Scuba Diving in Sharm El Sheikh
The Ultimate Guide
Sharm El Sheikh sits at the southern tip of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and functions as the Red Sea's busiest dive hub for good reason. Day boats run south to Ras Mohammed National Park—walls, current-swept pinnacles and the famous Shark Reef–Yolanda Reef double drop—and north through the Straits of Tiran past four reef towers where hammerheads patrol in season. Wreck divers book the early alarm for SS Thistlegorm, one of the world's great WWII cargo dives, and the coral-encrusted SS Dunraven on calmer days. Closer to Naama Bay and Sharks Bay, house reefs like Ras Um Sid, the Gardens and Temple deliver easy boat dives between the big-ticket runs. Visibility routinely clears 20 m, reefs are healthy by Red Sea standards, and the resort strip makes logistics painless: gear on, coffee, two-tank boat, back for lunch.
Difficulty
Moderate
Temperature
21–30°C
Visibility
15–30 m
Diving Highlights
Best Months to Dive
Getting to Sharm El Sheikh for Diving
✈️Transportation
Most international divers fly into Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH), roughly 20 minutes from Naama Bay resorts. Pre-arrange a hotel transfer or grab an official airport taxi—fixed fares are common, but confirm before you load gear.
Once checked in, diving is almost entirely by day boat. Ras Mohammed runs leave from Sharm marinas in the morning; Straits of Tiran trips head north past Nabq Bay. SS Thistlegorm days start brutally early—often 4:00–5:00 AM—to beat wind and crowds at the mooring. Expect 1.5–2 hours each way to Thistlegorm and Dunraven.
Visas and Sinai entry
Many European and Gulf passport holders can enter Sinai on a free Sinai Only stamp valid for 14 days within the peninsula. That covers Sharm, Dahab and St Catherine—but not Cairo or Luxor. If your itinerary crosses the Suez, buy a full Egyptian tourist visa at the airport (USD or EUR cash helps).
Tiran Strait paperwork
Boats to Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon reefs pass through the Straits of Tiran. Operators collect passports the night before; Egyptian military clears the group at sea. Keep your passport dry and accessible—no passport, no Tiran dive.
Money and tips
Resorts take cards; dive boats and small cafés prefer cash (EGP or USD). Tip boat crew and guides at the end of the day—10–15% of the dive bill is standard on liveaboards, a few dollars per tank on day boats.
Country
Egypt
Currency
Egyptian Pound
Electricity
220V, 50Hz, Euro Plug
Cost of a Dive Trip in Sharm El Sheikh
Day Trip
Dive Resort
Liveaboard
Night Dive
Meal
Accommodation
Best Dive Sites in Sharm El Sheikh
🐠Shark Reef & Yolanda Reef
The signature Ras Mohammed double-pinnacle dive. Boats moor in the bay; you descend the wall at Shark Reef and ride the current north along a vertical drop plastered with soft corals, gorgonians and clouds of anthias. Grey reef sharks patrol the blue; tuna and barracuda hunt offshore. The drift exits onto Yolanda Reef, where the 1980 wreck cargo litters the slope—bathtubs, pipes and bathroom fittings piled between 10–30 m. Strong current, 25–30 m depths, advanced only. One of the Red Sea's great drifts.
🐢Anemone City
Sheltered plateau on Ras Mohammed's eastern side, famous for dense fields of anemones hosting Red Sea clownfish, damselfish and wrasse. Depths 12–20 m with mild current make it a relaxed second dive after a Tiran or Shark Reef morning. Look for moray eels, scorpionfish and the occasional turtle on the coral heads. Good photography site when surge is low.
🦈Jackfish Alley
A coral saddle between Ras Mohammed's main reef and a offshore plateau. Descend to 20–25 m and watch massive schools of jackfish and snapper funnel through the alley when current runs. Wall on one side, sandy channel on the other—eagle rays and reef sharks appear in the blue. Moderate to strong drift; plan for blue-water ascent and SMB. Best on incoming tide per local schedules.
