Choosing the right Red Sea liveaboard is harder than it looks. Trip lengths, cabin quality, routes and pricing vary massively — from northern itineraries specialising in shipwrecks like the famous SS Thistlegorm to southern routes focused on pristine reefs and big pelagics such as Oceanic Whitetip Sharks.
I’m a scuba instructor and dive travel blogger who’s spent years diving around the world and on liveaboards myself, and I’ve dived the Red Sea several times, including a week onboard the Seawolf Dominator — so this guide focuses on what actually matters once you’re out there, not just marketing.
Whether you’re looking for legendary wrecks, big pelagics, a more premium experience, or a budget-friendly trip that still delivers, this guide breaks down the best Red Sea liveaboards for different budgets, trip styles and experience levels.
Check out the Best Red Sea Liveaboard Quick Picks right below or dive down deeper for my Detailed Reviews!
Find Your Perfect Red Sea Liveaboard 🛥️💨✨ ⭐
- 1) Top Pick 🚤🏆🦈👑 — All Star Scuba Scene ($$$)
- 3) Best Budget South Red Sea Trips 🚤🦈🌊⭐ — JP Marine ($$)
- 4) Best for Experienced Divers 🚤🦈🤿😎⭐ — MY Odyssey ($$$)
- 5) Long North/South Combo Trips 🚤🕒🌍⭐ — Blue Horizon II ($$)
- 6) Small Group & Short North Trips 🚤💨👥❤️⭐— Snefro Pearl ($$)
- 7) Free NITROX 🚤💨⭐ — Blue ($$)
- 8) Biggest Variety of Itineraries 🚤🧭🤯⭐ — Dune Silky ($$)
- 9) Best Reputation & Beginner-Friendly🚤👑📖⭐ — Red Sea Aggressor II ($$$)
- 10) Best Onboard Experience 🚤🧘⭐ — Alsuraya ($$)
1) Top Pick 🚤🏆🦈👑 — All Star Scuba Scene ($$$)
In my opinion, All Star Scuba Scene is the best Red Sea liveaboard overall.
There’s a range of itineraries to choose from – you can dive everything from famous Northern wrecks like the SS Thistlegorm to Southern hotspots such as Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone which are renowned for Pelagic action like Oceanic Whitetip Sharks and Mantas Rays.
One of the things that really stands out about All Star Scuba Scene is the quality of its dive operation. The crew does an excellent job of planning dives around conditions and timing, helping guests experience many of the Red Sea’s most famous sites at their very best.
It’s also one of the newer liveaboards operating in Egypt, with extremely spacious and comfortable modern cabins, a jacuzzi, swimming pool, pool bar, huge TV room and plenty of space to relax between dives.
Combined with superb onboard dining experiences, all this makes staying on All Star Scuba Scene a truly luxurious experience. For me, it strikes a great balance between serious diving and preimium onboard comfort.
- Price: $$$
- North, South & North/South Trips: 7 – 14 nights
- Fantastic quality of dive operations and service.
- Swimming pool, jacuzzi and pool bar
- Big cabins and spacious social areas
2) Beginners, Short North Trips & Cheap 🚤💨🤿⭐ — Amelie ($)
If your a beginner scuba diver and considering your first Red Sea liveaboard, Amelie is hard to beat.
Unlike other Red Sea liveaboards, Open Water divers are welcome and there are no minimum logged dive requirements.
Amelie is also one of the cheapest liveaboards in the Red Sea and offers shorter 3-night itineraries, making it a great choice for divers who want to experience life onboard a liveaboard without committing to a full week-long trip.
For an additional cost, divers can also complete scuba diving courses onboard.
Most itineraries focus on the Northern Red Sea, where divers can enjoy colourful reefs, famous wrecks and generally easier diving conditions than some of the more challenging southern routes.
With small group sizes and beginner-friendly itineraries, Amelie is my top recommendation for newer liveaboard divers.
- 6 Budget friendly Bunk Bed Cabins
- Open Water Divers welcome
- No minimum logged dives required
- Scuba Courses available
- Short 3 Night Trip Option
- North Routes – easy diving, wrecks and beautiful reefs
3) Best Budget South Red Sea Trips 🚤🦈🌊⭐ — JP Marine ($$)
If you’re interested in exploring some of the Red Sea’s best southern dive sites at a lower cost, JP Marine is the best option for you.
