Drift diving in Hurghada is one of the most exciting ways to explore the underwater world of the city. With the current carrying you effortlessly along vibrant reefs, dramatic drop-offs, and thriving marine habitats, you can cover more ground while enjoying a relaxed and esciting dive.
Pick-up drift dives are particularly popular because they eliminate the need to swim back to the boat. Instead, your boat follows your route and picks you up at the end of the dive, allowing you to focus entirely on the spectacular underwater scenery.
From colorful coral gardens and steep walls to bustling fish life and stunning reef formations, Hurghada offers a variety of dive sites that are perfectly suitable for this style of diving. In this guide, we’ll explore 9 of the best pick-up drift dive sites in Hurghada and discover what makes each one a favorite among divers.
What is a Drift Dive?
A drift dive is one of scuba diving techniques in which you go with the natural water current instead of fighting it. On a normal scuba dive, you start and end at the same anchor point. On the other hand, on a drift dive, you enter the water at one point, drift with the current, and are picked up farther down-current by a boat or shore team.
9 of the Best Pick-up Drift Dive Sites in Hurghada
Hurghada is home to a wide range of dive sites that are ideal for practicing drift diving. Whether you’re looking for colorful coral
reefs, abundant marine life, or dramatic underwater landscapes, these sites offer unforgettable experiences while allowing you to drift without effort with the current.
Here are 9 of the best pick-up drift dive sites in Hurghada:
- North Umm Gamar.
- El Fanadir Deep South.
- Shaab Alex.
- Shaab Pinky.
- Fandira.
- Erg Somaya.
- Shaab Ayman – Erg Abu Ramada.
- North Abu Ramada.
- Shaab Adel.
North Umm Gamar
In the north of Umm Gamar Island, you can find a pristine coral garden. The dives here aren’t very deep, with no strong currents. You can start your dive at the coral tower at about 20 meters deep.
Then continue with the reef on your left toward the coral garden of soft and hard corals, which is regarded home to large schools of reef fish.
El Fanadir Deep South
When heading south from the El Fanadir South anchorage toward Hurghada, you’ll quickly reach extensive coral gardens stretching
from 15 meters to around 6 meters deep.Among them are sandy flats in which you can have encounters with large stingrays such as feathertail or mangrove stingrays during the winter season. You may find yourself at a little worse visibility because of the sandy lagoons.
Shaab Alex
Shaab Alex is the wall by the Big Giftun Island between Hamda dive site and Shaab Sabina dive site. It is considered one of the best pick-up drift dive sites in Hurghada.
Start your dive here by swimming with the reef on the right shoulder. The site isn’t very deep. The reef is home to many various coral fish. You may also meet an eagle ray or a turtle.
Shaab Pinky
Shaab Pinky is the coral wall located on the north side of the Big Giftun Island near to the coast of Hurghada. It is recommended to start your dive above a deep wall, then swim with the reef on the left side. After that, you will find a shallower plateau appearing below at around 15 meters deep.
Above the plateau, the current becomes stronger. You can recognize this place with strong current from a distance by a large number of fish. You can also spot some very vivid coral blocks on the seabed. You have the opportunity to scuba dive with eagle rays or barracudas here.
Fandira
Fandira is a large lagoon formed from a long reef extending from the island of Small Giftun towards the north-west. It is known as Torfa El Shahed, and also called Ben El Gebel, which means between mountains or islands.
The best place to dive in here is along the wall on the outer side of the coral reef. Consider the current and waves and when the conditions permit, put the reef on your right side and swim towards the east. In this direction, the plateau close to the coral reef becomes deeper and deeper. It can also swim in the other direction till reaching the boat anchorage on Torfa, the bottom is not deep here.
Erg Somaya
Boats can anchor at Erg Somaya only if the current isn’t strong. Otherwise, you will face a difficulty in finding the anchor line to find from the boat, as it floats in the depth in the current. In that case, this site can also be enjoyed as a pick-up drift dive.
Start your dive by swimming with the reef on your write side, passing several coral blocks along the drop-off before reaching a shallow erg teeming with Red Sea anthias. You will find them swimming against the currents in large schools all together to get their food.
When there is strong current, end the dive in the same place where the normal drift starts at the Police Station – Small Giftun dive site. Therefore, take care when surfacing to avoid passing boats.
Shaab Ayman – Erg Abu Ramada
You can conduct best pick-up drift dives over the coral garden in Abu Ramada Island which has a depth of 20 meters and continue towards Erg Abu Ramada and maybe beyond if you want when there is too strong current.
In this place you may have encounters with whitetip reef sharks while resting in a small cave. Along the way is Erg Abu Ramada is another nice place, which there are three connected towers covered with soft corals that cannot even be swam around in strong currents. In that case, you should continue towards the wall towards Cave Abu Ramada.
North Abu Ramada
Other pick-up drift dive sites in Hurghada in which you can enjoy the very strong currents are around Abu Ramada Island. Therefore, it is recommended to organize a pick-up drift here. Srart your dive from the northern peak of the reef, with negative buoyancy (If you can).
Depending on the current strength, i.e. if it is very strong, you should go to the eastern side of the reef as quickly as possible and continue with the coral reef on the right side.
Therefore, this site is the best site for experienced divers only. In case of having gentle current, look around for a very nice plateau and drop-off on the north-west side.
Shaab Adel
The location of Shaab Adel is close to one of the most popular coral reefs in Hurghada, Gotta Abu Ramada. There is a plateau around 16 – 18 meters deep where there are several coral towers and blocks rising from the seabed.
As this site is less frequently visited, there is a chance of encountering a shark. Start your dive by swimming around one tower after another, then wait to see if anything appears. Make a safety stop at the buoy, as most coral towers lie deeper than 5 meters.
