divebunnie

Ok I am not about to winge, but I really feel the need to make comment here.

We have some totally awesome local dive sites in the Sharm el Sheikh area, and of course yes we also have the incredible Ras Mohammed National Park and Tiran reefs which are well worth a visit at some point in your trip. However I do wonder why it is that relatively novice divers get it in their heads that these are the places to go, and that the local sites are not worth a visit, not even for a day or two in order to regain that comfort zone.

As a guide it is my duty to be honest with guests and advise them accordingly, so it can be a little discouraging when attempting to advise a diver who has yet to gain that wonderful neutral buoyancy element of diving, I am met with disappointment or even anger. My recommendation is usually only to have a couple of days diving our local sites before venturing further afield, so it is not as though I am totally banning the idea of tackling the stronger stuff.

These local sites generally tend to have slightly milder currents, usually a sandy bottom or at least a sloping drop off, but still have the stunning corals in the 15-5M range, pinnacles encrusted with life, cleaner wrasse that like cleaning divers, crystal clear waters and very pretty topography. They are also ideal for photographers, bearing in mind that it is not exactly easy to adjust your focus when zooming along a wall in a flying drift dive!

If you are planning to visit the Red Sea, please bear in mind that Ras Mohammed and Tiran are really suitable for the more experienced divers. I don’t mean years of practice, but you need to be comfortable in potentially strong currents, with surface swell, as these conditions can crop up out of the blue in these sites. The dives are also wall dives which while stunning, are also challenging as there is no sandy bottom to stop you should you find yourself a little on the negative side buoyancy wise.

Anyway, I am not having a rant, but just giving a little advice. Also remember that aside from the obvious safety, comfort and confidence issue, there is also a fragile reef to consider. It is positively heartbreaking to see divers out of control creating a trail of devastation across a reef that will take years to recover. There are so many divers visiting the area, it has to be our duty to ensure that we do not destroy the very thing we are here to see.

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