Visit Date: May 2012

This is a small facility mainly catering for the resident guests of the Sol Y Mar Paradise Beach Resort where I stayed. I pre-booked a 10 dive package on-line, check-in was swift show your certification, log, insurance, medical and you are ready to go. I had my own gear can't tell you about rental equipment see their home-page for details.: http://www.safaga-paradise.de/

Diving is off-shore and there are lots of dive sites in the bay as near as 20 minutes sailing. We would meet at 8.00 at the Dive Centre and get on the mini-bus to the Marina only a few kilometres away where all the dive boats depart. The El Prince Ali is a fairly large boat with a comfortable rear platform, amicable crew and the best cook on the Red Sea ! Briefing is done on the boat shortly before arrival to the site. The dives are unguided but you can request a guide at extra cost.

Went to the Abu Soma sites, then Tobia Nuss / Kebir, Umm Hol Hol. The day we went to Sha'ab Tamina the sea was calm almost like a mirror and we could observe 6 or 7 dolphins on the surface.

While all the dives were easy the plat de résistance came on the last day the wind turned nasty the boat got thrown around quite a bit and my stomach was right under my chin when we finally made it to Panorama Reef a solid hour away ! To make matters worse the south side was chosen for the first dive the steep walls here drop abruptly to the abyss and I couldn't fight the extremely strong current for long ...... phew, the second dive drift and pleasant .

Most of the divers were staying at the same hotel and we formed a tight group fairly quickly add the friendly atmosphere at the base, the jovial boat crew and your dive holiday becomes a most pleasant and memorable experience ( almost forgot, we saw some beautiful corals and plenty of fish, go there and find out yourself )