Its itineraries include legendary Southern routes such as the Pelagic Trail, Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone and St John’s.
These are the sort of trips many divers travel to Egypt specifically to experience, with the chance to encounter Oceanic Whitetip Sharks, Hammerheads, Manta Rays, dolphins and other big pelagic species.
The boat is decently comfortable, with spacious cabins, good facilities and food and enough room to relax between dives whilst the dive guides and crew are attentive, friendly and experienced.
For me, JP Marine offers a fantastic balance of affordability, comfort and high-quality diving through Egypt’s legendary South Red Sea for awesome pelagic action.
- Price: $$
- Excellent South Red Sea itineraries
- Exciting Itineraries to choose from including “Pelagic Trail”, “Deep South Expedition” and more.
- Comfortable cabins and onboard facilities
4) Best for Experienced Divers 🚤🦈🤿😎⭐ — MY Odyssey ($$$)
If you’re an experienced diver looking to explore some of the Red Sea’s most exciting offshore reefs and marine parks, MY Odyssey is a fantastic choice.
Unlike many Red Sea liveaboards, MY Odyssey has relatively high experience requirements. Southern itineraries require Advanced Open Water certification and 50 logged dives.
This makes these trips best suited to confident divers who are comfortable with deeper diving, stronger currents and blue-water conditions. In return, divers gain access to world-class sites such as Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone!
Northern itineraries are also available and visit famous wrecks including the SS Thistlegorm. For these trips, divers are required to have Advanced Open Water and at least 10 logged dives.
A massage room as well a hot tub help keep the pace of life onboard calm and tranquil whilst the luxury sized cabins, fine quality dining and highly experienced crew all create a luxury vibes trip with the MY Odyssey.
- Price: $$$
- Advanced Open Water Certification & 50+ dives required for South Trips
- North & South Trips
- Spacious cabins, massage room and hot tub onboard
5) Long North/South Combo Trips 🚤🕒🌍⭐ — Blue Horizon II ($$)
If you’re looking to experience as much of the Red Sea as possible in a single trip, Blue Horizon II is an excellent choice.
Blue Horizon II offers an Ultimate Red Sea expedition — an incredible 10-night safari that combines the best of both the northern and southern Red Sea in a single trip.
Alongside iconic wrecks like the SS Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas and Ras Mohamed, you’ll also dive legendary offshore reefs including Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, famous for their pelagic marine life.
7-night trips that visit either just the Northern or Southern Red Sea regions are also available.
Life onboard is spacious with premium vibes – there are two large sundecks, a Jacuzzi, a comfortable indoor lounge and bar, plus a large dive deck complete with camera facilities and freshwater rinse tanks. Noice!
Blue Horizon II is a fantastic choice for divers who want to maximise their time in the water and experience the very best of Egypt’s North and South Red Sea on one trip.
- 💵 Price: $$
- Ultimate Red Sea 10-night expedition
- 7 Night Trips also available
- Jacuzzi, spacious lounge and sundecks
- Awesome value for money
6) Small Group & Short North Trips 🚤💨👥❤️⭐— Snefro Pearl ($$)
If you’re looking for a shorter Red Sea liveaboard with fewer guests onboard, Snefro Pearl is an excellent choice. Accommodating a maximum of just 12 guests, it offers one of the most intimate liveaboard experiences in the Red Sea.
All itineraries last just 3 nights, making it ideal for divers who are short on time or want to fit a liveaboard into a longer Egypt holiday.
With up to 11 dives in just 4 days, including two dives on the legendary SS Thistlegorm, you’ll still experience many of the Northern Red Sea’s best dive sites, from the spectacular reefs of Ras Mohamed to colourful coral gardens, dramatic walls and historic wrecks such as the Dunraven.
It’s also one of the few Red Sea liveaboards that can easily be combined with land-based activities around Sharm El Sheikh or the Sinai Peninsula, making it perfect if you want to experience more of Egypt than just its diving.
The relaxed atmosphere, experienced crew, delicious food and small group size create a more personal, laid-back experience that’s perfect for couples or anyone who prefers a quieter liveaboard.
