Red Sea Liveaboard Packing List: What to Bring and Skip

Name: Red Sea Dive Sites Directory
Creator: Coral Playground
Keywords: Red Sea dive sites, Egypt dive sites, scuba diving locations, dive site database

A good liveaboard packing list for the Red Sea starts with paperwork, not fins: your certification card, logbook, passport and dive insurance. Then add the dive kit you want to trust (mask, computer, surface marker buoy), exposure protection for your month, sun and seasickness cover, a Type C or F plug adapter and some cash for crew tips. Pack it all in a soft bag, because cabins are small.

Most liveaboard packing guides are generic. This one is built around Egypt: offshore routes with strong currents, 18:00 embarkations, overnight crossings and operators who check your logbook before sailing. Where operators disagree, we say so rather than pick a number.

What Red Sea liveaboards check before you sail

Offshore Red Sea routes are not beginner trips. Coral Playground's guides list Big Brother Island, Daedalus Reef and Elphinstone as sites with strong current. We found no legal rule that sets a minimum, so each operator sets its own. 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 crews can refuse dives, so treat Advanced Open Water as the level to aim for.

So bring proof, not promises:

Certification card and logbook. One operator checks certifications and logbook before departure, and another requires insurance that covers scuba. Each liveaboard page on Coral Playground has a Diving Requirements section showing minimum certification, minimum logged dives and whether proof and a logbook are required. If you are short of a level, compare courses on our certifications page.
Dive insurance that names diving. One operator requires insurance covering scuba, emergency evacuation and recompression chamber costs. DAN warns that some medical and travel policies do not cover diving injuries, and that evacuation by helicopter may be the only option from a remote site. Read your policy's diving exclusions before you buy flights.
Passport and visa. The UK FCDO says your passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival with a blank page. On its entry page (checked 29 October 2026) the paid airport visa on arrival costs USD 30 and is cash only, while an e-visa can be bought in advance. From 1 August 2026 Cairo airport also offers digital visas by card for USD 36, including a USD 6 fee. Check the FCDO entry requirements for your passport.

Dive gear: what to own and what boats rent

Rental policy is the biggest difference between boats, so read the listing before you decide what to pack.

Item	Bring your own?	What operators say
Dive computer	Yes	One Brothers and Daedalus operator says all divers are required to dive with a computer.
Mask, fins, suit	Ideally	Blue Water Dive Travel advises bringing your own where possible, as rental gear may fit less well.
Surface marker buoy and reel	Yes	Coral Playground lists strong current at the Brothers and Daedalus; one operator includes an SMB and reel in its rental set.
Torch	If the itinerary has night or wreck dives	One itinerary says no night dives in the marine parks.
BCD, regulator	Optional	Often rentable; pre-book so sizes are on board.
Nitrox	Ask	Some boats include it, others charge for it.

Three details save arguments at the dock:

Pre-book rentals. One operator says all equipment must be pre-booked so the right sizes are on board, and another lists rental of equipment, torch and computer as extras. A third lists gear rental as a surcharge.
Ask what the price includes. Tanks and weights are included on some listings. Nitrox is free on some boats and a paid extra on others.
Plan your weighting. PADI notes the Red Sea is saltier than many places, so you may need to adjust weight. A spare mask strap, O-rings and computer batteries are small items that matter on a boat days from a dive shop.

Thermal protection and sun

Water temperature changes by month more than almost anything else on this list, so choose your suit for your dates. Averages run from around 22 °C in February and March to around 29 to 30 °C in August; our Red Sea dive seasons guide covers the months. PADI gives Hurghada water as 21 to 28 °C with up to a 5 mm full suit and says a 5 mm wetsuit may be needed in February off Safaga. Many divers add a hooded vest for winter and move to thinner suits in summer. Treat that as common practice, not a rule.

On deck, conditions swing. Oyster Diving puts July air temperatures at around 32 °C and still recommends a fleece or thermal layer. Pack sunscreen, a hat, a long-sleeve sun layer and sunglasses; cover-ups also mean less to wash off in the water.

Seasickness, ears and health

Offshore itineraries involve overnight sailings. A Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone itinerary lists two or three overnight sailings, so seasickness is worth planning for even if you are normally fine.

The NHS lists dissolvable tablets, patches and acupressure bands as options, and says a pharmacist can recommend the best treatment. We cannot give medical advice, so ask a pharmacist which remedy suits you and how early to take it. Non-drug advice from the NHS includes sitting in the middle of the boat, keeping your eyes on the horizon, and avoiding heavy meals and alcohol.

For ears, DAN advises equalising early and often, never forcing it, and cleaning your ears when you finish diving for the day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before packing ear drops.

