Having just returned from ten days of diving with SUBEX Sahl Hasheesh, I can honestly say that this is one of the best organized dive centers I have ever experienced. Then again, they are Swiss, so I guess that’s no surprise! The dive base is clean and tidy, with very well thought out lockers (full height double width lockers, not just the “cubby hole” style you tend to see) to easily store all of your equipment between dives. The cleaning and drying area is likewise well put together and very easy to navigate. There’s a separate lounge corner for briefings and log book entries with a large map of the house reef (more about that later) and fish guides to help you figure out what you saw on your dives.
The ultimate luxury touch has to be the warm showers which are just amazing after a dive (I will probably miss these in every dive center I visit from now on!). Every tank (“literox” 28% standard!) is always and exactly 200 bar. The pickup is always on time. On to the diving 😉 The house reef is actually quite nice! Of course it won’t give adrenaline junkies much to write about, but it’s perfect for a long chilled out dive. A pretty good array of small to medium sized reefs, surprisingly good selection of sea life (rays of all sizes, sea horses, octopus, nudies, and all the usual suspects in terms of red sea fishes). Local legend (i.e. Patrick) swears that there is a turtle in the sea grass out by the “Gamma” reef, but I never saw it… will have to come back and look again ;). The reef complex is also big enough that you can spend several days diving it and see a variety of things, so you never get bored.
I was lucky to dive with two experienced buddies during my time, meaning that we could dive independently and set our own schedule (it’s nice to lie in sometimes!) I also spent four days (eight dives) on the SUBEX boat out of Hurghada – which is a “must do” for those divers looking for a little adventure. The same “great organization” theme from the dive center applies to the boat – you can really tell that it was put together by divers for divers. Pickup and transfer from the hotel to the harbour and back was always on time, and your kit is always in the right place (plus rinsed and dried between boat days).
Dive guide Hamada knows the area like the back of his hand and can find you exactly the experience you want. A special shout out to the Red Sea Wall drift which was absolutely amazing. All in all, could not be happier with my experience with SUBEX. If you are looking for a clean, safe, and well organized dive center that nevertheless leaves you the freedom to enjoy yourself then look no further than this little piece of Swiss clockwork on the coast of the red sea!
