If you have dived in Dahab before, please share your experiences: Dive spots you would recommend, which Dive Center you used, Fishes & Diving, Visibility, Currents, etc. Please post your comments in the section below, by doing so you will help fellow divers to plan their next trip
Dahab is a shore-diving destination with room for very different kinds of holiday. Beginners can train at suitable local reefs, photographers can take their time around coral gardens, and experienced divers can consider more demanding profiles. The famous Blue Hole is only one part of the coastline.
Photo: Matt Kieffer — The Blue Hole dive site, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Choose your dive centre carefully. Ask about group size, instructor or guide qualifications, equipment, recent-experience checks and emergency arrangements. A familiar site name does not describe the whole dive: depth, entry, conditions and whether there is an overhead environment matter.
Dahab above and below the surface: a 2012 film
Michael Zomer’s Alhamdulillah | About a village called Dahab combines village life and underwater scenes, made in cooperation with H2O Dive Center. Published in August 2012, it is a historical portrait rather than a guide to current businesses, access or dive conditions. Choose today’s sites and profiles with your operator.
Film and preview: Michael Zomer · Alhamdulillah, About a village called Dahab on Vimeo.
In this page you will find more detailed information about scuba diving in Dahab.
Table of contents
Best Dive Review
Choose a site and a suitable profile
| Site | What makes it different? | Planning point |
|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse | Accessible reef scenery and a commonly used training area. | Choose a route and depth with your instructor or guide; other divers may be training nearby. |
| Eel Garden | Coral and a sand area with garden eels. | Exposed access means calm conditions matter. |
| The Islands | A maze of coral formations and lagoons. | Use the designated entry and avoid crossing shallow coral when conditions are unsuitable. |
| Canyon | Distinctive reef topography with deeper and overhead sections. | Confirm the precise profile and required training; seeing a feature is not permission to enter an overhead space. |
| Blue Hole / Bells | Outer-wall diving and a deep coastal sinkhole. | Recreational wall profiles and the technical arch are separate dives. |
| Gabr El Bint | A more remote boat outing with reef walls and gorgonians. | Check departure numbers, weather, meals and the boat supplement. |
| Ras Abu Galum | Reef excursions north of the main Dahab sites. | Confirm current transport, permits and the intended diving programme. |
Poseidon’s local site descriptions and the CDWS directory give useful background. Your operator’s briefing determines the actual entry, depth and route on the day.
The Blue Hole arch is not a recreational shortcut
Scuba Seekers describes the arch at about 56 m with an overhead passage. It requires appropriate technical training, equipment and planning; Advanced Open Water alone does not qualify a diver for it. Its recreational Bells profile reaches about 28 m, and the operator requires Advanced-level certification and a prior house-reef check dive. Ask which profile is being offered.
Recreational divers can enjoy the outer reef within their training and the guide’s plan without approaching the arch. Read the full Blue Hole guide for the distinction. Avoid making depth or a notorious reputation the goal of a holiday dive.
Dahab reef orientation map
CDWS reference positions show how local reefs and longer excursions are spread along the coast. They are not entry points, road directions or underwater navigation instructions.
1. Lighthouse · 2. Eel Garden · 3. Islands · 4. Canyon · 5. Blue Hole · 6. Gabr El Bint · 7. Ras Abu Galum
How to dive Dahab?
Local shore dives are the natural starting point for a Dahab stay. Transport to more distant sites, boat excursions and protected-area fees may add to the base package. A day at Gabr El Bint or Ras Abu Galum is a different product from a local reef dive.
A matched 2026 budget example
Scuba Seekers’ 2026 prebooked tariff lists two guided dives at €70 without rental equipment or €90 with full standard gear and computer; ten dives are €290 or €370 respectively. Tanks and weights are included. Packages assume at least two divers together; a private-guide charge can apply outside the bay.
Its lunch-only Gabr El Bint boat supplement is €60 per person, additional to dives. The tariff lists a US$20 Blue Hole daily park fee. Confirm the final total, current park charge and any taxes for your booking date.
If wreck diving is your main aim, compare a separately organised Thistlegorm trip or a Red Sea liveaboard itinerary, including the actual departure port. Dahab’s local shore programme should not be confused with a wreck-focused cruise.
Where to stay?
I usually use this website to book in advance my hotels in Dahab as they usually have the lowest rates I find. I like it because it's free to cancel and change the dates.