- Price: $
- Short 3-night trips
- North Trips – epic wrecks and reefs
- Advanced Open Water & 20 Logged Dives Required
- Additional land based activites
7) Free NITROX 🚤💨⭐ — Blue ($$)
If you’re Nitrox certified, Blue is one of the best-value Red Sea liveaboards available thanks to complimentary Nitrox on every trip.
Free Nitrox is a real bonus on a week-long liveaboard, where you’ll often be doing 3–4 dives a day for several days in a row. It can provide longer no-decompression limits on many dives while also reducing nitrogen loading compared with air.
I’ve personally spent weeks on liveabaords both on regular air and also entirley on Nitrox and I always feel less tired and more fresh when I’ve been sticking to NITROX!
Built in 2016, Blue cruises a fantastic range of Red Sea itineraries, from the famous Northern Wrecks & Reefs to Brothers, Daedalus, Rocky, Zabargad and St. John’s.
The 43m yacht accommodates 24 guests in a choice of twin, double and suite cabins, with spacious social areas, a large dive deck and dedicated camera table.
Experienced divers will also appreciate the onboard rebreather support, making Blue a fantastic choice for getting the most out of a full week exploring the Red Sea and staying energized!
- Price: $$
- FREE NITROX
- North & South Red Sea Trips
- Onboard Rebreather Support
- Great Value for money
8) Biggest Variety of Itineraries 🚤🧭🤯⭐ — Dune Silky ($$)
If you’re not sure which part of the Red Sea you want to explore, Dune Silky gives you one of the widest choices of itineraries available.
There’s something for almost every type of diver, from the beginner-friendly Fury Shoals & Dolphins trip to more challenging adventures such as Golden Triangle, North Brothers and Mixed South, visiting famous sites including Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, Rocky Island, Zabargad and St John’s.
Most itineraries are aimed at experienced divers and require Advanced Open Water certification with 50 logged dives, although the Fury Shoals & Dolphins trip welcomes Open Water divers with no minimum logged dives required.
Built in 2020, Dune Silky is a modern and spacious liveaboard with bright, air-conditioned cabins, comfortable indoor and outdoor lounges, a shaded bar area and a large sundeck.
The spacious dive deck makes gearing up easy, while the experienced DUNE crew are known for delivering smooth, well-organised trips.
- 💵 Price: $$
- Huge choice of North and South Red Sea itineraries
- Most trips aimed for experienced divers
- Dolphin focused trips (beginner friendly)
9) Best Reputation & Beginner-Friendly🚤👑📖⭐ — Red Sea Aggressor II ($$$)
Red Sea Aggressor II is one of the most trusted liveaboards operating in the Red Sea, making it a great choice for divers who value a proven reputation and consistently high standards.
Launched in 2018, it combines modern accommodation with the world-renowned Aggressor brand. The experienced crew, spacious sun deck, hot tub and dedicated camera facilities all create a relaxed experience between dives.
Unlike many Red Sea liveaboards, Red Sea Aggressor II welcomes Open Water divers with no minimum logged dives required.
It explores the Northern Red Sea, where guests can dive famous wrecks including the SS Thistlegorm and Abu Nuhas, alongside the colourful reefs of Ras Mohamed and the Straits of Tiran.
The comfortable cabins feature ensuite bathrooms, individual climate control, flatscreen TVs and daily steward service. Guests also enjoy thoughtful touches like nightly turn-down service and morning beverage service.
A highly reputable, beginner-friendly liveaboard that combines classic Northern Red Sea diving suited to beginners with premium onboard service and the consistently high standards of the Aggressor brand.
- 💵 Price: $$$
- Part of the world-renowned Aggressor fleet
- Beginner Friendly – open water divers with no minimum logged dives accepted
- North Red Sea wreck and reef itineraries
10) Best Onboard Experience 🚤🧘⭐ — Alsuraya ($$)
If you’re looking for a Red Sea liveaboard that’s just as enjoyable above the water as it is below, Alsuraya is a fantastic choice. Launched in 2024, it’s one of the newest liveaboards operating in the Red Sea.
What really sets Alsuraya apart is its dedicated hospitality manager, whose role is to ensure every guest has the best possible experience onboard.
Combined with freshly prepared meals, à la carte dinners, an upper-deck cocktail bar, comfortable social areas and spacious cabins with large panoramic windows, Alsuraya delivers one of the best onboard experiences in the Red Sea.
