Diamond Explorer dive boat review
Photos: Red Sea Diamond.
Diamond Explorer: an Egyptian Red Sea boat for a shared adventure
Diamond Explorer is a 40-metre wooden liveaboard with an air-conditioned interior, a covered outdoor lounge and a choice of twin and double cabins. Her Egyptian programme ranges from northern wrecks to southern islands. She is particularly relevant to dive clubs and organised groups: current enquiries are mainly for charters, with individual places offered occasionally.
The vessel and booking status
Launched in 2011, Diamond Explorer underwent major reconstruction in 2022 and 2025. She is offered by Red Sea Diamond, whose team includes Jana Sataya and Mahmoud. The checked partner listing has no displayed departures; this is not evidence that the boat has retired.
Choosing a cabin: beds, windows and a layout to settle
Cabins have private bathrooms, individual air-conditioning and small fridges. The current photographs show both separate-bed accommodation and a double cabin with broad windows. A couple seeking a view and two friends sharing have different priorities, so the cabin’s actual location and bed arrangement matter more than a category name alone.
| Choice | What is documented | Booking detail |
|---|---|---|
| Twin beds | Separate beds; lower-deck examples pictured | Agree the assigned cabin and sharing arrangement |
| Double bed | Double cabins, including a panoramic-window example | A windowed cabin is not implied by every double booking |
| Mixed bed arrangements | Some cabins have a normal bed and a wider bed | Family occupancy requires a specific allocation |
The published cabin counts conflict. Current descriptions range from 15 to 17 cabins; guest capacity is variously stated as 28 or 30, with a 28-diver limit in the operator material. A current deck plan and agreed passenger allocation are therefore important parts of the quotation. The older fourteen-cabin description should not be treated as the present layout.
Bath towels are supplied, with bathrobes described for winter trips; a beach towel is still useful to bring. Cabins are non-smoking. Solo sharing and single-occupancy charges were not established for a current departure.
Life between dives
You will find plenty of space to lounge on the Diamond Explorer, both indoors and outdoors. The air-conditioned living room and dining room offer an indoor retreat, while the covered outdoor lounge has sofas and low tables facing the sea. It is an inviting arrangement for a group that wants somewhere to sit together after the equipment is put away.
Higher aboard, the sun deck combines loungers with a sheltered seating area. These are distinct spaces, rather than a single deck expected to serve every purpose. The latest photographs help show the renovated interiors, although they cannot establish which cabin will be assigned to a particular booking.
What’s on the menu?
Egyptian and Western cooking share the menu, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served in the dining room as buffets with some table service. Meat dishes, vegetables, salads and Egyptian sweets are described. Snacks come to the middle-deck bar, and fruit, sweets, tea, coffee, soft drinks and drinking water are available through the day.
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free arrangements can be discussed in advance, giving the galley time to prepare. Alcohol inclusion has not been established for a current package.
Diamond Explorer on film
Film: Red Sea Diamond — Diamond Explorer on the Red Sea, December 2025.
Diving from Diamond Explorer
The dive deck provides gear stations and storage crates, with freshwater showers for rinsing after a dive. Two tenders support entries and pickups, and three compressors are listed. Nitrox and equipment hire appear in the booking information, but their current availability and prices need to be included in the trip proposal.
A wreck week and a remote offshore circuit are different holidays. Reef exposure, current, tender entries and time spent crossing open water all affect the choice. The briefing and conditions determine each dive; neither wreck penetration nor a deep overhead route is a routine entitlement. The Blue Hole’s deep arch, in particular, should not be inferred from a Dahab stop.
A current, route-specific qualification and logged-dive requirement was not established for Diamond Explorer. Written acceptance from the trip organiser should cover the planned sites, certification, experience and required insurance before a booking is made.
Diamond Explorer itinerary choices
The following twelve named programmes are documented proposals, not twelve confirmed departures. Typical outlines describe six or seven days and 15–22 dives; nights and boarding days need a quotation. Alba involves longer crossings, with ten days suggested instead of seven. Custom itineraries are also offered.
