Hurghada

Unfortunately my Hurghada references are a bit sparse. I learnt to dive in my two trips here (PADI scuba diver plus a few divers and then back to upgrade to PADI open water diver plus a few dives). Therefore my memories of the dives are more about the tasks and exercises than the dive sites themselves. Below are the bits I can remember and info I got from my logbook.

First we stayed at the Siva Hotel. This was a nice all inclusive hotel on the seafront. First job was to collar the guy at the pool doing the try dives (a mad Dutchman called Eric who actually took our course) to have a go and see if we got on with the scuba gear. We signed up for the PADI scuba diver course immediately after getting out of the pool!

The Euro Divers centre is actually located 5 mins by robbing bar stewards, sorry taxi, away at the Grand Hotel. For the courses they sent a mini bus to pick us up in the mornings but we had to get a tai back. Taxis in Hurghada will rip you off sooner than look at you. Before you get in agree the price (for the journey not each person) if they want a lot just stay no thanks and walk away, they'll immediately accept your terms. Also make sure you agree the currency. I had a taxi driver wanting 5 Euros for a 5 Egyptian Pound ride (£3.60 vs 50p). He got 5 Egyptian Pounds and a stern talking to as by that time I was getting ******** off with constant attempts to rip me off! Yes I know it's not much really and if they didn't try ripping me off I doubled the fare in tips.

On the second trip (when we came back 6 months later to upgraded to open water divers) we stayed at the Grand Hotel and only went into town with the dive centre on nights out. Now those dive centre staff can REALLY handle the local taxi drivers! There is plenty of bars, restaurants and shops around the Grand Hotel so we didn't have to go far.

The EuroDivers centre is located by the jetty by the Grand Hotel beach. There's the shop/reception, class rooms around the back with TV's and videos for the cheesy PADI videos (with air con) and a hatch out front where you pass your equipment card and the guy fills a crate with all the gear you hiring.

Lockers for personal gear are located by the changing rooms and there are a few large rinse tanks.

The boats were very good. They had a spacious dive deck, saloon and big sun deck on top where the briefings were held. All briefings were done in German (the majority of people at these hotels) and then in English

The Dive Sites (Note the max depth is the max depth I dived to and started limited to 12m as a PADI Scuba Diver):-
 

Gota Abu Ramada (East Side)

A nice large circular reef with some large coral blocks just off it.

Max Depth:- 11m
Temperature:- 25oC (June)
 

Gota Abu Ramada (West Side)

As above, a nice large circular reef with some large coral blocks just off it.

Max Depth:- 11m
Temperature:- 25oC (June)

 

Small Gifton

Reef on the edge of the island of Small Gifton. Saw a lot of Morays, tragger fish, scorpion fish and box fish. Nice shallow reef with a coral block just off the corner.

Max Depth:- 15m
Temperature:- 25oC (June)

 

Erg Cave

A number of coral blocks, on of which has a cave through it. A lot of large Jack fish about on this reef

Max Depth:- 12m
Temperature:- 25oC (June)

 

Talata

A large collection of coral blocks. Slightly stronger current here than what we had experienced before (but this was only my 5th ever dive). Saw lionfish, crocodile fish and blue spotted stingrays.

Max Depth:- 10m
Temperature:- 24oC (June)

 

Erg Aruk, Ras Hossan

Nice shallow collection of coral blocks.

Max Depth:- 10m
Temperature:- 27oC (October)

 

Erg Somaya

A two tier reef with some coral blocks on the shelf between. Currents were fairly strong and the big blocks near the reef wall made some great swim throughs as the current thundered through the gap (again only my 8th dive so probably not that strong but felt it at the time)

Max Depth:- 21m
Temperature:- 26oC (October)

 

Abu Ramada (South)

A reef with two selved walls to the south-east. Bottom of the reef was 6m and sloped to 18m where there was a drop off to 24m. A further drop off after that went 30m+.

Max Depth:- 19m
Temperature:- 25oC (October)

 

Dorfa

A reef with a good selection of coral blocks.

Max Depth:- 17m
Temperature:- 25oC (October)

 

El Fanadir

Double drop off reef with coral blocks along the shelf. Some nice nooks and crannies in the reef wall.

Max Depth:- 15m
Temperature:- 26oC (October)

 

Hamda (Stone Beach)

A reef wall with a huge amount of coral blocks and only the odd patch of sand.

Max Depth:- 20m
Temperature:- 26oC (October)

 

Shab Sabina

A elongated reef with long thin coral blocks to the south.

Max Depth:- 12m
Temperature:- 26oC (October)

 


Lighthouse (Small Gifton)

This dive has some lovely coral blocks closely spaced. It might be just because I was so new to diving, but the swim throughs (no tops, just channels between coral blocks and the reef wall) were amazing to dive. There was a decent current during out dive and you were pushed through the channels.

Max Depth:- 17m
Temperature:- 26oC (October)