Red Sea Liveaboard Routes: North, BDE, St John's and Deep South

Red Sea liveaboard routes in Egypt fall into four main families: the northern wrecks and reefs route from Hurghada, the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone route (often called BDE), the St John's and Fury Shoals route in the far south, and longer deep south trips that add Rocky Island and Zabargad. For a first liveaboard, the northern route is usually the easiest fit; the offshore routes suit divers with Advanced Open Water and solid current experience. Below, each route is broken down by the sites it visits, where it sails from, what operators ask of you and when to go.

This guide sells no departures. It uses the depth, current and certification data on our dive-site pages so you can match a route to your logbook rather than a brochure.

Red Sea liveaboard routes at a glance

Itineraries change with weather and operator, so treat this as the usual shape of each route.

Route names come from operators, not any official scheme, so the same trip can be sold as "North and Wrecks", "Best of Wrecks" or "Simply the Best". Always read the day-by-day plan on the trip's page. You can compare itineraries and trip dates on our liveaboard listings.

The northern route: wrecks and reefs from Hurghada

The northern route is the classic Egyptian wreck safari. Boats usually sail from Hurghada (served by Hurghada International Airport, HRG) and work north through the Strait of Gubal towards Ras Mohammed, with relatively short crossings between sites. One published sample itinerary for a six-day northern wrecks trip includes the Thistlegorm, Dunraven, Giannis D, Carnatic, Ras Mohammed and Shag Rock, returning to Hurghada.

Thistlegorm

The Thistlegorm is the headline of almost every northern itinerary. The Coral Playground page lists it at 16 to 32 m, Advanced Open Water level, with variable current and visibility of 15 to 25 m that drops when current and silt are up. An overnight liveaboard from Hurghada is the more comfortable way to reach it than a long day trip from Sharm El Sheikh, and many boats dive it at dawn to beat the crowds. Our Thistlegorm wreck guide covers the dive plan in detail.

Abu Nuhas

Abu Nuhas is a reef in the Shadwan Channel with a cluster of wrecks along its northern slope, including the Giannis D and the Carnatic. Its page lists 4 to 30 m and Advanced Open Water level, and notes the current can be strong.

Rosalie Moller

The Rosalie Moller sits upright and intact off Gubal Island, reached almost only by liveaboard and often paired with the Thistlegorm. Her page lists her at 18 to 50 m with 10 to 20 m visibility and a technical level rating, so treat her as an option for experienced, suitably certified divers rather than a standard stop.

Easier northern stops

Not every northern dive is deep. Shag Rock (Kingston) is listed at 4 to 20 m and Open Water level, with hawksbill turtles a regular sight on the adjacent coral, and the Ulysses starts at 5 m. That mix is why the north suits newer liveaboard divers.

Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone: the offshore shark route

PADI lists the Brothers among Egypt's sites only reachable by liveaboard. Boats sail from Hurghada, Marsa Alam or Port Ghalib (the last two sit beside Marsa Alam International Airport, RMF), and the crossings to the Brothers and Daedalus are long and exposed.

Big Brother and Little Brother

Big Brother and Little Brother are two small islands far offshore, both listed on our dive-site pages at 5 to 40 m, strong current and Advanced Open Water level. Scalloped hammerhead sharks, grey reef sharks and oceanic whitetip sharks are recorded here, with thresher sharks in the cooler months. Big Brother also holds two wrecks, the Numidia and the Aida, which some wreck-focused itineraries include. Our Big Brother page describes the islands as typically accessible from spring to late autumn, and the islands can close in rough weather.

Daedalus

Daedalus Reef is a lone reef with a lighthouse, roughly 80 km offshore east of Marsa Alam. The Coral Playground page lists 5 to 40 m, strong current and Advanced Open Water level, with schooling hammerheads peaking in the warmer summer months and oceanic whitetips most often seen in October and November. It describes Daedalus plainly as not a place to log your first deep dives.

Elphinstone

Elphinstone is often the last stop on the way back to the southern ports. It is also reachable by day boat from Marsa Alam, so you may share it with other groups. Its page lists 20 to 40 m and a near-permanent current, with the shark season peaking roughly May to November. The Marsa Alam diving guide covers Elphinstone's sharks and plateaus in more depth.

What operators ask for

No regulation sets a minimum, but operators set their own. On these southern offshore routes, operators typically ask for Advanced Open Water and 30 to 50 logged dives: one operator asks for at least 30 logged dives, another for Advanced Open Water plus 50. Expect drift dives in blue water with no nearby shore. Check the trip's requirements on its liveaboard page, and if you are not there yet, our post on moving from Open Water to Advanced explains what the upgrade involves.