FREE Nitrox is available! Diving with Nitrox is less taxing on the body so this is a great way to stay fresh throughout the trip.
There’s a great choice of itineraries, from Northern Red Sea wrecks like the SS Thistlegorm and the colourful reefs of Ras Mohamed to southern highlights including St John’s, Zabargad and Elphinstone.
One of the newest Red Sea liveaboards, Alsuraya combines excellent onboard hospitality with modern comforts, making it one of the best choices for divers who want to enjoy their time above the water as much as the diving itself.
- 💵 Price: $$
- Dedicated hospitality manager onboard
- Upper-deck cocktail bar and comfortable social areas
- Freshly prepared meals with à la carte dinners
- Spacious modern cabins with large panoramic windows
- FREE Nitrox
- North and South Red Sea itineraries
📚🌊 Red Sea Liveaboard Guide
A collection of practical guides to help you choose the right itinerary, prepare for your trip and get the most from your Red Sea liveaboard adventure.
🌍🧭 North vs South Red Sea: Which Should You Choose?
Practically every single Red Sea liveaboard in operation (and all of those listed on this page) operate in the Red Sea of Egypt. Egypt’s Red Sea can be divided into two regions: North and South.
🧭 Northern Red Sea
At a Glance:
- 🤿 Easy dive conditions
- 🚢 World-famous wreck diving
- 🪸 Colourful coral reefs
- 🐠 Incredible reef life
- 🌊 Generally calmer conditions
- 👌 Suitable many Open Water divers
- 📍 Highlights: SS Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas, Ras Mohamed, Straits of Tiran & Dunraven
The Northern Red Sea is renowned for its world-famous wrecks, colourful coral reefs and generally calmer diving conditions, making it one of Egypt’s most diverse liveaboard destinations.
It’s home to spectacular marine life, healthy reefs and excellent visibility, with many itineraries suitable for Open Water divers and, on some liveaboards, no minimum logged dives required.
If you’re a newer diver or booking your first liveaboard, I’d generally recommend the Northern Red Sea thanks to its more forgiving conditions, while experienced divers will still find some of the best wreck and reef diving anywhere in the world.
North Red Sea Diving Highlights:
🚢 SS Thistlegorm:
Widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest wreck dives, the SS Thistlegorm is the highlight of many Northern Red Sea liveaboards.
Sunk by German bombers in 1941 while carrying military vehicles, motorcycles and other wartime cargo, the 420-foot wreck is now encrusted in coral, creating an unforgettable dive that combines history with thriving marine life.
🪸🐢🐠 Ras Mohamed National Park
Established in 1983, Ras Mohamed was Egypt’s very first national park and remains one of the country’s most iconic dive destinations. Located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, it’s renowned for its dramatic walls, exceptionally healthy coral reefs and thriving marine life.
Highlights include Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef which are marked by two massive peaks rising from the ocean floor that are encrusted with a host of corals and gorgonian fans.
These colourful coral gardens are home to wrasse, anthias, jackfish and turtles, while larger pelagic species such as barracuda, tuna and reef sharks can be seen patrolling out in the blue. It’s one of the finest reef diving areas in the entire Red Sea.
⚓ Abu Nuhas
Known as the “Ship Graveyard” of the Red Sea, Abu Nuhas is one of the world’s most famous wreck diving destinations.
Located just off Shadwan Island, the reef is home to five historic cargo shipwrecks, including the Giannis D, Chrisoula K, Kimon M. and the famous Carnatic, a British ship that sank in 1869 while carrying a cargo of gold and wine.
Many of Abu Nuhas’ wrecks begin in relatively shallow water, making them accessible to open water divers whilst still offering plenty to explore for more experienced wreck enthusiasts.
🌊🐟⚓ Straits of Tiran & Dunraven
The Straits of Tiran are renowned for their spectacular drift dives, towering reef walls and crystal-clear visibility.
The famous reefs of Jackson, Thomas, Gordon and Woodhouse are covered in healthy hard and soft corals, while the deep blue water beyond the walls creates the chance to encounter sharks, barracuda, tuna and other pelagic species.
