Red Sea Diving College

Located in the heart of Naama Bay, Red Sea Diving College has been a fixture of the Sharm El Sheikh diving scene since 1991. The centre is positioned in the Sultana Building, offering easy access to the reef flat for shore diving directly from the beach.

Whether you are looking to complete your initial certifications or are a professional diver pursuing your IDC, the centre provides the logistical framework required for the Red Sea. They operate daily boat dives to the Straits of Tiran and Ras Mohammed, as well as dedicated liveaboard trips on the VIP One.

The team is composed of qualified SCUBA instructors dedicated to maintaining high safety standards and professional service. As a PADI affiliated centre, they manage everything from entry-level Discover SCUBA diving to professional-level training.

For those looking to advance their careers, the centre serves as an Instructor Development Centre (IDC). The staff is experienced in handling the specific requirements of the region, from managing drift dives to navigating the currents of the Straits of Tiran.

The training programme covers the full spectrum of PADI certifications. Beginners can start with Discover SCUBA diving or the Bubblemakers programme, progressing through to the PADI Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver courses.

For more experienced divers, the centre offers specialty training including Nitrox, Deep, and Wreck diving. Professional candidates can undertake the Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and Instructor Development Course (IDC) pathways.

The centre operates daily boat dives to the most significant sites in the area. For those seeking longer expeditions, they offer liveaboard options via the VIP One.

Nitrox is available for use on their trips, allowing for extended bottom times on deeper sites like the SS Thistlegorm or the reefs of Ras Mohammed.

The centre provides a range of equipment for hire, including regulators, wetsuits, fins, and masks. For those undertaking night dives, torches are available to ensure visibility in the darker sections of the reef.

Nitrox is available on-site for divers looking to optimise their profiles during decompression-heavy or deep wreck dives.

The Red Sea reefs here are teeming with life, from large pelagics to delicate reef dwellers. You will regularly encounter Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), Tuna (Thunnus), Jack (Carangidae), and various reef sharks (Carcharhinus). Schools of glassfish (Atherinidae) and fusiliers often move in large numbers across the blue.

On the deeper walls and plateaus, keep an eye out for Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), large groupers (Epinephelus), and various species of rays (Batoidea). You may also spot turtles (Cheloniidae) or even a Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) depending on the season. Manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are also known to visit the area.

The reef structure itself is built from a stunning variety of hard coral (Scleractinia) and soft corals (Alcyonacea), including large gorgonian fans (Gorgoniidae). These provide the habitat for countless smaller creatures.

For macro enthusiasts, the sites offer plenty of interest, including various species of octopus (Octopus vulgaris), scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae), and garden eels (Gorgasia). You can also find colourful nudibranchs, shrimp, and various species of anemonefish (Amphiprion) living among the sea anemones (Actiniaria).

Conditions in the Sharm El Sheikh area vary significantly depending on the site. The reefs in Naama Bay offer calm, shallow waters suitable for training, while the Straits of Tiran and Ras Mohammed are known for more unpredictable and potentially strong currents.

Drift diving is a common practice at several sites, particularly along the walls of Woodhouse Reef or Thomas Reef. Divers should be prepared for varying current strengths, which can range from negligible to very fast in certain channels.