(Rebreather/Tech) diving from Cairo, Egypt

decoweenie

Questions for those living in Egypt, especially Cairo...

• Where is the closest (i.e. distance, time) to get to for tech diving from Cairo ?
• How far to get to Sharm ? Driving and flying...
• How far to get to Hurghada ? Driving and flying...
• How about north toward the Mediterranean side ?
• How easy to import dive gear into Egypt ? Using DHL/Fed-Ex only ?

Any additional information also helpful...

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safagamarc

PM sent hope it helps!!!

decoweenie

Yes, excellent information. Thanks a lot!

__________________
"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

JonnyB

i dont want to be to picky... but this information is quite good for the public, could you please post the information that you received.

/Jonny

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decoweenie

Marc,

Do you have any objection ?

__________________
"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

safagamarc

Sorry JonnyB and the rest, should have posted straight onto the thread but didn't want to ramble. So here is Egypt.


Saw your post regarding Rebreather/tech here in Egypt. Hope I can answer a few of your points.

Getting out of Cairo is quite easy really all depends the mode of transport you choose. EgyptAir, Air Misr; and a few others do multiple daily flights out of Cairo to both Sharm and Hurghada. These can be expensive especially if you don't have residence status i.e. work permission. With the permit your looking at about 400 L.E. approx. 60€ for return. By car you can drive to both Sharm and Hurghada on fairly good roads (they've just completed the new motorway into the south which makes life really comfy) but they DO prefer that you drive in convoy if your in a private vechicle as a foreigner. From Cairo to Hurghada by car your looking at about 4/4.5 hours. Don't ask me about Sharm I'm not a Sharm fan.
There is also very good and cheap regular scheduled coach departures to both destinations. Hurghada will be approx. 6hrs with the stop in Ras Gharib.

Having stuff sent to Cairo with Fed Ex and DHL is not a problem as long as its Cairo IMHO. We have always recieved our stuff but its a case of when. Example ordered a few manuals and by the time they were here they were out of date. I personally wouldn't do it but thats me and TIA (this is Africa).

As far as Rebreather and Tech support is concerned there is a well established infrastructure in place here in Egypt so you get mostly everything in Cairo and all the larger resorts. I can only tell you what we have here in stock.

Approx. 3 tons of absorbent @ 8,-€ per KG
Trimix/O2 to 300bar
cylinders for most units
cells, spares etc for all eventualities!
and everything else you need for gas diving .

Hope thats answered your questions and if your around pass by me here in Safaga and we'll do a decent splash

Safe silent diving,

Marc

dave t

Phi when I lived in Hurgada I had a very bad experinces shipping stuff into egypt, my personal possessions including four rebreathers took three months to arrive and finally when I was summons to Safaga to collect I was charged a staggering amount of "import tax" which I fourtunatly managed to negotiate down but was still told I had to "donate" some of my personal belongings to the "customs"....all in all a very bad expereince, was a few years ago but be warned!!!

decoweenie

Dave, thanks for the warning.

__________________
"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

decoweenie

A few more detail questions just to see how someone living in Cairo could get some dives in with the least amount of traveling:

• It looks like from Cairo, one could go directly due East to get to the Gulf of Suez (like Zafarana) a lot shorter (1hour) than driving to Sharm or Hurghada (5 hour), etc. How is the diving there, and are there any dive centers there ?
• Any good diving to be had around Alexandria - which is also closer to Cairo ?
• Any available ferry going from the African continent (east of Cairo) to Sharm to reduce the driving distance ? If exists, how safe and reliable ?
• Any other possible scenario ?

safagamarc

Hi Phi,

Regarding your new questions. As far as shortening the travel time you are about right with the area you are looking at. Ain Sokna down to Zafrana is a mass development at the moment with luxury villas and a few resorts going in at the mo. However I'm unaware of any diving centre operating at this time. It is offcourse only a matter of time. The area is in the Gulf of Suez offering sheltered calm waters but it ain't deep. Supposed to be cracking for surfing but then I don't do that so can't tell you anything. Lots of wrecks of course, I think some of the northern liveaboard trips from Sharm head up that way to go wreck hunting (lots of stuff still to be found).
Alex has got some diving but again relatively shallow with alot of controls and permits due to the artifacts still unsurvey. To my knowledge there are only 2 centers which are under local management, and are not Rebreather friendly. I'll do abit of research as a colleague is an Alex resident so if you want I can get him to chase some numbers down!
A ferry over the channel
Hope that helps. Sounds like your coming over for awhile?

Safe diving,
Marc