Going to the Red Sea

[kar93]

Im going to the red sea in 10 weeks and wanted to know the best places to go, ive been twice before. Ive done snorkeling on both occasions and they was good but what are the best reef spots? Also is there fishing over there a guy at the hotel last time said he can take us out fishing but it was quite expensive. I am going to Sharm el Sheikh and want to stay round there.

Thanks

 

[Rossini]

Ras Mahamed Nation Park is the best place,also Tiran islands has some great reefs like Gordons reef and jackson reef. Thing is they are very over dived and crowded,some of the people that go there seem to be very clumsy and careless. I dont think I would go again,I've been twice. Ras Mo is great though. Big stuff like sharks and reefs are good too. I saw a Marlin one time there. Big Tuna too! Make sure you go to Ras Mo,as the reefs around sharm and pretty f*cked.....not much coral cover,I think sediment from building work and heavy development right on the coastal edge/reef edge has really damaged the reefs. Good for begginers though.


have a good time!

 

[reefmaster30]

i have not been to the red sae but you may want to ask denadai just got back from there

 

[oceancowboy]

Haven't been in about eight years or so....but here goes:

It depends on your skill level. If you are an ok diver....highly recommend the Straits of Tiran. Several good sites there. Watch the current around the edges at certain times...can be very strong. Ras Mo good..there are several sites in this area. It is heavily dived...never saw big animals there...depends on the time of year. A simple site near Sharm that is good for a low stress night dive is Temple.

If you are not an experienced diver (hear I mean advance certified and at least 50 or so dives), I do not recommend diving the Thistlegorm. While a cool dive, it is not for the inexperienced.

For a good book on dive sites...recommend the Globetrotter Dive Guide for the Red Sea by Guy Buckles (1997,New Holland Publishers). Pretty much outlines most of the areas.

 

[kar93]

At the last hotel i stayed at they were taking people out to the Thistlegorm, but they had to have a Diving Certificate and a certain amount of years on it. The snorkelling around Sharm is good but because of the building work its not as good as it used to be IMO. The hotel im staying a has a dive center so thats a good thing.

 

[idareefer]

on the border of Israel & Egypt is decent diving, you stay in Eilat Israel, you can dive in a few palces there, Moses rock has lots of nice corals & fish, Emperor angels, semilavartis butterflies, purple tangs, sohols & lots more, the corals are nice to with a blend of stoney's & softies, the only problem is that Israeli's really want you to be at least an advanced diver with your log book showing numerous dives or you will have one of there divers go with you on the dive

 

[petsarenice]

Sounds like a great trip. I'm actually heading to Israel in a few months and am hoping to find some cool spots. The only problem is I don't dive (yet). Any good places for snorkeling??

 

[davidk]

Petsarenice,
Not only don't I dive but I don't swim. BUT, there are a couple of places in Eilat, Israel that will do a one-on-one with a diver for someone that is not a diver. And considering it was 1hr with diving equipment included for about $65 (a few years ago), it was a great deal. You'll go down about 15 feet and with an instructor guiding you. It was a great experience and shouldn't be missed.
David

 

[adam82]

post some pics when you get back

 

[kar93]

I will :thumbsup: Only 5 weeks away now! Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Gooli]

i am in israel now on a trip and just got back from eilat (on the red sea) yesterday. It was my first time and all i did was snorkeling. The Israeli side of the reef is only about 3km. I went to a couple of places that were very cool.."the caves" and the "coral beach" which has the moses rock and joshua rocks..very cool, dense reef with hard and soft corals and thousands of fish.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12612758#post12612758 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by petsarenice
Sounds like a great trip. I'm actually heading to Israel in a few months and am hoping to find some cool spots. The only problem is I don't dive (yet). Any good places for snorkeling??