🦈🌊 Southern Red Sea
At a Glance:
- 😎 Best for experienced divers
- 🦈 Incredible shark & pelagic encounters
- 🌊 Stronger currents and exhilarating drift dives
- 🪸 Remote offshore reefs and dramatic walls
- 🤿 Advanced Open Water and 50+ logged dives often required
- 📍 Highlights: Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, St John’s, Rocky Island & Zabargad
The Southern Red Sea is renowned for its spectacular offshore reefs, dramatic walls and some of the best pelagic diving in Egypt. It’s the place to come if you’re hoping to encounter sharks, manta rays, tuna, giant trevally and other larger marine life, while still enjoying vibrant coral reefs, excellent visibility and an abundance of reef fish.
Compared to the north, the diving is generally more adventurous. Many itineraries visit remote reefs far from the mainland, where stronger currents can attract bigger marine life. As a result, most Southern Red Sea liveaboards are aimed at experienced divers and often require an Advanced Open Water certification and a minimum number of logged dives.
If you’re an experienced diver looking for bigger marine life, fewer dive boats and a greater sense of adventure, the Southern Red Sea is hard to beat. While conditions can be more challenging, the reward is access to some of Egypt’s most exciting and pristine dive sites.
I loved diving the Southern Red Sea myself, particularly my unforgettable first encounter with an oceanic whitetip shark during my first Red Sea liveaboard trip.
South Red Sea Diving Highlights:
🦈🌊 Brothers Islands
The Brothers are two remote offshore islands that often mark the northern edge of Southern Red Sea itineraries. They’re famous for dramatic walls covered in soft corals and gorgonian fans, with regular chances to see larger marine life including reef sharks, grey reef sharks, tuna and barracuda.
Big Brother also adds a wreck-diving element, with the Numidia and Aida lying along its reef. Combined with colourful anthias, sweepers and schooling fish, the Brothers offer a brilliant mix of walls, wrecks and pelagic action.
🦈🌊 Daedalus Reef
Located around 50 miles offshore, Daedalus Reef is one of the Red Sea’s most remote and pristine marine parks. Its dramatic walls are covered in healthy hard and soft corals, anemones and giant gorgonian fans, creating a spectacular backdrop for schools of reef fish, moray eels and turtles.
Strong currents often attract larger marine life, making Daedalus one of the Red Sea’s best places to encounter hammerhead sharks, manta rays, reef sharks and other pelagic species. Its remote location and thrilling blue-water diving make it a highlight of many Southern Red Sea liveaboards.
🐢🪸 Abu Dabbab
Situated near Marsa Alam, Abu Dabbab is the starting point for many Southern Red Sea liveaboards. Its shallow coral gardens, sandy seabed and calm conditions make it an ideal location for check dives and for divers to get comfortable before heading to the region’s more challenging offshore reefs.
The site is home to healthy coral reefs, turtles, blue-spotted stingrays and a wide variety of colourful reef fish. With little to no current, Abu Dabbab offers a relaxed introduction to the spectacular diving that awaits further south.
🦈🌊 Elphinstone Reef
Elphinstone Reef is one of the Red Sea’s most iconic dive sites, renowned for its dramatic walls, colourful soft corals and giant gorgonian fans. The long reef is divided into a northern and southern plateau, connected by sheer walls that plunge into the deep blue and are alive with thriving coral and schools of reef fish.
Strong currents often attract larger pelagic species, making Elphinstone one of the world’s best places to encounter the charismatic oceanic whitetip shark, famous for its inquisitive nature and close interactions with divers. This was the highlight of my own Southern Red Sea liveaboard and an encounter I’ll never forget.
🪸🌊 St. John’s Reef
Located at the southern end of many Red Sea liveaboard itineraries, St. John’s is often considered one of the highlights of the trip.
Its signature feature is an extraordinary maze-like network of shallow caverns, tunnels and swim-throughs, all draped in colourful coral and filled with reef fish, creating an underwater labyrinth that takes several dives to fully explore.
Combined with pristine coral gardens, dramatic walls and exceptional visibility, St. John’s offers some of the most spectacular reef diving in the entire Red Sea.
🌴🦈 Rocky Island & Zabargad
Rocky Island and Zabargad are among the most remote dive sites in the Egyptian Red Sea, offering a true expedition feel far from the crowds.
