Diving and snorkeling from Makadi Bay: reefs, pickup and try dives

Makadi Bay is a resort town on the Red Sea about 30 km south of Hurghada, and yes, you can dive and snorkel there: it has a house reef you can reach from the shore and more reefs a short boat ride away.

• Where it is: on the coast between Hurghada and Safaga, backed by the Eastern Desert. The bay is known for its sandy beaches and clear water.
• What's under the water: Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Water Sports (CDWS) describes a house reef reachable from shore, for guided and unguided dives, and shallow, deep, drift and wreck sites, some only 15 minutes away by felucca.
• Protection: CDWS says the Makadi Bay marine area is protected and that mooring buoys are kept on the dive sites, so boats tie up instead of dropping anchor on the coral.

Hurghada's own reefs and islands are north of the bay. If you stay in Makadi you can use both: the reef in front of you on free days, and a boat day from Hurghada with hotel pickup. For how the Hurghada sites compare, see the best dive sites in Hurghada.

Our dive-site directory lists 13 sites in and around Makadi Bay, from the shallow reef in front of the beach to walls and a shore dive further south. Here are the ones with the most published detail.

Several of these sites have only a few independent descriptions, and some positions are approximate, so treat the details as a starting point. A few more reefs in the directory are named after the resorts in front of them; search "Makadi" on the directory map to see them all. Depth figures vary between sources: one diver's account of the Makadi Bay house reef says 30–40 m is within easy reach beyond the shallow shelf, while a dive-site database records 18 m as its maximum.

Yes. At Makadi Bay Reef the coral starts only 1–2 m below the surface, after a walk of about 100 m from a rocky beach through a shallow lagoon, and a dive-site database calls it great for snorkelling, with a large area and relatively few people.

• What you might see: a 2017 account of the house reef reports octopus, moray eels, lionfish, trevally, glassfish, angelfish, crocodilefish, eagle rays, whiptail rays, nudibranchs, big shoals of fish and a resident turtle. It describes the bay as sheltered and calm, with the shallow edges suited to snorkelers.
• Artificial reefs: the same account says artificial reefs were placed on flatter parts of the bay and have since grown coral.
• Roped-off areas: a 2010 report says resorts had marked no-entry zones to protect the coral. Rules may have changed, so follow the signs and use the marked entry.
• Water shoes: recommended for the rocky beach and the lagoon walk.

Each resort's beach is different, so ask yours whether it has a jetty to the reef edge or a sandy entry. For entry tips, risks and what to bring, see snorkeling from the beach: house reefs around Hurghada and snorkeling safety for first-timers. If you'd rather have a guide and a boat, our snorkeling trip (€35) and Orange Bay trip (€40, entrance fee included) both pick up from Makadi Bay.

We pick you up at your hotel in Makadi Bay and drive you to the marina in Hurghada, where our day boat leaves. The transfer is included in the price.

• Which reefs: the captain chooses the sites each day by wind, sea and the group's experience, so we can't promise a particular reef. If there's one you want, ask us when you book.
• Price: the 2-dive day is €50 (normally €60), with tanks, weights, a guide and lunch. A full gear set is €10 a day and a dive computer €5 a day.
• Group size: no more than 4 divers per guide.
• Out of practice? If your last dive was more than a year ago, your first dive is an easy check dive with your guide, at no extra cost.
• Non-divers: a partner who doesn't dive can come on the same boat and snorkel both stops for €35, mask and fins included. See how non-divers enjoy boat days.
• Paying: cash on the day, nothing in advance, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Multi-day packages take up to 10% off; see the price list.

Yes. CDWS calls Makadi Bay an ideal place to learn to dive because the sandy bay is sheltered, and the shallow house reef is rated suitable for all divers.

• Easy sites: Makadi Bay Reef (reef top 1–2 m, low current) and Old House Reef, rated beginner by independent guides.
• Sites to save for later: Sharm El Arab is recommended for Advanced Open Water divers, and Sadana, where waves wash the reef top, for Rescue Divers.
• Learning to dive: our PADI Open Water course is €395 and SSI or SDI Open Water is €365. Each price includes the instructor, full gear, learning materials, the certification fee and hotel pickup from Makadi Bay. We teach no more than 4 students per instructor. Compare all levels on our courses page.

Not sure which course fits your holiday? See try dive, Scuba Diver or Open Water.

Yes. Our try dive is €45, everything included, with one instructor just for you. You don't need any experience.

• Two ways to do it: from the beach, about 1–2 hours, or on our daily boat, about 8 hours with lunch on board. Hotel pickup from Makadi Bay is included either way.
• Age: PADI sets a minimum age of 10 for Discover Scuba Diving.
• Depth: PADI's limit is 6 m for the first confined-water session and 12 m for the optional open-water dive, and you don't have to go that deep.
• Swimming: PADI says you don't need to be a strong swimmer, but you should feel comfortable in the water and be able to stay afloat at the surface.
• Health: you fill in a medical questionnaire first; depending on your answers, a doctor may need to confirm you're fit to dive.
• It isn't a certificate, but it can count towards PADI Open Water if you tell us before you start and begin the full course within 12 months.

For a step-by-step account of the day, read what happens on your first try dive.