🐙Shark Observatory (The Wall)
A sheer wall on the southern Ras Mohammed peninsula dropping from 5 m past 40 m. Named for shark sightings from the cliff-top observatory above water. Underwater you get gorgonian fans, black coral bushes and pelagic traffic—barracuda, tuna, grey reef sharks. Often dived as a wall with return along the plateau. Current variable; check conditions before committing to deep profiles.
🐚Ras Ghozlani
Protected bay inside Ras Mohammed with gentle slopes 8–18 m—one of the park's beginner-friendly sites. Hard and soft corals in good condition, plenty of butterflyfish, parrotfish and small critters. Often used for check dives, courses and night dives. Minimal current compared to the exposed drifts nearby.
🦑Jackson Reef
Northernmost of the four Tiran reefs; a long narrow tower with steep walls on both sides. Famous summer hammerhead encounters—guides hang at 30–40 m on the blue edge while scalloped hammerheads cruise past in the current. Also jacks, barracuda, turtles and vibrant shallows at 10–15 m for safety stops. Strong current and passport clearance required. Advanced drift dive.
🐡Woodhouse Reef
The longest Tiran reef, usually dived as a one-way drift from north to south along the eastern wall. Depths 15–40 m with gorgonians, sea fans and schooling fusiliers. Occasional hammerheads and grey reef sharks in blue water. No mooring on the reef itself—boats pick up at the south end. Current can be brisk; stay with guide and carry SMB.
🦀Thomas Reef
Smallest of the Tiran quartet but packed with life. Circumnavigate the reef tower in moderate current, passing overhangs with soft corals and schools of anthias. Pelagics—tuna, jacks, reef sharks—patrol the tips. Depths 10–35 m. Often combined with Jackson or Woodhouse on a two-dive Tiran day. Passport required.
🐋Gordon Reef
Southern Tiran reef marked by the wreck of the Loullia visible above water on the reef flat. Wall dive on the east side with moderate current; scorpionfish, morays and napoleon wrasse on the ledges. Shallow plateau good for safety stop—anthias, sergeant majors and occasional dolphins on the ride home. The Giannis D wreck lies nearby for a combined itinerary on calm days.
🦐SS Thistlegorm
Britain's WWII freighter, bombed in 1941 and sitting upright at 30 m in the Strait of Gubal. Two dives barely cover it: Hold One with trucks and tyres, Hold Two with motorcycles, Bedford trucks and rifles; the locomotive and tenders astern. Penetration possible in trained groups—silt and rust hazard. Early boat departure essential. One of the planet's top wreck dives; Nitrox recommended.
🐠SS Dunraven
Victorian steamship sunk 1876, lying upside-down at 15–30 m near Beacon Rock. Swin through the broken hull into cathedral light zones; coral-encrusted plates shelter morays, lionfish and nudibranchs. Less crowded than Thistlegorm, shallower profile suits photographers. Often paired with a Ras Mohammed afternoon or a second shallow wreck dive. Watch surge near the hull openings.
🐢Ras Um Sid
Local wall minutes from Naama Bay—steep drop from 8 m to 40 m+ with gorgonians and fan corals. Moray eels, lionfish and turtles common; night dives reveal Spanish dancers and hunting lionfish. Mild current most days; popular house reef for dive centres based in Sharm. Good filler between long boat days.
🦈The Gardens (Near & Far Garden)
Twin reef patches off Sharm's main bay—Near Garden at 5–15 m, Far Garden slightly deeper with a steeper wall. Hard coral gardens, butterflyfish, rays in the sand and occasional eagle rays in the blue. Easy boat dive for all levels; often the first dive of a trip or a relaxed afternoon. Macro life includes nudibranchs and pipefish in the rubble.
🐙Temple
Named for a coral formation resembling columns near the reef top. Sloping garden 12–25 m with table corals, pinnacles and sandy patches. Reef fish density is high—angelfish, triggerfish, groupers. Light current; suitable for OW divers and photography. Often combined with Ras Um Sid or Gardens on a half-day local boat.
