memorable.
Daily Boat Diving or Shore Diving?
One of the questions many divers ask when planning their Sharm El Sheikh diving holidays is whether they should choose boat diving or shore diving.
The answer is: why not experience both?
Daily Boat Diving
Red Sea Marine operates daily boat trips from Sharm El Sheikh.
Boats generally depart in the morning and return during the afternoon, with two dives at different sites planned according to conditions and diver experience.
Boat diving gives you access to major destinations such as:
Ras Mohammed
Strait of Tiran
Offshore reefs
Selected wreck sites
Guided Shore Diving
Shore diving provides a more flexible alternative.
Local reefs can be ideal for:
Beginners
Refresher dives
Check dives
Underwater photography
Relaxed diving
Divers who prefer shorter trips
Red Sea Marine offers guided shore diving at local sites including Ras Umm Sid and reefs around Naama Bay.
The ability to choose between boat and shore diving allows your holiday to be built around your diving experience rather than a fixed itinerary.
Small Groups and a More Personal Diving Experience
A diving holiday should feel like a holiday—not a race from one dive to another.
One of the principles behind Red Sea Marine is providing small-group diving and personal attention rather than an overcrowded experience.
The center specifically promotes small groups, experienced instructors, and a relaxed approach to diving.
This is particularly valuable for:
Beginners: You can ask questions and receive closer guidance.
Families: Different experience levels can be accommodated more easily.
Experienced divers: You can discuss the type of diving you want rather than simply following a generic itinerary.
Underwater photographers: More relaxed dives can provide additional time to observe marine life and compose photographs.
Safety Comes First
When choosing a dive center, the quality of the reef is important—but safety and professional supervision should come first.
Red Sea Marine's diving approach is built around professional instruction, experienced guides, appropriate briefings, equipment preparation, and selecting dive sites according to diver experience and conditions.
For beginner experiences, the process includes an initial briefing, shallow-water practice, and supervised open-water diving.
Daily diving is also planned around weather, sea conditions, and diver experience rather than simply following the same route every day.
The objective is simple:
Enjoy the Red Sea while diving within your experience and comfort level.
Diving Equipment Rental in Sharm El Sheikh
Travelling internationally with a complete set of scuba equipment isn't always practical.
Red Sea Marine provides diving equipment rental, while course packages include the equipment required for training.
For daily diving, tanks, weights, and a guide are included in the listed service, while equipment rental is available separately.
This means you can travel to Sharm El Sheikh with less luggage and still enjoy a properly equipped diving holiday.
How Many Days Do You Need for a Sharm El Sheikh Diving Holiday?
There is no single perfect length for a diving holiday, but your available time can influence the type of experience you choose.
3–4 Days
Ideal for a short diving escape.
You can combine local diving with one major boat trip, depending on your certification and conditions.
5–7 Days
A great choice for divers who want variety.
You could combine local reefs, Ras Mohammed, Tiran, and potentially a wreck trip.
This is also enough time to complete an Open Water course for many visitors, subject to the course schedule and requirements.
7+ Days
Perfect for serious divers who want to explore more of Sharm El Sheikh without rushing.
A longer stay gives you greater flexibility to choose sites according to conditions and experience and potentially combine recreational diving with specialty training.
What Makes Red Sea Marine Different?
There are many dive centers in Sharm El Sheikh.
So why choose Red Sea Marine?
Because a great diving holiday is not simply about how many dive sites you visit.
It is about how you experience them.
Red Sea Marine was established in 2017 by Sameh Samaha, a diving professional whose diving career began around 2000 and included becoming a PADI instructor and working aboard Red Sea liveaboards in both northern and southern Red Sea destinations.
That experience provides something particularly valuable to visitors:
local knowledge combined with a genuine understanding of Red Sea diving.
The center focuses on:
Small groups
Experienced dive professionals
Daily boat diving
Guided shore diving
PADI and SSI courses
Private guiding
Equipment rental
Snorkeling
Ras Mohammed
Strait of Tiran
Local reefs
Famous wrecks
A relaxed diving atmosphere
And hotel transfers are included with the center's listed diving and course services.
A Typical Sharm El Sheikh Diving Holiday with Red Sea Marine
Imagine starting your morning in Naama Bay.
After your hotel transfer, you meet your guide and prepare for the day's diving.
One day might take you by boat toward Ras Mohammed, where colourful reef walls descend into deep blue water.
Another day could take you toward Tiran, where dramatic reefs and current can create a completely different experience.
On another morning, you might choose a relaxed shore dive at Ras Umm Sid or one of Sharm's local reefs.
And if you're an experienced wreck diver, you can plan a dedicated trip to the legendary SS Thistlegorm.
In between dives, there is time to relax, enjoy the Red Sea, and simply appreciate being in one of the world's great diving destinations.
That's what a Sharm El Sheikh diving holiday should feel like.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sharm El Sheikh Diving Holidays
Is Sharm El Sheikh good for a diving holiday?
Yes. Sharm El Sheikh offers a wide variety of reefs, walls, local sites, offshore dive sites, and famous wrecks, making it suitable for beginners through experienced divers.
Can beginners dive in Sharm El Sheikh?
Absolutely. Beginners can start with a Discover Scuba Diving experience or enrol in a certification course. Red Sea Marine offers introductory diving and beginner PADI courses.
What are the best dive sites in Sharm El Sheikh?
Ras Mohammed, the Strait of Tiran, local reefs, and famous wrecks such as the SS Thistlegorm are among the major diving attractions accessible from Sharm El Sheikh.
Can I dive Ras Mohammed from Sharm El Sheikh?
Yes. Ras Mohammed is one of the principal diving destinations accessed from Sharm El Sheikh, and Red Sea Marine operates daily boat trips there depending on conditions and the day's diving plan.
Can I dive the SS Thistlegorm from Sharm El Sheikh?
Yes. Special trips to the SS Thistlegorm can be arranged, with early departures required because it is a longer excursion.
Do I need to bring my own diving equipment?
No. Equipment rental is available, and diving courses include the equipment required for training.
Is shore diving available in Sharm El Sheikh?
Yes. Red Sea Marine offers guided shore diving at local reefs including Ras Umm Sid and Naama Bay.
Can I take a PADI course during my holiday?
Yes. Red Sea Marine offers PADI courses from Discover Scuba Diving and Open Water through Advanced, Rescue, specialties, and Divemaster training.
Start Planning Your Sharm El Sheikh Diving Holiday
The Red Sea is not something you simply look at from the beach.
It is a world beneath the surface.
Colourful coral gardens.Schools of tropical fish.Dramatic reef walls.Turtles gliding through blue water.Historic wrecks.Ras Mohammed.The Strait of Tiran.And thousands of underwater moments that you cannot experience anywhere else.
Whether you're taking your first breath underwater, returning as an experienced diver, completing a PADI course, exploring famous wrecks, or simply looking for a relaxed week of exceptional diving, Red Sea Marine Diving Center can help you experience Sharm El Sheikh from below the surface.
Plan your Sharm El Sheikh diving holiday with Red Sea Marine and discover the Red Sea with experienced local divers, small groups, professional guidance, and access to some of Egypt's most spectacular underwater sites.
Your next dive starts in Sharm El Sheikh.
