Does anyone go scuba diving?

[orbs]

My son got his diving papers about 4 years ago hes been diving in egypt, but a neighbour has told him its too dangerous now. can anyone recommend a safe place. is there any "diving clubs"

[Rageness]

Your neighbor sounds like an uneducated fool, Unless he is on about the political crysis over there. I learnt to dive in egypt and I have been twice, I wouldn't go again but that's nothing to do with the red sea as it is amazing.

 

Lanzarote is surprisingly good for diving, and has some good wreck dives if he does the advanced course. Out of interest why did your neighbor claim it was too dangerous. Diving club just up from Hillsborough near wisewood school.

[Teddybare]

Mexico for the win! Or south east Asia.

Seems fairly risky anywhere else- violence and instability in Egypt, cross border raids in Eilat and kidnappings in east Africa.

Not a good year for dive destinations.

 

I spend time every month in the middle east and like your neighbour, I too am an "uneducated fool" but I wouldn't myself go back to Sinai until the elections are finalised and the situation calms down in Egypt.

The Sinai seems to be becoming a major focus of Israel, since Mubarak went, because of increased tensions about reopening the Sinai/Gaza border, the radicalisation of local bedouins and the massive step down in operations by the Egyptian army there.

There's always Aqaba in Jordan. Seems fairly cheap, still on the red sea and so far Jordan remains peaceful. Plus the food there is good and the people are amazing. Was there recently but didn't do any diving.

 

On the other hand things are never as bad as they seem anywhere on the BBC

And apart from Somalia and Nigeria I personally wouldn't rule anywhere out for a diving trip until you speak to someone who is there or has been recently.

[L00b]

I'm just back from Egypt/Sharm, after a week's worth of diving (5days/10 reef dives, 1 day either side for flying/safety).

 

The only danger we've experienced was from one of the boat's state of maintenance (ended up marrooned on Gordon reef in the Tiran straits...not a happy experience, fairly dangerous as it happened, but then again pretty much happenstance/not Egypt-specific at all). Oh, and another Brit tourist who tagged along on some of our dives and was supposedly 'advanced' Padi - dunno about 'advanced', he was not even remotely freshly-qualified-open-water if you ask me. That bad/much of a liability, I point-blank refused to buddy him.

 

Nothing wrong with Sharm/the Egyptian Red Sea coast, politcially or otherwise. AFAIK locals grumbled last year at the time of the original troubles and went a bit slack with tourists, but the increase in negative reviews as a result, and consequent drop in visits & revenue, soon put them right. Couldn't do enough this year - and they prefer Brits to Russians by a country mile or 10, let me tell you.

 

Mexico easily on a par with Sharm, provided you dive some of the small offshore reefs (rather than the usual undersea sand desert all around them). Antigua, Maldives and Madagascar all absolutely fabulous, but then getting fairly pricey.

[orbs]

Hi, my son back now from sharks bay, says they took them to the same area/dive site as sharm. But his partner said it was good hotel but very poor area no night life or places to walk round during the day. thanks for your replies

[Miss M]

Rother Valley Country Park have divers. contact them and see what they got.

 

Also south yorkshire diving academy offer trips to known diver spots around sheffield and further..