St John's, Fury Shoals and the deep south

South of Marsa Alam, routes leave from Port Ghalib, Marsa Alam or Hamata and head for reef systems that day boats rarely reach. Compared with the north you get fewer wrecks, more remote coral and more sailing time.

Fury Shoals

Fury Shoals is a chain of around twenty reefs inside the Wadi el Gemal National Park. The Coral Playground page lists 5 to 30 m, variable current and Open Water level, which makes it the most flexible stop in the south. The hard coral is the main draw, and one of its southern reefs is known for a resident pod of spinner dolphins.

St John's and Habili Ali

Habili Ali is the exposed easternmost reef of the St John's complex, a small seamount that never breaks the surface. Its page lists 10 to 40 m, strong current and Advanced Open Water level, with grey reef sharks, hammerheads and oceanic whitetips recorded. Paired with the easier Fury Shoals reefs, it makes this the southern route with the widest spread of levels.

Rocky Island and Zabargad

The extended deep south adds Rocky Island and Zabargad Island, about 5 km apart in Foul Bay. Rocky is listed at 5 to 40 m, strong current and Advanced Open Water level, with sharks along the walls; our dive-site page calls the current the real hazard, and night diving is not permitted there. Zabargad is the gentle counterpoint: listed at Open Water level with weak current, a sheltered lagoon where boats can moor overnight, and green and hawksbill turtles grazing the seagrass of Turtle Bay.

Which route should you choose?

Start from your logbook and your main interest, then pick the month.

• Your first liveaboard, or fewer than about 30 logged dives: the northern route. The Thistlegorm and Abu Nuhas are listed at Advanced level, so having Advanced Open Water lets you dive the headline wrecks.
• Wrecks above all: the north, or a wreck-focused itinerary that adds the Brothers' Numidia and Aida. Experienced divers can look for trips that include the Rosalie Moller.
• Sharks and big blue: Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, timed for summer hammerheads or autumn oceanic whitetips.
• Coral and quieter reefs: St John's and Fury Shoals, or the extended deep south with Rocky and Zabargad.

January and the winter question

Winter liveaboards run, but it is the cool season. Average water temperature in January is around 23 °C in both Hurghada and Marsa Alam, falling to about 22 °C in February and March. PADI describes December to February water as quite cold and names March to May and September to November as the best times to dive Egypt, while noting the Red Sea can be dived by liveaboard year-round. In practice the northern routes are the steadiest winter option; the offshore and deep south sites are described on our dive-site pages as best from roughly March to November, and winter swell can disrupt outer-reef plans. Many divers choose a 5 mm suit and a hood in winter. For the month-by-month picture, see Red Sea dive seasons.

Before you fly home

Plan your last dive around your flight. DAN recommends a minimum of 18 hours before flying after multiple dives per day or multiple days of diving, which describes any liveaboard week. Check the last dive time on your itinerary, as many trips keep the final day dive-free for this reason. Our liveaboard packing checklist covers what to bring for the week.

Frequently asked questions

Which Red Sea liveaboard route should I pick for my first trip?

For most first liveaboards, the northern wrecks and reefs route is the easiest fit. It usually sails from Hurghada, stays close to the coast and mixes famous wrecks like the Thistlegorm with reef dives, some within Open Water range. Save the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone route for when you have Advanced Open Water, comfort in strong current and enough logged dives to meet the operator's requirements.

Is January a good month for a Red Sea liveaboard, or is it too cold?

January is diveable, but it is the cool season. Average water temperature is around 23 °C in Hurghada and Marsa Alam, and PADI describes December to February water as quite cold, so many divers choose a 5 mm suit and a hood. Northern routes run in winter, while the offshore and deep south sites are described on our dive-site pages as best from roughly March to November.

Do I need Advanced Open Water or a minimum number of dives for the Brothers?

There is no law setting a minimum, but operators set their own rules. For the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, operators typically ask for Advanced Open Water and 30 to 50 logged dives. Our Brothers pages list the sites at Advanced Open Water level with strong current. Check the stated requirements on the specific trip's liveaboard page before you book.

What is the difference between the north and south Red Sea liveaboard routes?

Northern routes, usually from Hurghada, focus on wrecks such as the Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas and the Rosalie Moller, with shorter crossings. Southern routes leave from Port Ghalib, Marsa Alam or Hamata and head for remote reefs: St John's, Fury Shoals, Rocky Island and Zabargad, often with Daedalus or Elphinstone. The south trades wrecks for remote offshore coral, pelagic sharks and longer sailing.

When you have a route in mind, browse the liveaboards on Coral Playground to compare itineraries, cabins and trip dates, or grab the free Red Sea Dive Trip Planner for the month-by-month calendar and the liveaboard vs day boat guide.