Renowned for dramatic walls, pristine coral reefs and crystal-clear visibility, they’re home to an abundance of reef fish alongside larger pelagic species including tuna, giant trevally, barracuda and several species of shark.
Their remote location means fewer dive boats and exceptionally healthy reefs, making Rocky Island and Zabargad a fitting finale to many Southern Red Sea liveaboard itineraries.
Hi, I’m Alex. I’m the creator of Diving Squad, a scuba diving blog shaped by a five-year odyssey spent drifting through Southeast Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere. In 2023, I landed in Panglao of the Philippines — and loved it so much I ended up staying! I’ve been based here ever since, working as a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor, whilst continuing to build Diving Squad. When I’m not in the water, I’m usually editing underwater footage, planning a trip, or cruising around on my bike — but never for long before the reefs pull me back.
Why Choose a Red Sea Liveaboard?
A Red Sea liveaboard gives you access to Egypt’s most spectacular dive sites while maximising your time underwater. Instead of returning to shore after every dive, you’ll stay close to the reefs and typically enjoy 3–4 dives per day, including early morning and night dives.
Many of the Southern Red Sea’s most famous dive sites—including Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone, St. John’s and Rocky Island & Zabargad—can only realistically be reached by liveaboard.
While some Northern Red Sea highlights, such as the SS Thistlegorm and Ras Mohamed, can be visited on day trips, a liveaboard allows you to spend more time at these iconic sites, enjoy multiple dives, and often experience them with fewer crowds by being there much earlier in the day.
Instead of spending hours travelling to and from the dive sites each day, you’ll wake up already surrounded by the Red Sea’s best reefs and wrecks. With multiple dives, ever-changing scenery and a huge variety of marine life throughout the trip, diving the Red Sea via a liveaboard is the most rewarding way to experience one of the world’s greatest diving destinations.
🎒 Red Sea Liveaboard Packing List
Having the right equipment can make your Red Sea liveaboard far more comfortable, both in and out of the water.
While most boats provide tanks and weights, you’ll still need to think about your personal dive gear, clothing, electronics and a few useful accessories.
If you don’t own scuba equipment, it’s usually available to rent onboard for an additional fee, but many divers prefer bringing their own gear for the best fit, comfort and familiarity.
If you’re wondering what to bring, these are the four pieces of gear I’d recommend most for a Red Sea liveaboard. ⭐
- 😎 Atomic Venom Mask – The most comfortable dive mask I’ve ever used, with exceptional visibility and a superb fit.
- ⌚ Shearwater Teric – My personal dive computer and one of the best dive computers available for recreational and technical diving.
- 🎥 DJI Osmo Action 6 – My favourite action camera for wide-angle dive videos, with excellent image stabilisation and underwater colour correction.
- 📷 Olympus TG-7 – The best compact underwater camera for capturing solid underwater photography – especially macro!
Don’t Forget:
- 🎫 Certification card (or digital certification)
- 🌞 Reef-safe sunscreen
- 🚩 Surface marker buoy (SMB)
- 🔦 Dive torch (especially for night dives)
- 💊 Seasickness medication
- 🎒 Dry bag
- 🔋 Power bank
- 🔌 Travel adapter
- 👕 Lightweight hoodie or windproof jacket for cooler evenings
🛡️ Dive Insurance
Many of the Red Sea’s best dive sites are remote offshore reefs, so specialist dive insurance is highly recommended. I personally recommend DiveAssure, which offers dedicated scuba diving and liveaboard insurance, including cover for dive accidents and emergency medical evacuation.
☀️ Red Sea Diving Season – When to Go
Thanks to its warm climate and minimal rainfall, the Red Sea offers excellent diving year-round. However, each season has its own advantages depending on the marine life you’re hoping to encounter and the conditions you prefer.
- ❄️ December – February: Winter brings cooler water temperatures of around 22°C (72°F), creating comfortable diving conditions with excellent visibility. It’s also considered one of the best times to encounter oceanic whitetip sharks on Southern Red Sea liveaboards, making this a particularly rewarding season for divers hoping to see larger pelagic species.
- 🌸 March – May: Spring offers an excellent balance of warm air and water temperatures, making it one of the most comfortable times to dive the Red Sea. It’s also one of the best seasons to spot whale sharks, particularly in the Northern Red Sea.
