Dahab's Divesites

For most of the coastline, all dive sites are accessible from the shore. The

Major drop-offs occur more in the north with the impressive descents of the Bells-Blue Hole dive being the best example. Also the divesites around Abu Galum are offering great drop-offs.All sites eventually do drop to great depths further into the Gulf.


The following are introducing you to our most famous divesites, which are

• Bells/Blue Hole
• Canyon/Canyon Table/Canyon Garden
• Ras Abu Helal
• Eel Garden
• Lighthouse

• Islands

• Three Pools
• Om Sid 
• Caves

Clima/tides/diving conditions in Dahab

The tides and currents in the area are changeable, both in direction and in strength In the winter major wave surge occurs during the high tide periods, pounding the reef edges. From time to time there are southerly winds but the prevailing winds tend from the NE. At night, in the summer, the offshore winds can be quite strong and hot. The temperatures of the air and the water is changing during the year (all figures in Degree Celsius), however the clima is dry through all the year:

During November - April we recommend divesuits with 7 mm and semidry. From May to October a 5 mm wetsuit is fine.

We wish you nice dives!
The Barakuda-Team

Blue Hole This famous dive spot in the north of Dahab looks like a big hole in a reef having a diameter of 60 metres and a maximum depth of 108 metres. The most interesting to see is the "Cathedral" beginning in a depth of 55 metres, 30 metres wide and 20 metres long leading to the outside of the reef and into the big blue. As these depths are outside of the Recreational Dive Planner we use to dive along the outer wall of the Blue Hole with a maximum depth of 30 metres, usually doing a drift dive coming from "The Bells" The Bells Around 150 metres north from the Blue Hole we arrive at the entrance point of "The Bells", a cut in the reef with a length of 5 metres. Descending through a tunnel up to a depth of 30 metres and continuing the dive along the Drop Off in southern direction. Here we see wonderful overhangs, small caves as well as gorgonies and black corals. After 40 minutes we'll find a saddle in a depth of 8 metres leading into the Blue Hole where we can exit very easily at 2 different points. Attractions: Napoleonfish, Turtle, Scorpionfish, Eagle-Ray, Shark Entrance/Exit: Easy Drive time: 40 minutesThe Bells

 
Canyon

The name Canyon is standing for 3 dive spots: Canyon, Canyon Table and Canyon Garden. The Canyon itself can be found after exiting the lagoon in a direction of 50 ° north starting in a depth of 20 metres. In front of the Canyon we'll find a coral block with an entrance point to the Canyon, the so called "Fishbowl", starting in a depth of 15 metres. There are two ossibilities to dive the Canyon: Entering the Fishbowl and descending into the Canyon down to 30 metres, or entering the Canyon and coming back up through the Fishbowl as an exit. Diving back to the lagoon you can see a lot of attractions especially on the sandy ground like the Sea-Moth or a Frog-Fish on one of the pinnacles in front of the lagon.

Canyon Garden
Passing the lagoon and diving into south direction, you'll reach a beautiful Coral Garden, where a drop off is starting from a depth of 16 metres. Diving along the beautiful drop off with a wide range of soft and hard corals, giving us the possibility to see even giant murays as well as Napoleon Fish or Eagle Rays. Returning the dive through the Coral Garden in a depth around 10 - 12 meters, you'll find the exit back through the lagon.

Canyon Table (Rick's Reef)

Close to the divesite "Canyon" in the north there is a dive spot called "Rick's Reef". Here we enter after a short way over the stony reef table on somehow a natural stair into a small lagoon, snorkel out and descend beside the reef table. Diving into southern direction, the wall of the reef is reaching 12 metres depth, the following plateau is going softly down to 40 metres. Here we see nice table corrals all over and during the dive we are passing the fish-bowl (Canyon). Exit from this dive is made through the lagoon of the Canyon as the dive was a one-way dive.

Attractions: Octopus, Crocodile-Fish, Devilfish, Turtle, Sea-Moth, Frog-Fish, Napoleon, Eagle Ray
Entrance/Exit: Easy
Drive time: 30 minutes 

Abu Helal 
Abu Helal is located 500 metres south of the "Canyon", where dives can easily be made on high tide and somehow calm wind. Entering after walking  15 meter over the reef table into a pool with a maximum depth of 12 metres. Diving into the direction of 120 ° we will find a canyon  parallel to the shore and starting in a depth of 27 metres. This canyon is partly open and partly closed, the maximum depth inside is 36 metres. Coming back through the wonderful hard coral garden dive a square to find back the entrance
pool. As this diving spot is not visited very often due to the not always easy entrance, the corals are still in a really good condition.