Cash, tips and park fees

Tips are the question first-timers ask most, and the honest answer is that it varies.

Tips. One operator lists crew and dive guide gratuities as not included and gives no amount. Oyster Diving says there is no strong obligation to tip, but that crew are often local and tips make a difference. Boats may suggest their own amount. Ask your operator for its guidance, whether tips are pooled or split between dive guides and crew, and which currency it prefers.
Park and port fees. These are separate from the fare and the timing varies. One operator adds the Red Sea Government Reef Tax to your bill to pay on board. Another collects an environmental tax with the balance before departure. Neither listing says whether you can pay by card on board, so ask.
Cash. Keep cash in a waterproof pouch with your documents, and note the FCDO's limits on bringing Egyptian pounds in or out (5,000) and its rule to declare foreign currency over 10,000 US dollars.

Power, charging and electronics

Egypt uses Type C and Type F sockets at 220 V and 50 Hz, so UK and US travellers need an adapter and most modern chargers handle the voltage. Inside the boat, sockets vary. One operator lists European two-pin plugs at 220 V onboard, while Blue Water Dive Travel notes that some boats use 110 V and others 220 V. Bring a compact multi-way strip and ask your operator how many sockets cabins have and whether there is a camera charging area.

Label chargers and pack spare batteries. The FCDO says high-value electronics and recording equipment should be declared on arrival, and that satellite phones are likely to be confiscated without prior clearance.

What not to bring

Gloves. A TravelMole report on Red Sea reef protection (2019) states that gloves are not permitted in Egypt. I found no official text of the rule, so check your boat's rules, and keep your fingers off coral either way.
Satellite phones. See the FCDO point above.
Hard suitcases. Blue Water Dive Travel says soft-sided duffels work best.

The Red Sea liveaboard packing list

Documents

Passport with six months' validity, visa arranged
Certification card and logbook
Dive insurance that covers evacuation and recompression
Booking confirmation and embarkation port
Cash for tips and onboard extras, in a waterproof pouch

Dive kit

Dive computer (check the battery)
Mask with spare strap
Surface marker buoy and reel
Fins and boots, or pre-booked rental
Exposure protection for your month
Torch, if your itinerary has night or wreck dives
Small spares: O-rings, batteries, defog

On board

A typical day aboard

One published seven-night itinerary describes a diving day as a briefing and dive before breakfast, then relaxation and a briefing before each later dive, lunch, a snack and dinner, with normally three dives a day. Day one is embarkation at 18:00 with dinner and briefings. The same itinerary calls dive numbers indicative, because weather, currents and marine park restrictions can change sites at short notice. Expect early starts and plenty of downtime.

Flying home

DAN recommends a minimum of 12 hours before flying after a single no-decompression dive, 18 hours after multiple dives per day or several days of diving, and substantially longer after decompression dives. One Red Sea operator asks guests for at least 18 hours, ideally 24, between the last dive and the flight. Choose a flight home that leaves a margin after disembarkation, which on one itinerary is between 09:00 and 10:00.

Frequently asked questions

What should I pack for a Red Sea liveaboard?

Pack your certification card, logbook, passport and dive insurance first, then your computer, mask, a surface marker buoy and exposure protection for the month you travel. Add sun cover, a warm layer for deck, motion-sickness remedies agreed with a pharmacist, a Type C or F adapter and some cash for tips. Pack in a soft bag.

Do I need my own dive gear on a liveaboard?

Not all of it. Many boats rent a full set, but rental is often an extra cost and sizes should be pre-booked. One Red Sea operator requires every diver to use a computer, so bring your own mask and computer if you can, because familiar kit saves time on a packed schedule.

How much should I tip the crew on a Red Sea liveaboard?

There is no single figure. Some operators list crew gratuities as not included and give no amount, and boats may suggest their own amount. Ask your operator before you travel what it suggests, whether tips are pooled or split between dive guides and crew, and which currency to bring.

How long should I wait to fly after a liveaboard?

DAN recommends a minimum of 12 hours after a single no-decompression dive and 18 hours after multiple dives per day or several days of diving. One Red Sea operator asks for 18 hours and ideally 24 between your last dive and your flight home. Check your own computer and operator guidance.

What plug do I need for a Red Sea liveaboard?

Egypt uses Type C and Type F sockets at 220 V and 50 Hz, so a Type C or F adapter covers most chargers. Sockets on the boat can differ: one Red Sea operator lists European two-pin plugs at 220 V, while another guide notes boats vary. Ask your operator before you leave.

Ready to compare boats? Browse our liveaboard listings for itineraries, cabins and policies, for example Blue Melody, Dune Titan or Sea Serpent Grand. Planning the Thistlegorm? Check its page for depth and level, and grab the free Red Sea Dive Trip Planner.