Best time to dive in Dahab
Diving is offered year-round. Summer brings warmer water and much hotter time on land; winter calls for more protection between dives, especially in the wind. Spring and autumn can suit travellers combining diving with walking and outdoor meals.
There is no single best month for every activity. A windy day may suit a windsurfer but restrict a reef entry. Keep the site plan flexible and book the centre and accommodation ahead for your dates, especially during school holidays and busy travel periods.
Top liveaboards in Dahab according to divers reviews
Dive courses
Learn at a site and pace suited to you, with enough time for skills rather than treating certification as a sightseeing ticket. Scuba Seekers’ 2026 tariff lists Open Water at €400 for SSI or €450 for PADI, including standard gear, computer, eLearning and certification. Its estimated duration is four days, with extra training time chargeable if needed.
The same operator requires a refresher after more than six months without diving. Rules differ between centres: bring your certification and recent logbook and discuss any long break before arrival. For advanced or technical training, check the prerequisites and what qualification the course actually provides.
Freediving is a separate discipline. Use qualified instruction and a trained safety buddy, never dive alone, and do not use the Blue Hole arch as a recreational breath-hold challenge.
Scuba Diving conditions
Entry and current: many Dahab dives start from shore, but the reef edge can be exposed to wind and waves. Entry corridors, tide and a clear exit plan matter. Follow local instructions and stay off the coral; “shore dive” does not mean safe access in all weather.
Visibility: clear water can make distances and depth misleading. Sand, weather and site choice all affect visibility, so adapt the dive to the conditions described in the briefing.
Temperature: ask for recent readings at diving depth and choose exposure protection for multiple dives. A warm fleece or windproof layer can be as useful during surface intervals as the wetsuit itself.
Check emergency oxygen, communication and evacuation arrangements, and insurance for the intended depth and activity. Plan the final dives around flights and any mountain excursion; the travel guide covers onward-travel considerations.
Snorkelling in Dahab
Non-divers can join selected outings. Dive Urge explicitly welcomes snorkellers on its Gabr El Bint and Ras Abu Galum trips. Its published boat-day price is £70 before 14% VAT, excluding equipment and diving. See the Dahab travel guide for inclusions and rental costs, and confirm the companion price, age rules, swimming ability and park fees for the actual trip.
Lighthouse, Eel Garden and the Blue Hole area offer reef scenery, but access and conditions differ. Use a supervised outing where appropriate, follow the designated entry and avoid swimming alone or in wind-sports traffic. Shallow coral should never be crossed on foot.
Photo: Alexander Andreev — Just Passing By, CC BY-ND 2.0.
Fishes and Coral
Reef fish, coral formations and the smaller life around them are the main attraction of a Dahab shore-diving holiday. Turtles and larger fish can appear, but should not be treated as promised sightings. Slow down, look carefully and keep buoyancy under control; macro subjects can reward attention even when the site is better known for its wider scenery.
Do not touch or move animals for photographs. Keeping fins and equipment clear of coral protects the reef and helps other divers enjoy clear water behind you.
Diving Safety
If you are planning an upcoming dive trip or travelling to Dahab, it is a really good idea to invest in travel insurance for scuba diving, because you never know what could happen and when you might need it (because accidents do happen!). I recommend this diving insurance as they offer worldwide coverage and focus on providing scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Dahab diving questions
Is Dahab suitable for beginners?
Yes. Centres offer training at suitable local reefs. The Canyon’s overhead sections and the Blue Hole arch are different activities with additional requirements.
Does Advanced Open Water qualify me for the arch?
No. The deep overhead arch is a technical dive. Stay within your certification and the agreed recreational profile.
Are boat trips included in a shore-diving package?
Usually the quote needs separate checking. Boat supplements, meals, equipment and park fees may add to the base dives.
Can my non-diving companion come?
Some operators explicitly welcome snorkellers on selected trips. Confirm the route, full price, supervision and equipment.
Can wind change the diving plan?
Yes. Shore entries and exposed reefs can become unsuitable even when another site remains diveable.
Operator information checked 24 October 2026.
Photos Dahab
Travel Guide
Now that you know all about the underwater world, you might want to start planning your scuba holiday! Check out our Dahab Travel Review for information about how to get there, activities and excursions, where to stay, and more.
