Scuba Diving in Dahab
The Ultimate Guide
Dahab is a laid‑back Bedouin village on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula that has become a magnet for divers and free divers alike. The fringing reef starts just a few metres from the beach, dropping into a coral‑covered plateau and steep walls cut by canyons and chimney‑like holes. From beginner‑friendly shore entries at Lighthouse and Coral Garden to the legendary Blue Hole and Canyon, Dahab offers reef gardens full of anthias, butterflyfish and turtles as well as thrilling drift dives and deep blue walls. Year‑round sunshine, clear desert air and a bohemian vibe make it easy to spend weeks exploring the many dive sites along the shoreline and by boat.
Difficulty
Moderate
Temperature
21-28°C
Visibility
15-40m
Diving Highlights
Best Months to Dive
Getting to Dahab for Diving
✈️Transportation
Most divers reach Dahab via Sharm el Sheikh Airport (SSH) on the Sinai Peninsula.
From the airport it is about a one‑ to two‑hour drive across the mountains to Dahab; transfers can be arranged by your dive centre or taxi.
Once in Dahab, most dive sites are accessed by jeep or camel along the shore and a few by day‑boat.
Country
Egypt
Currency
Egyptian Pound
Electricity
220V, 50Hz, Euro Plug
Cost of a Dive Trip in Dahab
Day Trip
Dive Resort
Meal
Accommodation
Best Dive Sites in Dahab
🐠Bells to Blue Hole
Perhaps Dahab’s most famous dive, this route starts with a clamber down a narrow fissure called Bells and drops vertically from 5 m to 30 m before opening onto the sheer wall of the Blue Hole. Divers drift along the outer wall festooned with soft corals and sea fans, watching for unicornfish, trevallies and the occasional reef shark, before entering the Blue Hole itself through a saddle at 6 m.
🐢Canyon & Coral Garden
Just north of town lies a coral plateau bisected by a sinuous crack that drops through a series of caverns and arches. Start by exploring the brightly lit Coral Garden teeming with butterflyfish, goatfish and stingrays before descending into the Canyon, a submerged valley with overhangs and swim‑throughs that takes you down to 30 m.
🦈Lighthouse Reef
Located in the heart of Dahab, Lighthouse Reef is the training ground for many divers. A gentle sandy slope leads onto a coral garden with anemones, table corals and sand patches where you’ll find octopus, stonefish and occasionally seahorses. Night dives reveal Spanish dancers, cuttlefish and hunting barracudas.
🐙The Islands
South of town a labyrinth of coral towers creates a maze known as the Islands. Divers weave through channels between staghorn and brain corals while clouds of anthias and sergeant majors swarm around. The sandy bottom at 18 m hides garden eels and blue‑spotted stingrays, and the shallow reef top is ideal for safety stops.
🐚Eel Garden
This shallow site north of Dahab features a gentle sandy slope leading to a wall. Huge colonies of garden eels sway in the current, while pufferfish, trumpetfish and blue‑spotted rays patrol the sand. Along the wall look out for nudibranchs, frogfish and the occasional Napoleon wrasse.
🦑Gabr el Bint
Accessible only by camel or boat, this remote site south of Dahab rewards the effort with pristine hard and soft corals, a steep wall and the chance to spot turtles, eagle rays and schooling fusiliers. Stronger currents mean this dive is best suited to experienced divers.
What Divers Say About Diving in Dahab
Earl Philip
Technical DiverDahab combines the ease of shore diving with some of the Red Sea’s most iconic underwater scenery. You can gear up next to a Bedouin tea house, shuffle through the warm shallows and drop straight into technicolour coral gardens alive with anthias, parrotfish and curious turtles. A short ride up the coast and you’re kicking over the lip of the famous Blue Hole or dropping through the narrow Canyon chimney into the blue abyss — truly exhilarating! Between dives the laid‑back town offers cheap falafels, sunset cocktails and desert jeep tours. Whether you’re learning to dive, honing your buoyancy in the Lighthouse or chasing that adrenaline rush at Bells to Blue Hole, Dahab’s mix of chilled vibes and world‑class reefs is hard to beat.
Frequently Asked Questions About Diving in Dahab
When is the best time to dive in Dahab?
You can dive year‑round, but the most comfortable conditions are from March to June and again from September to November when water temperatures are warm and winds are light. July and August are busiest and hottest, while December–February bring cooler water and occasional winds.
What marine life can I see around Dahab?
Expect lots of reef fish, parrotfish and anthias, hawksbill and green turtles, blue‑spotted rays, moray eels and octopus. In deeper water you may spot the odd reef shark or trevally, and the seagrass meadows house seahorses, pipefish and the occasional dugong.
Are Dahab’s dive sites suitable for beginners?
Yes, many sites such as Lighthouse Reef, Coral Garden and the Islands have easy shore entries, shallow plateaus and minimal currents that make them ideal for training and less experienced divers. More advanced sites like the Canyon or Blue Hole require good buoyancy control and depth experience.
How many dive sites are there in Dahab?
There are about 20 named dive sites along the coast accessible by jeep or boat, plus several more in the surrounding area. Each site offers different topography, from gently sloping reefs to deep vertical walls and canyons.
Is Dahab only shore diving?
Most of the classic sites are accessed from shore, but there are also a few by boat such as Gabr el Bint and sites south of Dahab. Day boats give access to less‑dove reefs and drop‑offs.
Do I need a drysuit or thick wetsuit?
In summer a 3 mm wetsuit or even shorty is fine; in winter (December–February) a 5 mm full suit with hood is comfortable as water can drop to 21 °C. Bring booties for rocky entries year‑round.
Are there any big animals like sharks in Dahab?
Large pelagics are rare, but reef sharks, guitar rays and even whale sharks have been spotted on occasion. For regular encounters with sharks and oceanic whitetips you’ll need to travel further south to Marsa Alam or offshore liveaboards.