Visit Date: November 2011

Spent 4 days with my son (14) diving with Ocean College. The check in was good with the proper checks, certification card, medical confirmation and the number of logged dives.

My only criticism of Ocean College are the dive briefings – A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS. A visualisation is a better description than a verbal description and stays more readily in your mind than verbally trying to explain where you are going, depths, things to see etc. Show a plan of the dive, it would be more useful. Also, there are foreigners on these trips and their first language is not English. It would be so much easier for them with diagrams. Additionally, I bet when Ocean College run Divemaster courses, they mandate that their students draw diagrams of the dive that is being undertaken. Show a plan of the dive please.

Of the 9 dives, the highlight was diving Stingray Station at Ras Mohamed and seeing a 3mtr Leopard Shark sitting on the sand. I got within 1.5mtr of the shark and videoed it. The only downside was that I forgot to adjust my white balance, so the colours aren’t what they should be – dummy!

Day 1 – Fiddle Garden and Near Garden. Fiddle was a check dive with not much to see. Near Garden had some good photo opportunities with Napoleon Wrasse, Moray, Lionfish and Potato Cod.

Day 2 – Shark & Yolanda & Stingray Station. To start the viz was not the usual, probably 10 - 20mtrs. Saw all the usual suspects and then the toilets and baths. Towards the end of the dive, the viz went up to 30-40mtrs. Covered Stingray Station earlier, but apparently it is not a usual dive as the sea conditions can regularly be choppy, but if you can see marine life such as leopard sharks, then do it.

Day 3 - Dived Woodhouse & Gordon Reef on Tiran Island. Previously, these dives have been brilliant, but this time they were a disappointment. Not a lot to see and the viz was not that good. Although, at the beginning of the dive on Woodhouse, we saw 2 Ghost Pipe Fish, which I videoed and took shots of. After that, very little else. Did a third dive at Sheraton, but there was cloud in the sky and it was getting close to dusk, so rather gloomy conditions.

Day 4 – Ras Zatar & Anemone City plus Shark & Yolanda again. Ras Zatar was good with lots of fish, plus a Spotted Eagle Ray. Nice dive along a wall, with a good finish in 5/10mtrs with a multitude of Anthias, Angels etc. Good photo ops.

Ocean College are a good dive shop to use, but please, please do a proper briefing - A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS.  Otherwise, I would have given you a 5*.

Visit Date: September 2010

My wife and I only dive with Ocean College when we are shore based from Sharm, they have always been professional and really do go all out to make sure all guests are looked after whatever level they are, also the boat crews are first class having fun with guest but still being there when you need them.

Thats why we keep going back for more :)

Visit Date: September 2010

In Sept 2010, I undertook my PADI open water course through Ocean College in Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. My instructor was George. I found George and all the staff I approached or asked for information to be total ambassadors for Ocean College and diving. Once my open water course was completed I started my advanced open water course with my deep and drift following the direction given by George. When my last day of diving finally arrived I was given information on equipment and the need to continue my skills and knowledge, thanks to all at Ocean College.

I returned to Scotland to continue my new found adventure, I trawled the web sites for guidance on which training provider to use. The training provider informed me that I had to do the dry suit specialty course first, then to complete my advanced course, navigation and peak performance. I paid up front (cost more than my course and the 2 advanced dives with Ocean College) but this is the UK. For the dry suit course the under suit the zip was u/s, the suit leaked and they didn’t put tanks on the vehicle for me. The navigation and peak performance was not much better.

I did not receive my cards from PADI so I contacted them, only to find out the instructor for my dry suit is under investigation as he is not qualified; my advanced has not been sent off.

I am trying to save up to return to Egypt, so I can go with Ocean College, for further courses as I don’t trust anyone else.

Visit Date: July 2010

We have dived with Ocean College everytime since 2005, will not dive with any one else, we are always made to feel welcome, the staff and guides are the best always there with advice (for anything) the boats are always outstanding as are the crew the harbour staff are also outstanding making sure our kit ect is ready onboard for the days diving.The guides are superb always up for a laugh and a gossip and of course not forgetting their knowladge and passion for the sea around the south siani looking forward to diving again in 2011 with the college team see you all soon guys.

Visit Date: September 2010

I originally learned to dive with Ocean College, and have been diving 3 times a year with them for the past couple of years.

Ocean College is more like an extended family than a Dive Centre, and when you dive with them you will be welcomed into that family with open arms.

The Instructors and guides are all first rate and the boat crews are efficient, friendly and helpful, not to mention amazing cooks! The crew live on the boats that are owned and run by Ocean College, and you will feel exactly like you are being welcomed into an old friend’s home for the day when you join them diving.

The boats run like clockwork and likewise the shore dives from the centres are supported by friendly, helpful Tank Guys (with big strong muscles!), who will make sure you and your equipment make it out along the floating jetty for your dive in one piece!

It’s probably foolish to start naming individuals, because the whole team are fab (and I’ll offend those I forget!), but Ahmed Haridi is truly excellent both as a guide and for his sense of humour (just don’t ask him for help with any electrical appliance issues!). Ahmed Basha has eyesight better than a hawk for spotting things and is like the Pied Piper of Dive Guides, especially when it comes to the bigger fish.....they seem to follow him, so its best to do the same if you want to see something good!

Ahmed Aladin, I would highly recommend as an instructor from doing both my Open Water and Advanced courses – you will laugh a lot, but he will look after you and pass on a passion for diving that is infectious.

The Ocean College ladies are equally fab, Jo Dowling, Holly Franklin, Clare Hutchinson to name a few, will have you laughing all day, and what they don’t know about the dive sites and best places to go really isn’t worth knowing.

Sharm has obviously taken a bit of a hit in the press recently, but Ocean College are passionate about the ecology of the Red Sea, the safety of their guests and the safety of the marine life you will have the privilege to see. If you want to touch the coral, feed the fish, ignore safety briefings, or do anything else that could put you, other divers, or the local environment at risk then this is the wrong dive centre for you, but if you want a diving holiday where you will be shown a true Sharm welcome, looked after, have a lot of fun, and find out why Sharm is famous for having some of the best diving in the world, then Ocean College should definitely be your first choice for diving in Sharm.

Wish I was going back soon!