Potential ports include Hurghada, Safaga, Port Ghalib, Marsa Alam and Hamata. They have not been assigned to individual routes here: flight and transfer planning depends on the actual embarkation and disembarkation points.
| Programme | Focus |
|---|---|
| Ras Mohammed | Northern reefs and wrecks with Ras Mohammed. |
| Northern Wrecks | Wreck-focused; this programme excludes Ras Mohammed. |
| Tiran & Dahab | Tiran reefs and Dahab, with northern extensions. |
| North & Brothers | Northern wrecks plus the offshore Brothers. |
| Brothers–Daedalus–Elphinstone | Three offshore reef areas. |
| Brothers & Elphinstone | Brothers walls paired with Elphinstone. |
| Daedalus & Elphinstone | Daedalus without the Brothers crossing. |
| Rocky–Zabargad–St. John’s | Southern islands and St. John’s reefs. |
| Daedalus & Fury Shoals | Offshore Daedalus plus southern reef country. |
| Fury Shoals | A southern reef programme. |
| Deep South: St. John’s | St. John’s, with coastal alternatives. |
| Deep South: Alba | Extended southern proposal; Alba itself remains unpinned. |
Itinerary map
The layers show verified geographic references within each programme, without a claimed sailing order. They omit unverified stops and boarding piers. Alba’s location and current access are not established here, so its layer shows only the documented surrounding areas, not a complete southern route. All proposals require current access and operational confirmation; no permission to enter another country is implied.
Geographic references: CDWS. Programme checked 16 October 2026. References are not navigation tracks or guaranteed stops.
Read the programme places as text
Ras Mohammed
Ras Mohammed — reference at Shark & Yolanda Reef · Abu Nuhas — reef · Carnatic · Giannis D · Dunraven / Beacon Rock · Shaab El Erg · Umm Gamar · Panorama Reef
Northern Wrecks
Abu Nuhas — reef · Carnatic · Giannis D · Dunraven / Beacon Rock · Thistlegorm · Salem Express
Tiran & Dahab
Jackson Reef · Thomas Reef · Gordon Reef · Blue Hole, Dahab — site reference, no deep arch route implied · Canyon, Dahab · Ras Mohammed — reference at Shark & Yolanda Reef · Thistlegorm
North & Brothers
Big Brother · Small Brother · Thistlegorm · Salem Express · Carnatic · Giannis D · Dunraven / Beacon Rock · Panorama Reef
Brothers–Daedalus–Elphinstone
Big Brother · Small Brother · Daedalus Reef · Elphinstone · Marsa El Shouna
Brothers & Elphinstone
Big Brother · Small Brother · Elphinstone · Marsa El Shouna
Daedalus & Elphinstone
Daedalus Reef · Elphinstone · Marsa El Shouna
Rocky–Zabargad–St. John’s
Rocky Island — reef reference · Zabargad — island reference · Habili Ali · Dangerous Reef · Abu Fandira — reef-system reference, eastern reef · Claudia Reef · Marsa El Shouna
Daedalus & Fury Shoals
Daedalus Reef · Claudia Reef
Fury Shoals
Claudia Reef · Small Abu Galawa
Deep South: St. John’s
Habili Ali · Dangerous Reef · Marsa El Shouna · Panorama Reef · Abu Ramada — southern reef reference
Deep South: Alba
Elphinstone · Rocky Island — reef reference · Zabargad — island reference · Abu Fandira — reef-system reference, eastern reef · Shaab Sharm · Claudia Reef
Weather, access and group experience can change the sites visited. Wildlife encounters, including sharks and dolphins, are never guaranteed.
