Diving Hurghada: Dive Sites, Seasons, Costs and Centres

Diving Hurghada is mostly boat diving. You join a day boat from the marina, spend roughly 45 to 90 minutes reaching a local reef, and make two dives before heading back in the afternoon. The area has sheltered coral gardens for newer divers, walls and pinnacles for experienced ones and a cluster of wrecks at Abu Nuhas, and you can dive all year. Water averages about 22 °C in February and March and about 29 °C in August. The sections below use Coral Playground's own dive-site data to match each site to a certification level.

Diving Hurghada: the main dive sites by area

The table compares the sites most Hurghada boats visit. Depth, level and boat time come from each site's page on Coral Playground, and a centre may apply stricter rules than the level shown. Boats tie up to mooring buoys maintained by HEPCA rather than dropping anchor on the reef.

PADI trains adult Advanced Open Water divers to 30 m, so the parts of Big Giftun (to 35 m) and Careless Reef (to 40 m) below 30 m, and the Kimon M's 32 m stern at Abu Nuhas, call for Deep Diver training or equivalent. Coral Playground's Careless Reef page says depth beyond 30 m is for deeper-certified divers.

Giftun islands

Big Giftun sits inside the Giftun Island National Park. Moorings lie over a coral plateau at roughly 15 to 25 m, beside a sheer eastern wall. Coral Playground lists it at Advanced Open Water because of depth and current, although the plateau and shallows suit most divers. Small Giftun is mostly a drift along a wall, with a sheltered plateau for Open Water divers and a faster eastern wall for experienced ones. Visibility on both is listed at about 15 to 30 m.

Gota Abu Ramada and the northern reefs

Gota Abu Ramada, known locally as the Aquarium, is an oval coral block rising from sand, with weak current and a maximum depth of 16 m. Its page records eagle rays and turtles passing through, with crocodilefish resting on the sand. El Fanadir is a three-kilometre reef wall about an hour north, usually dived as an easy drift and sometimes at night. Shaab Abu Nugar, far to the north, sees fewer boats and has healthy, shallow coral.

Careless Reef and Umm Gamar

Careless Reef (spelled "Carless" in some local usage) is a pair of offshore pinnacles with a strong, fast-changing current and a resident population of semi-tame giant moray eels. Hammerhead and grey reef sharks are sometimes seen in the blue on days with current. Umm Gamar, "Mother of the Moon", is one reef with two characters. Umm Gamar North has coral towers, walls and patrolling whitetip reef sharks, while the southern plateau is a gentle turtle-grazed garden. Pairing the two makes a classic two-dive day.

Abu Nuhas and the Gubal wrecks

Abu Nuhas is a reef in the Shadwan Channel with four wrecks along its northern slope: the Giannis D, the Carnatic, the Chrisoula K and the Kimon M. The Carnatic is a Victorian passenger ship wrecked in 1869. The Chrisoula K is described as the easiest of the four, while the Kimon M's stern lies at 32 m. Coral Playground lists all four at Advanced Open Water, and penetration needs wreck training. The trip is about 2.5 hours each way by day boat, and a stiff wind can close the reef.

Further into the Strait of Gubal, The Ulysses is reached on Gubal day trips and northern liveaboards. The deep Rosalie Moller and the Thistlegorm are mainly liveaboard dives from Hurghada, and the Thistlegorm is covered in our Thistlegorm guide. Closer to town, the El Mina is a Soviet-built minesweeper sunk in 1969, with visibility listed at only 5 to 15 m and access that can depend on naval clearance. The Salem Express, off Safaga, is a memorial to a 1991 ferry sinking, and Coral Playground's guide asks divers not to penetrate the hull.

Offshore: the Brothers

Big Brother and Little Brother are filed under Hurghada but lie far offshore and are reached by liveaboard only. Both are listed at Advanced Open Water with strong current. Operator minimums vary: published examples run from Open Water with 30 logged dives to Advanced Open Water with 50. Coral Playground lists these sites at Advanced Open Water because of depth and current, and captains and guides can change the programme to suit guests' experience and conditions, so treat Advanced Open Water as the level to aim for.

Hurghada diving for beginners and for advanced divers

PADI trains Open Water divers to a maximum of 18 m, and adults with Advanced Open Water certification can dive to 30 m (PADI). Use that as a filter for the table above:

• New or returning divers: Gota Abu Ramada (5 to 16 m) and Shaab Abu Nugar (4 to 18 m) sit inside the 18 m Open Water limit, with weak current.
• Open Water divers wanting a wider choice: Umm Gamar South and El Fanadir are listed at Open Water but reach 30 m, so ask the guide to keep Open Water divers at or above 18 m.
• Advanced divers: the Giftun walls, Careless Reef, Umm Gamar North and the Abu Nuhas wrecks all involve depth, current or both. The Giftun plateaus are shallower than the walls, but both sites are listed at Advanced Open Water.
• Technical divers: the Rosalie Moller is listed as a technical dive.

Wrecks are not automatically easy because part of the structure is shallow. Stay outside unless you hold the training and carry the equipment for penetration. If you have not dived for a while, tell the centre, because PADI suggests a refresher after six months without diving. To work towards the next level, compare PADI courses and centre prices.

Best time to dive Hurghada: water temperature and conditions

Diving runs all year. PADI names March to May and September to November as the best periods for Egypt, and describes December to February as quite cold (PADI Egypt). Its Hurghada page gives 21 to 28 °C and up to a 5 mm full suit (PADI Hurghada). Ten-year averages from seatemperature.info put the year in this order:

• February and March: about 22 °C, the coolest water.
• April and May: 23.1 °C rising to 24.9 °C.
• June to August: 26.6 °C, 28.3 °C and 29.1 °C, the warmest water.
• September to November: 28.1 °C, 27.4 °C and 26.3 °C.
• December and January: 24.6 °C and 23.1 °C.

