Diving Without a Licence: Your First Dive in Sharm El Sheikh

If you've snorkeled over a Red Sea reef and wondered what it looks like from below, you can find out without a diving course. An introductory dive (often called a "try dive" or "discover dive") lets complete beginners breathe underwater for 15 minutes or so, with a professional instructor at their side the whole time. No licence, no exam, no previous experience. Our diving trip to Tiran Island is the most popular way to do it from Sharm El Sheikh: a full day on a boat, introductory diving on the reefs around Tiran, and lunch on board.

What is an introductory dive?

An introductory dive is a short, shallow dive for people who have never dived before. You don't learn to dive on your own; instead, the instructor looks after everything for you:

• •They prepare your equipment and help you put it on.
• •They teach you the basics in a short briefing: how to breathe through the regulator, how to clear your ears, and a few hand signals.
• •They stay right next to you underwater, usually holding on to you, and control your depth and buoyancy.
• •They decide where you go and bring you back to the surface.

Your only job is to breathe slowly, keep your ears comfortable and look around. Most people are surprised by how quickly it feels natural.

What it feels like

The first breaths through the regulator feel strange, because you're breathing through your mouth with your face underwater. After a minute it becomes calm and rhythmic, and the sound of your own breathing is all you hear. As you go down, you'll feel pressure in your ears, just like on a plane landing. Your instructor shows you how to equalise: pinch your nose and blow gently against it, early and often. If an ear won't clear, signal to your instructor and go up a little; never push through pain.

Then the reef opens up around you: coral at eye level, fish swimming past your mask, and much more colour and life than you can see from the surface. Our Red Sea fish guide will help you recognise them afterwards.

Three ways to try diving from Sharm

• •Diving at Tiran Island (from €40). About 8 hours. Pickup is around 08:00, then a spacious boat takes you to the dive sites around Tiran Island. After a safety briefing, you dive to about 6–10 m for around 15 minutes with your instructor. Diving equipment, lunch, soft drinks and hotel pickup are included. Send us a copy of your passport at least one day before (it's needed for the Tiran permit). Our Tiran Island reefs guide describes the area.
• •Scuba diving in Ras Mohammed (from €40). About 8 hours on a two-deck diving boat, with one introductory dive of 15–20 minutes to a maximum of 9 m in Ras Mohammed National Park. The park entrance fee, lunch, soft drinks, full equipment and hotel pickup are included. Children can dive from age 10. A passport copy is needed a day before here too.
• •Shore dive at El Fanar Beach (€22). The shortest and cheapest option: about 2–3 hours, with pickup at a time you choose between 10:00 and 14:00. You walk into the water from the beach and dive to 6–8 m for 10–15 minutes over the reef. Equipment and the beach entrance are included, and children aged 10 and over can join. Good if you're nervous about boats or seasickness, or only have half a day.

If some of your group only want to snorkel, the Tiran Island snorkeling trip (€30, children aged 6–11 €20) visits the reefs around Tiran Island on its own snorkeling boat.

Who can do an introductory dive?

Most healthy adults and children from about 10 years old (check the minimum age for your trip when you book). You need to be comfortable in the water, but you don't have to be a strong swimmer. Talk to your doctor before you book if you have heart or lung problems, asthma, epilepsy, ear or sinus problems, if you're pregnant, or if you take regular medication. Don't dive with a cold or blocked nose, as clearing your ears will be painful.

Before and after your dive

• •Eat a light breakfast and drink plenty of water. Skip alcohol the night before.
• •Bring a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and a light jacket for the boat.
• •Don't fly too soon afterwards. Diving organisations generally advise waiting at least 12–18 hours before flying, so don't book your dive for your last day.
• •Pay at the start of the trip. There's no prepayment. Dives booked on the boat itself can cost more than booking in advance.

Never snorkeled before either? Start with our snorkeling for beginners guide to get used to the mask, then dive. Our snorkeling page compares all the sea trips.

Frequently asked questions

Can I dive in Sharm El Sheikh without a licence?

Yes. An introductory dive is made for beginners with no licence or experience. A professional instructor briefs you, stays next to you underwater and controls the dive, which is shallow (up to about 10 m) and short (around 15–20 minutes).

How deep do you go on an introductory dive?

Not deep: about 6–8 m on the El Fanar shore dive, up to 9 m in Ras Mohammed and around 6–10 m at Tiran Island. Most of the reef life is in this shallow, sunlit water.

What is the cheapest way to try diving?

The shore dive at El Fanar Beach costs €22, including hotel pickup, equipment and the beach entrance, and takes only 2–3 hours. The boat trips to Tiran Island and Ras Mohammed cost from €40 and include lunch and a full day at sea.

Can I fly after an introductory dive?

Not straight away. Diving organisations generally recommend waiting at least 12–18 hours before flying, so plan your dive a day or two before you leave Sharm El Sheikh.