Return to Hurghada

by Teresa Edmonston

Three years ago I made a trip to Hurghada with my family and was lucky enough to dive with Easy Divers (Oxygene). My Dad, my brother and I did our Open Water Course and my younger sister, who was too young to make the course, did a bubble maker dive on the house reef.

We then did several days daily diving on the boat, this was a favourite all round even my Mum and sister, who were not diving, enjoyed snorkeling as part of the experience. The staff at Easy Divers were very welcoming and amazingly professional, they made us feel instantly at home, their patience was very much appreciated especially with my brother who was very nervous.

I enjoyed the experience so much that I returned the following year, not doing a course but just doing a lot of daily diving to gain some more experience. One year ago I returned and made advanced Open water, and I have returned this year to make my Rescue Diver course.

There have been lots of changes at Easy Divers over the past few years, it is newly affiliated with Oxygene, a big name in the Scandinavian market. It also has a new dive centre at Sunrise Holidays, convenient for daily diving as the daily boats leave from jetty at this hotel. The dive centre at Empire beach has been renovated and looks great!

I flew to Hurghada with British Airways due to the day I needed to fly, usually I travel with Excel and have found both excellent.

On my first day's diving I did a check dive on the House reef at Empire beach and then made a house reef dive in the afternoon just to get back into the swing of things. Over the next three days I did my Rescue Diver course which was without doubt the most fun I have ever had in the water. My Instructor was excellent coping admirably with having a Swedish and English student. I later discovered he spoke five languages!

I travelled in September the weather was perfect, I would say an average of 30 degrees. The water was generally about 27 degrees with excellent visibility.

After this I did several days daily diving, a transfer picked me up from my hotel each morning at about eight, (Empire Beach) the boat then left at half past eight. We went to a variety of dive sites, the pick of the bunch being Erg Somaya and Fanous where we saw dolphins on two occasions. A house reef dive then presented a baby reef shark not more than about 30cm in length, a first for me!

Lunch on the boat was a jolly affair and it was a source of constant amazement that the crew could produce such good food from such a tiny kitchen! Lunch, tea and coffee were included in the price, which I gather from some of the other guests is unusual. After a second dive in the afternoon the boat returned around four and we were all transferred back to our hotels after a drink at some conveniently placed tables outside the dive centre!

On the final day I could dive I only wanted to dive in the morning so went with the felouka (a small boat that can take up to six guests) to dive at Belena, a very shallow wreck dive with some interesting marine life. The flexibility and extent of options should satisfy everyone and as far as I can see they did. The staff were calm, professional and took everything in their stride, helpful at every turn. I think it is enough to say the ninety percent of the other guests I met were returning to dive with Easy Divers and planned to return again, as do I. One thing that has kept me returning to Egypt is the safety at Easy Divers, I appreciate the knowledge that everyone I am diving with is suitably qualified and has had their dive skills checked before they can dive. The crew on the boat are competent and friendly unlike some charter boats.

Daily diving at Easy Divers (Oxygene) costs from 43 euros a day, with full equipment hire for 13 euros. Courses are offered in a staggering number of languages including Arabic, English, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Czech.
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