Wind matters as much as temperature. Exposed sites and long crossings, especially Abu Nuhas, may be unavailable on a windy day while sheltered reefs stay open, so leave spare days if a wreck is your goal. For a wider view, see our Red Sea dive seasons post. If you fly home, DAN advises a minimum of 12 hours after a single dive and 18 hours after multiple dives or days of diving, and substantially longer after dives with decompression stops (DAN).

What a day of diving in Hurghada costs

Prices vary by centre and season, so treat these as examples. One Hurghada centre's published tariff lists two guided boat dives at EUR 50 for certified divers, with tanks, weights, guide and fees included. A full equipment set is EUR 22 a day and lunch is EUR 9, which makes EUR 81 for a day with hired kit and lunch (tariff). A price guide notes that longer trips such as Abu Nuhas are charged as supplements, listing EUR 45 for that reef (DiveZone). One example listing describes about eight hours on the water with hotel transfers, two dives and lunch between dives, with national park fees extra (example listing).

For courses, one 2025 guide to Hurghada centres lists PADI Open Water at EUR 350 and Advanced Open Water at EUR 250 (Diving Around), and equipment rental is often extra. Check what each quote includes, such as eLearning, certification fees, park fees and transfers.

How to choose a Hurghada dive centre or liveaboard

Coral Playground lists over 170 dive centres across Egypt, and the dive centre listing shows each one's services, languages, memberships and courses. Some are hotel centres: the Hilton Hurghada Plaza Dive Centre lists house-reef access, for example. Questions worth asking any centre:

• Where does the boat leave, and is hotel pick-up included?
• Which sites are planned, and what are the maximum depth and current?
• How big are the groups, and which language is the briefing in?
• What oxygen and emergency arrangements are on board?
• Is the site you want an extra charge?

If you would rather stay afloat, we list more than 80 liveaboards, many sailing from Hurghada. Read the minimum certification and logged-dive requirements on each trip page, since they differ between boats, and see our liveaboard packing checklist. The dive map shows where sites and centres sit.

Hurghada snorkelling and coral reefs for non-divers

Hurghada has coral reefs, drop-offs and wrecks, as the site pages above show. Coral Playground tags Gota Abu Ramada, Big Giftun and Small Giftun as snorkel-friendly, and the shallow reefs near Big Giftun are described as among the best snorkelling in the area. Many dive centres list snorkelling among their services, so a companion can often join a boat. Ask which reef is planned, whether equipment and park fees are included, and keep fins and hands off the coral, since the Giftun reefs lie in a national park.

Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh or Marsa Alam for diving

Hurghada suits divers who want short boat rides to reefs, wrecks in the north and a large resort base. Its airport, HRG, also serves El Gouna, Safaga and Soma Bay (airport list). Marsa Alam is the southern choice, known for dugongs at Abu Dabbab and the pelagics of Elphinstone. See our Marsa Alam diving guide. Sharm El Sheikh also leans on boat diving, with the Ras Mohammed marine reserve, established in 1983, close by (Wikipedia). If you prefer to walk in from the beach, read our Dahab diving guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best dive sites in Hurghada?

For reefs, the Giftun islands, Umm Gamar and Careless Reef are the headline sites, and Gota Abu Ramada is the easy, fish-filled option for newer divers. For wrecks, Abu Nuhas has four ships on one reef, the El Mina is the home-water wreck, and the Thistlegorm and Rosalie Moller are mainly liveaboard dives. Most reefs are one to one and a half hours by boat.

Is Hurghada good for beginner divers?

Yes, if you pick the right sites. Gota Abu Ramada (5 to 16 m) and Shaab Abu Nugar (4 to 18 m) fit inside the 18 m Open Water limit. Umm Gamar South and El Fanadir are listed at Open Water but reach 30 m, so ask the guide to keep you at or above 18 m. Walls, pinnacles and wrecks are listed at Advanced Open Water.

What is the best time to dive in Hurghada?

Diving runs all year. PADI names March to May and September to November as the best periods for Egypt. Water averages about 22 °C in February and March and about 29 °C in August, so winter divers should expect a thicker suit. Wind can close exposed sites such as Abu Nuhas in any season.

Is Marsa Alam or Sharm El Sheikh better than Hurghada for diving?

It depends on what you want. Hurghada offers short boat rides to reefs and the northern wrecks. Marsa Alam is known for dugongs, dolphins and Elphinstone. Sharm leans on boat dives too, with Ras Mohammed nearby. Dahab is the shore-diving choice. None is better for everyone, so match the place to the marine life and level you want.

Is snorkelling good in Hurghada, and are there coral reefs?

Yes. Hurghada has coral reefs, drop-offs and wrecks, and Coral Playground tags Big Giftun, Small Giftun and Gota Abu Ramada as snorkel-friendly. The shallow reefs around Big Giftun are described as some of the area's best snorkelling. Ask your boat which reef is planned, and keep fins and hands off the coral.

Is Hurghada worth visiting for diving?

For many divers, yes: it has year-round diving, reef sites an hour or so from the marina, a wreck cluster at Abu Nuhas and an international airport (HRG). The UK FCDO's Egypt advice (checked 29 October 2026, last updated 27 October 2026) does not name the Red Sea resort towns in its warnings, but cautions that regional tensions can escalate suddenly. Check the latest advice before you travel (FCDO).

Ready to plan? Browse Hurghada's dive sites, compare dive centres by services and courses, or send yourself our free Red Sea trip planner.