Attractions: Murray, Stonefish, Eagle-Ray, Turtle
Entrance/Exit: Easy on high tide
Drive time: 25 minutes

 
Eel-Garden

The Eel Garden is located in Assla, around 300 metres in the north of the "Lighthouse" which
gives us a good opportunity to do a drift dive to this spot.
The entrance to the Eel-Garden is made by walking around 50 metres over the reef table until we arrive at a small canyon in the reef table, where we can enter the water (2 - 3 metres). Diving
through this canyon around 15 metres, turning left around a reef block, we'll see the sandy ground with hundreds of Garden Eels are living. Having good weather conditions we find
the Eels coming out of their houses in the sand up to 1,5 metres. Diving further north we'll pass an area with lots of table corals. Returning to the entrance/exit point follow the edge of the reef.

Attractions: Garden Eels, Scorpionfish, Murray
Entrance/Exit: Only on high tide and calm weather conditions
Drive time: 15 minutes

Lighthouse

The Light-House is located in the centre of Dahab and the dive spot is mostly chosen to do check or training dives due to the huge sandy ground. Several coral blocks in the depths from 10 - 30 metres are showing a lot of attractions. There are some mackerels as well as a big
Napoleonfish coming to the last block in the afternoon to be cleaned at the cleaning station.
Returning to the entrance/exit point is easily if diving along the edge of the sandy ground up to the lagoon. This dive spot is a good location to do night-dives!

Attractions: Napoleonfish, Turtles, Sting-Ray, Mackerels
Entrance/Exit: Easy
Drive-time: 10 Minutes

Islands

The Islands are nearly in front of our divecenter, so we consider this spot as our housereef.
They are located at the Lagoon of Dahab and we enter  this divespot by a walk around 30
metres over the reef table entering a pool. Descending in a depth of 6 metres we can start into
northern or eastern direction around the islands, where we discover beautiful coral areas as
well as amazing table corals in a maximum depth of 20 meters. The entrance pool can easily be returned to by natural navigation.

Attractions: Barracudas, Napoleonfish, Scorpionfish, Crocodile-Fish
Entrance/Exit: Diving on high tide recommended
Drive-time: 5 minutes

Three Pools

Located in the south of Dahab and the "Pools" separated only by coral walls which are 2 metres wide with a maximum detph of 3-4 meters.

Entering from a sandy beach and after having passed these pools, the dive should be started in northern direction, where we can reach a coral garden and see black
coralls at a depth of around 30 metres. As the natural navigation is not really easy, using a compass is recommended.

Attractions:  Murray, Scorpionfish, Eagle-Ray
Entrance/Exit: Easy
Drive-time:  40 minutes


















 

Um Sid

One of the diving sites of Dahab South', Um Sid, can be entered off shore. Diving East to 20-25 meters the reef dropps off. Heading to the north, we can discover sand eels.
Coral pinnacles, purple soft corals, big blue hard corals and gorgonias can be seen during the
dive.

Returning in a depth of 8-10 meters along the reef edge are a lot of schools of fish
(glass-fish, snapper) 

Attractions: Eagle Ray, Shark, schools of fish
Entrance/Exit: Easy
Drive-time: 50 Minutes


















 

Caves
 

The most southern dive spot which can be reached by car are the Caves. Entrance is easy on high tide and calm wind, as the reef table is only 2 metres long. We can enter with a big step
forward. Immediately under the edge of the reef we'll find the caves, starting in a depth of 5 metres and going down to 12 metres beside a huge sandy ground. The dive can be started in
northern or southern direction, we can discover a lot of nice coral blocks as well as overhangs up to a depth of 30 metres and all along the walls. Coming back to the entrance/exit point, we can dive the caves, which are really huge and open. Having a torch we can discover a lot of nice colours and some real attractions as the growth of soft corals inside the caves is amazing.
The exit should be made without BCD or weight belt, which should first be given to the dive guide, after that we can exit by swimming on the reef table.

Attractions: Murrays, Scorpionfish, Seamoth
Entrance/Exit: Easy on high tide and calm weather conditions
Drive-time: 50 Minutes