SS Thistlegorm wreck: what level do you need?

Most dive centres in Sharm El Sheikh ask for Advanced Open Water, or an equivalent certificate to 30 m, and at least 20 logged dives before they take you to the SS Thistlegorm. The deck lies at 16 to 18 m and the seabed at about 30 m, the current can be strong, and the boat ride from Sharm takes 3 to 4 hours each way. A day trip with two dives costs about €110 to €165 per diver.

What is the SS Thistlegorm?

The Thistlegorm was a British merchant ship, 126.5 m long, built in Sunderland in 1940. On 6 October 1941 she lay at anchor in the northern Red Sea with supplies for the Allied army in North Africa when German bombers hit her. The ammunition in hold 4 exploded and the ship sank. Nine men died.

Most of the cargo is still on board: Bedford trucks, BSA and Norton motorcycles, Universal Carrier armoured vehicles, rifles, Wellington boots, aircraft parts and railway wagons. Two steam locomotives were carried on deck, and one now lies on the seabed beside the hull. Jacques Cousteau found the wreck in the early 1950s, and boats from Sharm began taking divers there in the early 1990s.

What certificate and experience do you need?

There is no single official standard, so each centre sets its own conditions. In practice:

• Advanced Open Water or equivalent is the usual minimum, because most of the dive is deeper than 18 m. One Sharm centre takes only Advanced divers using nitrox.
• At least 20 logged dives is asked by most centres, and one Sharm centre says local rules require it. Bring your logbook or dive app.
• Going inside the holds needs good buoyancy control. Some centres also ask for wreck training. Silt in the holds can cut visibility to almost nothing in seconds.

With an Open Water certificate only, some centres will take you on a guided dive around the outside of the wreck at deck level. Ask the centre before you book.

How deep is it and what is the dive like?

Part of the dive	Depth or conditions
Deck	16 to 18 m
Cargo holds	About 20 to 28 m
Seabed	About 30 m
Current	Mild to strong, up to about 2 knots
Water temperature	About 22 °C in winter, 28 °C in late summer
Dives on a day trip	Two

You go down a line from the boat, which helps when the current is running. The first dive usually goes round the outside: the stern gun, the propeller and the locomotive on the seabed. The second goes into the holds to see the trucks and motorcycles. Many centres recommend nitrox for more time at depth, and some include it in the price for nitrox-certified divers. A 5 mm wetsuit is the usual choice, with a hood or vest in winter.

How does a Thistlegorm day trip from Sharm work?

The wreck lies north of Ras Mohammed, in the Strait of Gubal. Day boats leave Sharm very early: hotel pickup is usually between 4:30 and 5:30, the crossing takes 3 to 4 hours each way, and you are back at the hotel in the late afternoon. Centres run the trip two or three times a week, and only when the weather is good and enough divers have booked.

• Price: about €110 to €165 per diver for two dives in 2026. Check whether nitrox, equipment, breakfast, lunch and marine fees are included. At one Sharm centre, equipment and meals are extra.
• Visa: two Sharm dive centres say the free Sinai stamp you can get at Sharm airport is not enough for this trip, and you need the full Egyptian tourist visa. If you plan to dive the Thistlegorm, ask for the full visa when you arrive.
• Liveaboards: boats from Sharm and Hurghada often spend the night at the wreck and dive it early in the morning, before the day boats arrive.

When is the best time to dive the Thistlegorm?

April to June and September to November usually bring the calmest sea for the long crossing. From December to February, strong wind can cancel day trips, so leave a spare day in your plans.

Not ready for the Thistlegorm yet?

If you have never dived, start with a dive from the shore (from $50): about 25 minutes at 4 to 10 m with an instructor, no certificate needed. Our guide Can you dive in Sharm El Sheikh without a licence? explains how it works.

The PADI Open Water course ($360, 4 days, 5 dives) gives you the first certificate, which you need before Advanced. Certified divers can book two boat dives (from $80) at reef sites to 20 m, with equipment, an instructor and lunch on board. It is a good way to check your buoyancy and your kit before a deep wreck day.

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

Tips

• Plan your flight home with care. 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 in a day or several days of diving.
• Take a torch for the holds and a warm layer for the long ride back.
• Do not touch or take anything from the wreck. The hull is rusting and parts of it have already collapsed.
• If you get seasick, take a tablet before the crossing.

More sea trips are on the Sharm El Sheikh excursions page.