- 🍂 September – November: Autumn combines warm water with more comfortable air temperatures, making it another fantastic time to visit. It’s an excellent season for spotting thresher sharks in the north and manta rays in the south, while generally being a little quieter than the spring peak.
What to Expect on a Red Sea Liveaboard:
If you’re diving the North Region; your liveaboard will either depart from Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh; both of which are within less than 30 minutes taxi ride of their own International Airport.
If you’re diving the South Region, you liveaboard will depart from Marsa Alam (aka Port Ghalib) which also has an International Airport, a 50 minute taxi ride away.
Your liveaboard will arrange to pick you up from wherever you’re staying on either the night before or the morning of departure. You’ll have a named box in which to keep your dive gear whether it’s your own, rental equipment or a combo of both.
There’s several forms to fill out, regarding health and safety. You’ll want to already have you dive insurance locked down when doing these so you can put in the ref number. And then it’s time to be shown to your cabin and unpack the rest of your things.
After this, there’s an orientation briefing and then time to set sail for your first dives. Generally, the first day’s diving is around extra easy dive sites so you can check your gear is working and that you feel comfortable in case it’s been a while since your last dive.
Generally on the first day, there’s only 2 dives and the same again on the last day. But for all other days; there’s usually 3 dives a day a night dive. Of course, every dive is optional: you can sit out any dive you like!
Excluding the first and last day; the Schedule is generally this:
- Wake-Up call between 6 – and 7 am. You then have about thirty minutes to grab a snack (like a cereal bar) and a coffee before a bell or intercom will announce it’s time to be briefed for the first dive of the day!
- After finishing the first dive and getting back on the liveaboard; it’s time for breakfast. You then have a couple of hours to chill out; most folks headed to the partially shaded out door lounge for a read or to chill with some music; others went into the air-conditioned lounge.
- Next, it’s time for the second dive of the day. Followed by lunch! Then you have a couple more hours to chill.
- Third dive of the day followed by sunset drinks up-top. Then comes dinner. A while later, there’s usually a night dive.
- People can then do as they please – some have a few drinks and play card games, others head for an early night.
- On the last day, you’ll arrive back at the same port from which you started. Do remember, you ought to wait at least 16 hours after your last dive before flying!
First Timers Tips for going on a Liveaboard
- Throughly rinse your ears out under the shower after each dive. This will greatly reduce the likelihood of the ear ache some divers experience when diving as frequently as one does on a liveaboard.
- Factor into your budget a decent tip to give the staff at the end of the week. Often they’re on a pretty low wage, go weeks without a break and are from poorer backgrounds. There’s usually around 15 staff on a boat; so you really want to give a tip of at least around $150 so that they all get ten bucks each.
- Remember, the North Region is where you’ll find plenty of wreck dives in fairly shallow waters without currents, making it beginner friendly. More divers go here so liveaboards in this area tend to be slightly cheaper.
- The South Region is where you’ll find big pelagic action like sharks and manta rays. It’s a little more off-the-beaten-track and a few of the dive sites are more challenging, suitable for advanced open water divers.
- Get Nitrox certified. It only takes half a day to complete this cheap course. I’ve been on liveaboards where literally every guest is diving on Nitrox so being the odd one out would mean having a different dive profile to everyone else. L
- Be present! Try not to spend all your time beholding the marine kingdom behind a dive camera. It’s always better when seen with the naked eye in real time.
- Have fun! That’s what you’re there for right?! Go out of your comfort zone, talk to people you normally wouldn’t, be engaged and present, kind and aware, driven and focused. Adventure is out there!
🌊 Final Thoughts
The Red Sea is one of the world’s greatest liveaboard destinations, combining iconic shipwrecks, superb coral reefs and unforgettable marine life in a way that few places can match.
It’s also one of the most affordable and easily accessible places in the world to go on a scuba diving liveaboard.
Whether you’re exploring the famous SS Thistlegorm, drifting alongside oceanic whitetip sharks or weaving through the colourful caverns of St. John’s, every itinerary offers something unique.
I hope this guide has helped you choose the right Red Sea liveaboard for your diving style and experience level.
Having explored the Red Sea myself, I can honestly say it’s a destination I never get tired of returning to—and one I think every diver should experience at least once.
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