This article is from my traveling Israel blog: www.aviway.net
If you don't know, Eilat is laying in the southren edge of Israel.
The red sea is one of the best diving sites in the world. Although the best parts of it are located in Sinai, Egypt, Eilat can still offer some very good diving sites. Here is why you should be diving in Eilat.
Why is it so good to dive in Eilat?
The conditions and marine life:
- visibility is great - Most of the year it is around 30+ meter.
- Diving in Eilat is not too cold even in winter – The coldest it can get is around 21 Celsius. can be easily handled with a thick wetsuit.
- Diverse and colorful marine life - While diving in Eilat you won't see gigantic animals (although once in a while there is a whale shark) but you will see a lot of colors. common to see: lion fish, clown fish, parrot fish, morena, octopus and much more...
- Shore dives - All the dive sites except one are easy to reach within a short swim from the shore. It saves tons of time because you are not dependent on a boat and other people, just go and dive when you feel like.
An impression of diving in Eilat:
The red sea is one of the best diving sites in the world. Although the best parts of it are located in Sinai, Egypt, Eilat can still offer some very good diving sites. Here is why you should be diving in Eilat:
Why is it so good to dive in Eilat?
The conditions and marine life:
- visibility is great - Most of the year it is around 30+ meter.
- Diving in Eilat is not too cold even in winter – The coldest it can get is around 21 Celsius. can be easily handled with a thick wetsuit.
- Diverse and colorful marine life - While diving in Eilat you won't see gigantic animals (although once in a while there is a whale shark) but you will see a lot of colors. common to see: lion fish, clown fish, parrot fish, morena, octopus and much more...
- Shore dives - All the dive sites except one are easy to reach within a short swim from the shore. It saves tons of time because you are not dependent on a boat and other people, just go and dive when you feel like.
An impression of diving in Eilat:
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It is relatively cheap to dive in Eilat
How much is ILS?! For the currency rate check here.
Certified Diver:
If you are an experienced diver and want to go diving in Eilat, you can rent full diving equipment to a whole day for around 150 ILS. Some clubs will rent gear for 120 ILS and every tank will be charged for 10 ILS, some clubs will rent full gear with unlimited tanks for 160 ILS. Some will include boots ( which are recommended), some will include a computer. see my list of favorites diving clubs below.A guided dive (fun dive) is around 120 ILS.
Learn to dive in Eilat -Diving Courses:
Open water course is around 1200 ILS.
Open water + advanced is around 1800-2100 ILS.
Courses usually include accommodation.Some courses include a visit to the underwater observatory, highly recommended.Learn to dive in Eilat is one of the best places in the world:
If you will take a course you will understand that this sign actually means that everything goes according to plan.
- Sea conditions are very good all the year. I was assisting courses in Koh Tao Thailand and saw people on their first dive going into almost no visibility water, getting lost and having a bad experience.
- The regulations in Israel are stricter about diving. In order to get you out as a more experienced diver, you get an extra dive in the open water course.
- In most of the diving clubs, an integral part of the course is visiting the underwater observatory and hearing lectures about the marine life. No extra pay for that, and it is really awesome.
- Because of the above, open water course in Eilat takes 5 days and not 4 like in most places around the world.
Diving in Eilat Is More Strict:
Bluespotted cornetfish. One of the weirdest creatures around.
In order to rent equipment or go on a fun dive with an instructor, you will have to:
- Show a valid insurance which includes the activity of diving. If you don’t have one you can do it there. diving insurance in Eilat cost around 150-200 ILS for a year.
- Show diving certifications.
- If you didn’t dive for more than 6 months you will have to do a refreshment dive. It means you will go over the basic skills of diving (clearing mask, finding the regulator…) and go for a dive with an instructor. during the dive, the instructor check your buoyancy to see if you are a hazard to the coral reef. As long as you are not all over the place you will pass.
Have your log book if you want to avoid this refreshment dive.
Important TIP:
Have diving booties. The shores are rocky and getting in and out with all the equipment barefoot is not fun, if there are waves you will have to crawl out of the water (first-hand experience).
Where Are The Diving Sites In Eilat?
The diving sites and diving clubs are located on the southern coastline. Most of the diving clubs are located in Almog beach, next to the nature reserve.
My 3 Best diving clubs in Eilat:
- Aqua Sport (PADI) – On the map.
One of the first diving clubs in Eilat, maybe that’s why they have the best beach in Eilat. there is a bar, a restaurant, and accommodation option in the club compound. Diving in front of the club is beautiful, the highlight is a field of eels. There is also a tiny wreck in 30 meters. - Marina Divers (SSI) – On the map.
Very good facilities and shop. Located next to one of Eilat’s most popular diving site, HaSatil. HaSatil is old warship which Israel stole from French…wait what?! Yes! You can read about it here. - Palmida (IANTD) – On the map.
The big advantage of this club is that is located quite close to the city, right next to Mosh beach at the southern coastline. It is actually the only club there. The advantage is that you can just walk here from the city. The combination of Mosh beach and the diving club make it a very chill place.
4 - Best diving sites in Eilat:
Besides the nature reserve yea?
- The Caves – A shallow beautiful diving site There is 2 swim through and the surrounding is rich with marine life.
- Princess Hotel Beach – In a way, it is a “lower quality of the reserve”. One of the beautiful things you can see here is a field of eels.
- HaSatil – The famous wreck of Eilat. The deck is 20+- meter depth. It is one of the ships Israel stole from France. Wait, what?! Read here for more info.
- Paradise -(30 meter) a deep coral reef, a bit harder to find, for more experienced divers.
