Everything you need to know before your Red Sea dive

Yes. Hurghada has 40+ dive sites, warm water year-round (21-29 C), excellent visibility (15-30 m), and rich Red Sea marine life. Reefs, walls and wrecks are reachable in under 60 minutes from the marina, which is why the city has been a top diving destination for over 30 years.

Daily diving for certified divers starts at EUR 50 per person (1 day, 2 dives) and goes down to about EUR 41 per dive on the 10-day package. The Introduction Dive for beginners is EUR 45, and snorkeling boat trips start at EUR 30.

Send a request through the booking form with your dates, group size, hotel name, and certification level. We confirm by email within 24 hours. No payment is taken until the date is confirmed in writing.

No. Online prepayment is not required for daily diving, snorkeling, or introduction dives. You can pay on the day at the dive center by cash, card, PayPal or bank transfer. PADI courses with e-Learning may include the PADI e-Learning fee upfront.

Cancellations made more than 24 hours before the booked date are free of charge. Same-day or no-show cancellations may incur a small fee to cover boat and transfer costs already committed. Bad weather cancellations on our side are always free and rebooked or refunded.

Yes. Multi-day daily diving packages have a built-in discount. 2 days is EUR 90 (vs 100 as two singles), 5 days is EUR 205, and 10 days is EUR 405. The per-day rate keeps dropping with each additional day.

If you're already PADI-certified (Open Water or higher), choose daily diving - two guided dives per day at active reefs and wrecks. If you've never dived and want to try, the Introduction Dive lets you breathe underwater with an instructor at 7 m max depth. Snorkeling is for guests who prefer to stay at the surface with mask and fins.

Yes. The Introduction Dive (Discover Scuba Diving) is designed for first-timers. A PADI instructor stays next to you for the entire dive, maximum depth 7 metres, no prior experience required. Minimum age 10. Snorkeling is also fully beginner-friendly.

Only for daily diving - you'll need a PADI Open Water certification or equivalent (SSI, CMAS, etc.). Bring your certification card or digital proof on the day. Introduction Dives, snorkeling, and the PADI Open Water course itself do not require any prior certification.

The PADI Open Water Diver certification starts at EUR 360. This includes PADI e-Learning, all training materials, rental equipment for the full course, certification fees, and four open-water training dives in the Red Sea.

The PADI Advanced Open Water course starts at EUR 270. It includes 5 adventure dives (Deep, Navigation, plus 3 elective dives like Wreck or Nitrox), PADI e-Learning and certification. Equipment rental is EUR 20 per day if you don't bring your own.

3 days minimum on site, after completing the PADI e-Learning theory online (~6-8 hours, do it before you arrive). Day 1 is pool/confined-water skills, Days 2-3 are the four open-water training dives from the boat.

PADI Junior Open Water Diver is available from age 10 (with parental consent and adjusted depth limits). Standard PADI Open Water is from age 15. The PADI Rescue Diver and Divemaster require Open Water + Advanced as prerequisites.

Yes. The PADI Divemaster internship starts at EUR 1100 and includes all PADI fees, training materials, mentor instructors, and as many supervised work dives as needed to complete the program. PADI Rescue Diver (EUR 400) is a prerequisite.

Our rental fleet is fully renewed every year. Regulators and BCDs are serviced on the manufacturer schedule. Tanks are visually inspected before every boat trip. Every boat carries emergency oxygen, a first-aid kit, a defibrillator-trained crew member, and VHF radio.

Equipment is fully included in all PADI courses and in the Introduction Dive. For certified divers on daily diving, rental is EUR 20 per person per day (full kit: BCD, regulator, mask, fins, wetsuit, weights). You can also bring your own gear.

Yes, you're welcome to bring your own gear. Tanks and weights are always provided by us. If you bring a regulator or BCD, please make sure it has a current service tag. Dive computers are recommended - we can rent one for EUR 5 per day if needed.

Yes. Every Diving Star boat carries emergency oxygen, a full first-aid kit, life jackets for all passengers, and VHF marine radio. Our boat crews include divers trained in PADI Emergency First Response (EFR) and oxygen administration.

Free hotel pickup is included for all hotels inside Hurghada. We collect you from your hotel lobby between 7:30 and 8:30 AM in our private van, drive directly to the marina, and drop you back at the hotel between 3 and 5 PM after the dive day.

Pickup from El Gouna, Makadi Bay, and Sahl Hasheesh is available for a small transfer fee (EUR 25 per car, one-way). Sahel Hashish and Safaga can also be arranged on request. Add your hotel name and area when you send the booking request.

The boat departs the marina around 9 AM after all guests are on board, typically 30 minutes after the last hotel pickup. We return to the marina around 3 PM. Total dive day from hotel pickup to hotel drop-off is about 8-9 hours.

Yes, within reason. If you have an evening flight, we can prioritize an earlier return. If you arrive late, we can rearrange your dive day. Tell us your travel plan when booking and we'll work around it.

Hot lunch (Egyptian or international, vegetarian on request), free soft drinks (water, tea, coffee, juice), tanks and weights, dive guide, two dive sites per day, and the boat itself with sun deck, shaded seating area, fresh-water toilet, and changing area.

Swimwear, towel, sunscreen (reef-safe preferred), a hat, sunglasses, and your certification card if you're a certified diver. We provide everything else, including drinking water on board. Cash is useful for tips at the end of the day.

Yes. A hot lunch is served on board, usually mid-day between the two dives. Vegetarian and basic dietary restrictions can be accommodated if you let us know in advance. Coffee, tea, water and soft drinks are unlimited throughout the day.

Yes. Children aged 10+ can do the PADI Junior Open Water course or the Introduction Dive (with parental consent). Younger children are welcome to join the boat as snorkelers (mask + fins from age 6) or simply as guests on the sun deck. Family days are common with us.

Many conditions are compatible with diving. Before booking, please complete the PADI Medical Statement (you'll find a link in your booking confirmation email). If you answer "yes" to any item, a doctor's clearance is required before diving. Common safe conditions: well-managed asthma, controlled diabetes, and minor allergies.

Yes. We strongly recommend a Refresher (Check Dive, EUR 25) on your first day back. It's a single guided dive at a shallow easy site to verify your skills and confidence. If you've been out of the water for more than 2 years, PADI also offers a Scuba Review module - ask us before booking.

Hurghada reefs host more than 1,000 species: clownfish, lionfish, moray eels, octopus, parrotfish, butterflyfish, blue-spotted stingrays, and sometimes turtles, dolphins, eagle rays, barracudas and reef sharks. The wrecks (El Mina, Hamada, Salem Express on request) attract larger pelagic life.

Diving is good year-round. Water temperature ranges from 21 C in February to 29 C in August. The calmest sea is March-May and September-November. Summer (June-August) is warmest but can be windy in the afternoons. Winter is great for wreck diving with peak visibility.