Sinai Divers Aqaba, Rajae Joury

Sinai Divers Aqaba is a well-established diving operation situated directly on the beach of the Mövenpick Resort & Spa in Tala Bay. Since opening this specific location in 2009, they have leveraged decades of group experience to serve the Aqaba diving community.

The centre is a member of the Quality Divers association, an indicator of their commitment to maintaining high operational standards. Whether you are looking to complete your first certification or are a technical diver requiring specific gas blends, the facility is designed to handle a wide range of requirements.

The team at Sinai Divers Aqaba is multilingual, with instructors and staff capable of communicating in English, German, French, Russian, and Arabic. This makes the centre a practical choice for international divers looking for clear communication during briefings and training.

As part of a larger group with four centres operating across Jordan and Egypt, the team brings a significant level of professional expertise to the table. They cater to all ages, offering specific programmes like Try Scuba for children aged 8 to 10.

The centre provides a comprehensive range of training through both PADI and SSI affiliations. Beginners can start with the Bubblemaker or Introductory Dive, progressing through SSI Open Water Diver and Scuba Diver courses.

For more experienced divers, the curriculum includes Advanced Open Water, Deep Diver, Wreck, and Navigation specialties. The centre also offers professional training paths, including the SSI Dive Master and SSI Instructor programmes, as well as the React Right course.

The Harmattan 88 is a large yacht with a capacity for 45 people. It is well-equipped for longer excursions, featuring a dry dining room and a large sun deck for relaxing between dives. A chef is on board to prepare buffets for those on full-day trips.

For smaller groups or quicker trips, the Harmattiny speed boat is available, carrying up to 8 divers. This vessel is ideal for reaching local sites efficiently.

The shore base is equipped with two Coltri compressors, which are used to supply air, Nitrox, and Trimix. Divers can utilise 10-litre and 12-litre aluminium cylinders, available with both DIN and INT valves.

Full kit hire is available for those not travelling with their own equipment, including regulators from Apeks and Beuchat, and BCDs from Aqualung and ScubaPro. The centre provides 3mm and 5mm wetsuits, as well as dive computers. On-site facilities include individual lockers for equipment storage and large rinsing tanks for post-dive maintenance.

The reefs are characterised by a vibrant array of hard coral (Scleractinia) and soft corals (Alcyonacea), including table corals and various yellow and orange corals. You will often see large schools of reef fish moving through the water column, alongside species such as Batfish (Platax), Parrotfish (Calotomus), and various snappers (Lutjanus).

Macro life and smaller inhabitants are abundant among the corals and seagrass. Keep an eye out for Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), various shrimp, and Ghost pipefish (Solenostomidae). You may also encounter Seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), anemonefish, and various nudibranchs.

Larger pelagic visitors and reef residents include the Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), lionfish (Pterois volitans), and various triggerfish (Balistidae). It is also possible to see rays, including blue-spotted stingrays, and occasionally, whale sharks.

Diving in Aqaba is generally characterised by gentle, rare, and slow currents. The area is suitable for a wide range of experience levels, though specific sites like the Cedar Pride require more depth management.

The best period for diving is between April and November, when the water conditions are most favourable for underwater exploration.