Booking Diamond Explorer and understanding the quote
A current dated scuba fare was not verified. For a group charter, the useful comparison is the total charter price and the number of paying guests, together with the confirmed cabin allocation. For an individual berth, availability needs a specific date rather than an assumption that every proposed route operates weekly.
| Cost component | What the proposal needs to specify |
|---|---|
| Accommodation | Number of nights, cabin, occupancy and meals |
| Diving | Guiding, cylinders, weights, Nitrox and any rental equipment |
| Compulsory extras | Route-specific park and port fees, taxes and any mandatory service charge |
| Travel | Boarding marina, transfers and whether flights are included |
| Optional costs | Equipment hire, drinks outside the package and single occupancy |
The Diamond Explorer partner listing remains useful for an availability enquiry, but did not show bookable dates when checked. Divezone may earn a commission from an affiliate booking.
Travelling with a non-diver?
Red Sea Diamond also offers dedicated Sataya snorkelling holidays, which are distinct from its scuba charters. A listed week starts at €1,840 per person with flights, full board, soft drinks and transfers, plus a €65 reserve fee and tips from €60. Its year and flight arrangements were not established, so this is an enquiry example, not a dated 2026 offer or a companion discount. Acceptance, activities and fare for a non-diver on a scuba departure still require a specific proposal.
What guests say about Diamond Explorer
The available review evidence is too limited to support a representative account of the present boat. One review attached to the partner listing names a different vessel, so its praise, criticism and score have not been attributed to Diamond Explorer here.
What guests loved
No sufficiently verified, current boat-specific review sample was established for a reliable positive summary. The lounge and cabin photographs above document spaces aboard; they are not guest testimonials.
What could be better
The same evidence gap prevents a fair summary of recurring complaints. Older feedback would also need to be distinguished from conditions after the 2025 reconstruction. Existing Divezone reader ratings and comments remain available below.
When another boat might suit you better
Diamond Explorer is worth discussing for a club or group that wants to shape an Egyptian itinerary. Travellers who need an immediately bookable individual berth, a settled deck plan or a substantial recent review record may find another boat easier to compare. Those are practical differences in booking information, not a verdict on the crew or the diving.
Diamond Explorer booking questions
Is Diamond Explorer still offered for trips?
Red Sea Diamond presents the vessel for group charters and occasional individual places. The checked partner listing has no displayed dates. A current offer is needed to establish a particular sailing; the absence of partner dates does not prove retirement.
How long is the boat, and when was she renovated?
Diamond Explorer is listed at 40 metres. Launched in 2011, she underwent major reconstruction in 2022 and 2025.
How many cabins will our group have?
Current published counts conflict, ranging from 15 to 17 cabins. Obtain the current deck plan, agreed cabin assignments and passenger limit as part of the charter proposal rather than relying on a historic fourteen-cabin description.
Can two friends book separate beds?
Twin accommodation is documented, alongside doubles and mixed bed arrangements. The allocated cabin should specify its actual beds. A shared solo berth or a single-use surcharge has not been verified for a current sailing.
Does Northern Wrecks include Ras Mohammed?
The named Northern Wrecks proposal excludes Ras Mohammed. The separate Ras Mohammed programme includes that area, so the names are not interchangeable.
Is the Alba layer a confirmed route?
No. It is an extended southern proposal, with Alba itself unpinned because its precise location and current access were not established. The displayed surrounding places do not form an approved sailing sequence or prove border access.
Is Nitrox included in the price?
Nitrox is advertised, but its inclusion, availability and current charge were not established for a dated departure. It belongs in the diving package agreed with the organiser.
Can the kitchen accommodate dietary needs?
Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free arrangements are offered by advance agreement. Describe the actual requirement before booking so the galley can confirm what it can provide.
Does the Sataya price apply to non-divers on a scuba charter?
No. It describes a separate snorkelling holiday package, with flights and its own extras. It is not evidence of a non-diver discount on a scuba sailing.
Which airport should I book?
The operator uses several Egyptian ports. The confirmed marina, boarding time and included transfer should determine flight selection; no single airport applies to every proposal.
Have you travelled aboard Diamond Explorer? Share your review with the trip date, itinerary and cabin, including what worked well and what could improve.
Information checked 16 October 2026. This is a researched guide, not a new firsthand inspection. Programme proposals and photographs do not establish availability for a particular departure.
Where does this liveaboard dive boat go?
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