🐚Eel Garden
Sandy slope near local reefs where hundreds of garden eels rise from the bottom at 15–20 m. Approach slowly—they retreat into burrows if you scull. Nearby wall sections add morays, lionfish and blue-spotted rays. Mild conditions; good second dive or macro-focused dive after a deep morning. Best in calm weather when surge won't stir the sand.
What Divers Say About Diving in Sharm El Sheikh
Yuki Tanaka
Underwater Photographer / Master Scuba DiverI came to Sharm with a checklist and left with a sore neck from looking up. Day one was Ras Mohammed: a fast drift along Shark Reef, grey reef sharks cutting the blue on the drop-off, then rolling into Yolanda Reef where bathtubs and toilet bowls from the wrecked cargo ship sit in surreal piles at 10 m. Day two we handed passports over for Tiran—Jackson Reef in a ripping current, a scalloped hammerhead ghosting past at 30 m, then a lazy safety stop through anthias clouds on Gordon. The Thistlegorm day hurt: 4:30 AM van, two long transits, but dropping into Hold Two and swimming between trucks and motorcycles at 30 m is why people keep coming back to the Red Sea. Between the marquee runs I filled gaps on Ras Um Sid and Near Garden—turtles, morays, no commute stress. Sharm is not wilderness diving; it's efficient, well-oiled, and absolutely delivers on walls, wrecks and seasonal pelagics.
Frequently Asked Questions About Diving in Sharm El Sheikh
When is the best time to dive Sharm El Sheikh?
Diving runs year-round. October–April offers the calmest seas and 22–26°C water with 20–30 m visibility—prime for Ras Mohammed drifts and Tiran hammerheads. March–May and September–November are shoulder seasons with warm water and fewer package tourists. Summer (June–August) is hot topside and busier, but reefs are still diveable if you tolerate heat and occasional chop.
Do I need Advanced Open Water for Sharm's famous sites?
Many local house reefs suit Open Water divers. Ras Mohammed drifts (Shark Reef, Jackfish Alley), Tiran reefs and both major wrecks involve depth 25–30 m, currents and blue-water exits—operators typically require AOW or equivalent logged experience. Thistlegorm penetrations demand wreck specialty training and excellent buoyancy.
How does the Thistlegorm dive day work?
Expect a 4:00–5:00 AM pickup, 1.5–2 hour boat ride to the Strait of Gubal, and usually two dives on the wreck plus a long surface interval. Holds One and Two are the highlights—trucks, motorcycles, rifles and the locomotive. Early departure avoids afternoon wind and crowded moorings. Nitrox is popular; many guides run multilevel profiles to extend bottom time.
What is the Sinai Only visa stamp and will it affect my diving?
The free Sinai Only entry stamp allows 14 days within the peninsula only. It covers all Sharm boat diving including Ras Mohammed, Tiran and Gubal wrecks. It does not permit travel to mainland Egypt (Cairo, Luxor, Hurghada by land). If your flight home transits outside Sinai or you plan Nile sightseeing, get a full tourist visa at SSH airport.
Why do dive centres collect passports before Tiran trips?
The four Tiran reefs sit in the Straits of Tiran, a strategic waterway monitored by Egyptian authorities. Boats submit passenger passports for clearance at sea. Without a valid passport you cannot join the trip. Return passports are usually handed back after the last dive—keep a photocopy in your room.
Can beginners dive in Sharm El Sheikh?
Yes—Ras Ghozlani, Near Garden, Temple and parts of Ras Um Sid offer sheltered profiles under 18 m with mild current. Avoid signing up for Shark Reef drifts, Tiran or Thistlegorm until you are comfortable with depth, navigation in current and boat exits. Most centres run check dives on house reefs first.
Sharm vs Hurghada or Dahab for a first Red Sea trip?
Sharm maximises boat access to Ras Mohammed, Tiran and Thistlegorm in one base—ideal if wrecks and pelagics top your list. Dahab is shore-diving and canyon/Blue Hole territory (different coast). Hurghada is closer to Abu Nuhas wrecks and southern offshore sites. Pick Sharm when you want the classic northern Sinai circuit without relocating.