Planning a diving holiday in Hurghada: where to stay, how many days and what to book

Stay in the area that fits the rest of your holiday: for diving with us it makes little difference, because hotel pickup and drop-off are included from all six areas below. The further your hotel is from the marina, the earlier your pickup. We confirm the exact time when you book, since it depends on how far your hotel is from the marina.

Distances are from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, measured from Hurghada town unless noted; the sources differ by a few kilometres for El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh and Safaga. The private dolphin speedboat is the one trip with pickup in Hurghada only.

No. A hotel with its own dive centre helps if you want to dive straight from the beach, but it isn't needed for boat diving. Because our pickup is included from all six resort areas, you can choose your hotel for price, beach or family reasons and still join the same daily boat.

• Boat diving: most of Hurghada's reefs are offshore, so you reach them by boat. Our day boat chooses each morning from the Giftun reefs, the Abu Ramada reefs, walls, coral gardens and wrecks such as El Mina.
• Sites further south: Safaga, El Quseir and Marsa Alam sites are day trips with a road transfer, so staying in Soma Bay or Safaga does not lock you out of the Hurghada boat.
• Non-divers: the same pickup applies to our boat trips, so a partner who doesn't dive can book from the same hotel.

Not sure which part of the Red Sea to choose in the first place? See Hurghada, Sharm, Marsa Alam or Dahab.

On a one-week holiday, most divers fit in four or five dive days. Every diving day is two guided boat dives, from an 08:00 hotel pickup to about 16:30 back at the hotel. What sets the limit is the flight home, not the diving.

• Before your flight: Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends a minimum surface interval of 18 hours before flying after several days of diving. We plan your last day of diving at least a full day before your flight home. Details: how long to wait before flying after diving.
• Day off in the middle: optional. Some divers like a break for a beach day or a trip with a non-diving partner. It also leaves a spare day if wind or sea conditions cancel a boat: if we cancel for weather, you pay nothing and we rebook you.
• Out of practice? If your last dive was more than a year ago, your first dive of the day is an easy check dive with your guide, at no extra cost.

The table assumes you arrive on day 1, don't dive on the last full day and fly out the morning after. If your flight leaves late in the day, you may fit one more dive day: count back at least 24 hours from take-off to the end of your last dive.

A typical week has an arrival day, five active days (one of them a wreck or rest day), a no-scuba day before the flight and the flight home. Here is one way to plan 7 nights for a certified diver, a beginner and a partner who doesn't dive.

Open Water takes 3–4 days and costs €365 (SSI or SDI) or €395 (PADI), with gear, materials, certification fee and pickup included. A try dive is one-to-one and takes 1–2 hours from the beach or a full day on the boat. Wreck days run when a group of divers is going or as a private boat for your group, so ask for them early. Not sure which course fits? Read try dive, Scuba Diver or Open Water.

Book anything with a fixed date or limited places before you travel; the rest can wait until you see the weather. Booking costs nothing up front: day trips, boat trips and courses are paid in cash on the day (courses when the course starts), and you can cancel free up to 24 hours before.

A person on our team checks the boat and confirms your dates, pickup time and what to bring on WhatsApp or by email. The price and any extras are confirmed in writing before you pay.

Yes: multi-day packages for the 2-dive day take up to 10% off the day price. The saving grows with each day, from 2 to 10 days, and every day is the same trip: two guided boat dives, hotel pickup and lunch on board.

• Today's package prices are on our price list; they follow the day price, which is €50 now (normally €60).
• Pick the number of days in the booking form; we confirm the total in writing.
• Rental gear stays at €10 a day for a full set, so you can rent for part of the week only.
• A partner who snorkels from the dive boat pays the snorkeling-trip price, €35, with mask and fins included.

For a full breakdown of what a dive day should include, see how much diving costs in Hurghada.

Bring your certification card (a digital e-card is fine), your logbook and dive insurance details. Everything else, including a full set of gear, can be rented.

• Certification card or e-card, Open Water or higher for the day boat. Add your Nitrox card if you want to dive on Nitrox.
• Logbook, paper or app: it shows your guide your experience and when you last dived.
• Dive insurance: read what dive insurance covers before you buy a policy.
• Medical questionnaire: if you have a medical condition or take regular medication, check when you need a doctor's sign-off before you travel, not on the boat.

For clothes, sun protection and what goes in your dive bag, use our Red Sea packing list. Water temperature changes a lot through the year; see the best time to dive in Hurghada and which wetsuit you need.