Can you dive in Sharm El Sheikh without a licence?

Yes. In Sharm El Sheikh you can dive without a licence on a try dive (also called an intro dive), with an instructor beside you the whole time. Our dive from the shore costs $50 per person: about 25 minutes at 4 to 10 m, with the equipment, the instructor and hotel pickup included. You need to be at least 10 years old and to fill in a medical form first.

What is a try dive?

A try dive is a first scuba dive for people with no certificate and no experience. An instructor explains the equipment and a few basic skills, such as clearing water from your mask and equalising your ears, then takes you down and stays with you all the way. You do not need to be a strong swimmer, but you should be comfortable in the water. PADI, the largest diver training organisation, allows its try dives to go to 12 m. Ours stay at 10 m or shallower.

Try dive options in Sharm El Sheikh

	Dive from the shore	Intro dive on a boat trip
Price	From $50 per person	Boat trip from $30, the dive is paid extra
Depth	4 to 10 m	3 to 6 m
Time underwater	About 25 minutes	Up to 10 minutes
Whole trip	About 2 hours, pickup about 11:00	9 hours, pickup about 8:00
Included	Bus, guide, diving equipment, instructor	Bus, guide, yacht, lunch, snorkelling stops; instructor and equipment when you book the dive

The dive from the shore is the better first dive if diving is the point of your day: you get about 25 minutes underwater instead of 10, after a briefing at the dive centre. The intro dive on the Tiran Island or White Island and Ras Mohammed boat days is a short taster on top of a day of snorkelling. To choose between those two trips, read White Island or Tiran Island.

Who can do a try dive?

• Age: from 10 years. This is our rule and also PADI’s minimum age for a try dive.
• Health: before the dive you fill in a diver medical questionnaire. If you answer yes to any question, for example about lung, heart or ear problems, recent surgery or regular medication, you need a doctor’s statement that you are fit to dive. Ask your own doctor before you travel, as it is much easier than finding one in the resort.
• Swimming: you should be comfortable in the water and able to stay afloat at the surface. You do not need to swim well.
• Documents: a photo of your passport’s first page on your phone.

When should you plan the dive?

Not on your last day. DAN, the divers’ medical organisation, recommends at least 12 hours between a single dive and a flight, and at least 18 hours after several dives or several days of diving. Plan the try dive early in your holiday, so there is time to dive again if you enjoy it.

Do not dive with a cold or a blocked nose: you will find it hard to equalise your ears.

What comes after a try dive?

If you want to dive on future holidays with a buddy instead of an instructor, take the PADI Open Water course. It takes 4 days with 5 dives and costs $360, including equipment, learning materials, hotel transfers and the certificate. The certificate lets you dive to 18 m with a buddy anywhere in the world.

Already certified? Our boat diving day (from $80) gives you two 45-minute dives at two reef sites, with lunch on board. Bring your certificate. If your last dive was a long time ago, the centre may ask for a test dive first, at extra cost. Experienced divers who want the famous wreck should read SS Thistlegorm: what level do you need?

Try dives in Marsa Alam

Staying in Marsa Alam? You can add an intro dive to the Marsa Mubarak boat trip (from $45) or book one on the beach during the Abu Dabab bay trip (from $55). Both bays are known for turtles: see Abu Dabbab: can you see turtles and dugongs?

Tips

• Bring swimwear, a towel, sunglasses and a hat. The diving equipment is provided.
• If you wear glasses, ask whether a mask with corrective lenses is available.
• Drinks and the photographer’s photos and videos are not included in the price.
• The sea is about 22 °C in winter and 29 °C in summer.

All our diving trips are on the diving in Sharm El Sheikh page.