Diving Reviews for this region
Dive spots reviews in Dahab
Liveaboard Reviews in Dahab
MV Blue Melody
Blue Melody suits divers who enjoy the rhythm of a shared diving holiday: breakfast after the first dive, a long conversation over lunch, then time outside before the next briefing. The outdoor bistro and shaded seating are part of the attraction, with
Hey there, my names David from Australia, I am currently in the process of organising to do 6 weeks in Dahab to do my EFR, Rescue and my DM. I have spoken to a few places and all the rates seem on par however one that really appeals to me is Desert Divers because of the freediving, rock climbing and trekking components which are 3 things I’m majorly in to. Can you advise me on A. If you know anything about these guys and B. any more recommendations ie, better companies to go with, what to look out for, where to stay etc, every bit of info helps.
Cheers mate
Dave
I’ve been diving with Penguin divers for 3 weeks, good prices, good staff, great restaurant and cheap rooms. Dahab is nice but I was there 5 years ago and tourist kinda hit it….colored canyon and white canyon rock!
I am going to be in Dahab (Le Meridien resort) for two weeks in November – what are the best places to see (to dive)? Whilst I have been to Marsa Alam several times its my first time in Dahab
The bells, blue hole and the canyons are awesome or that’s what they were 5 years ago. I’m curious what you think of Dahab since you’ve been in Marsa alam before. I was in Dahab and went to Marsa last week
I have dived Dahab three times, it’s my favourite all-round place to be (so far!). While you are there, try to get to South Dahab (20 mins by jeep) for a day’s diving in the most amazing chilled out surroundings. Also, my fave site is called “The Islands” just off the lagoon in Dahab. It’s a series of three rocky outcrops, max about 25m IIRC, but it’s teeming with life and seems quite a special place. Rarely visited so you could be completely on your own…
The beautiful thing about Dahab is that the question of best places to dive is irrelevant.
The Eel Garden is a great site with some shallow coral that is breath-taking in colour and fish life.
The Islands is a maze of corals that grow from a depth of 15m up to 5m from the surface. Some have been knocked over by a tremor and you can see the whole structure is coral and not rock with coral on the top.
Bannerfish Bay is a delight for experienced divers as they can find so many little things if you allow a little time to explore. For the less experienced it is a forgiving area where you can improve your skills and see turtles and morays etc.
The Canyon is not so much a tube as a hole in the floor that takes you into a cave. It’s different to most things you come across. The bottom is at 30m. There is a tunnel going deeper for tec divers.
The Blue Hole has an exaggerated reputation based on people referring to different aspects of the dive site. Recreational divers do a dive called the Bells to Blue Hole. The Bells is like a 3 sided chimney that you descend down and then come out of the fireplace at 26-28m. You then swim along a wall that drops away to who knows what depth. You then come to a saddle, which is actually the lip of the Blue Hole. Recreational divers cross into the hole at 7m. Hardly dangerous. You can swim around or across the Blue Hole to the exit point. It is tec divers that go to the Arch. Recreational diving is perfectly safe here if you stay within your limits.
Southern Oasis is an area of dive sites; Golden Block, Moray Gardens, 3 Pools, Um Sid, The Caves. These are good sites for novice divers in experienced hands.
Ras Abu Galum is a camel ride away and offers some great diving, particularly Big Rock (or Triggerfish Alley depending on who you talk to).
Gabr El bint has pristine coral just a boat ride away. This makes a great day out. The currents are stronger which means more fish and more chance to see the bigger stuff.
There are still more sites that I haven’t listed. Each has its own flavour.
I work in the office of Poseidon Divers and I believe a big difference in these sites is the guide. A good guide can make an average site into a treasure by knowing where to look, what to show and keeping you safe. A poor guide will just drag you around from the start to finish in as quick a time as possible and leave you to get out of it what you like.
I spent a year and a half in Dahab and have some advice for anyone travelling there. While it is only my opinion I think The Islands is the best dive site in Dahab. The Blue Hole and The Canyon can be a great days diving as long as you keep an eye on your NDLs. The Eel Garden is fantastic for giant puffer fish and “South” is great for lion fish and has barely any current most of the time so its great for DSDs or inexperienced divers. Ras Abu Galum is also a fantastic site, but it does take a few hours to get there, either by camel or boat.
As for dive centres I would recommend Desert Divers, Mirage Divers, Dive Urge and the Nesima Resort. These are all in the main area of Dahab and offer good service. They also treat their staff well!
As for places to avoid, the Lighthouse is the most used dive site in the city and was very busy, with not an awful lot to see there. It was a few years since I’d been there but Black Rock and its owner had a bad reputation with many other dive centres and their ex staff. It is part of the Coralia resort – the biggest hotel in Dahab – so if you are staying there I would recommend going into town for your dive centre.
Scuba diving in Dahab has many benefits. As it is predominantly shore diving we can pick and choose when we dive in relaxed manner. Hand picking the time of the day based more on the wind or tides for the particular dive site you would like to dive. No boat schedules or 6am wake up calls (unless you really want them).
Diving here is relaxed, holidaying here is a pleasure and you end your vacation chilled and with great memories of fantastic dives.
At Scuba Seekers Diving Center we can offer you the very best and most up to date in training and equipment for recreational, technical and sidemount diving. We are a full TDI, SDI, PADI facility and also we welcome and can facilitate GUE divers. We explore new sites in Dahab but will also take you to the favorites here.
Abu Telha and Abu Helal are two of the best dive sites here and often overlooked. Both offer beautiful reef gardens and for technical divers there is a deeper canyon here that covers over 1km.
Another not so usual site is Tiger Reef (close to the Blue Hole) which has a sloped coral garden and then a nice drop off great for rec and tec divers.
From the daily boat I would also recommend Shuggarat (small trees) and Shoab Sayed. Most trips just go to Gabr el Bint (which is very nice) but if the weather is good both these other sites are excellent. Shuggarat has amazing gorgonian fan coral and a deep canyon and drop off. Shoab Sayed is like ‘The Islands’ big brother. A beautiful garden rich with huge coral pinnacles you can swim round and up and over and a cheeky little shallow swim through at 6m.
Islands dive site can be done in a number of different profiles rather than just the normal loop. There is a third island not many people know about plus the seagrass area is rich with seahorses and shrimp. Also you can explore each side of the reef outside the islands area in seperate dives too. At least 6 different profiles for this site alone.
The Blue Hole does not deserve the reputation it has for being dangerous. Conditions there are usually very good all year round and the site boasts many benefits that making diving easy, safe and more fun including easy entry and exit points and wall diving which means that divers can easily move up shallower if they find they are getting low on air. The problem with this sites is some divers doing dives beyond their experience and training who are ill-equipped and make bad judgements. There is an arch at the side of the Blue Hole which is at around 55m (depending on the side) and 26m long. The max limit for all recreational divers is 40m. Divers who try to do the arch without proper training are subject to problems to not having enough gas to breathe (single tank divers) and not used to the gas narcosis at this depth so make bad judgements that lead to accidents. The arch dive is beautiful but it’s essential to do it the proper way (with the right equipment and training), not only for safety but so you really get to enjoy the wonderful dive. The Blue Hole can also be dived as a recreational diver (adv divers and above) but without the arch. For recreational sites you can either enter from the Bells (a chimney with a straight descent from the surface to 27m looking out into the blue). Or you can just dive in and outside the blue hole itself.
Another site people forget is Mashraba (south of lighthouse) Here is a beautiful garden and as its not so popular you often get the site to yourself. For technical divers or those deep certified there is also a beautiful swim-through at 40m.
Dahab is full of wonderful sites with plenty to offer and my advise is that if you have run out of new sites to try something new, dive the site a different way, take some more training so you can extend your bottom time or increase your depth. The same site can be completely different at varying depths or dived in a slightly different profile. For more information about what we offer here feel free to contact me but you can use this advise for wherever you dive and whoever you dive with.
I have dived in Dahab 4 times. All were with Dive Urge, which I highly reccomend. I suggest the Garden rooms for the quiet and privacy. Also Dive Urge limits 4 divers to the DM. Plus they are handicaped helpful. My favorite site is “Three Pools. It is an easy dive with tremendous fish & coral. Plus it has a very laid back cafe.
Hi I never dived before a. D would like to know how much it would cost?
I live in Cairo and dive Dahab year around. Here is my latest blog on Dahab. LINK REMOVED
Hello Troy! Thank you for your feedback, and for reading Divezone! Just so you know, there’s no problem mentioning a company or a blog here, but links are automatically removed in the comments on the site! Wishing you fun dives and safe bubbles!