The right diving suit for Egypt
The right diving suit for Egypt
The Red Sea offers besides its incredible abundance of fish, beautiful reefs, and incredible visibility underwater, which can easily be in the thirty-meter range, one thing above all else: pleasantly warm water at all times of the year!
Although the term "pleasantly warm water" is of course also subjective and depends on one thing above all: the right diving suit!
How to choose the right diving suit for Egypt?
Which diving suit is the right one varies extremely from one diver to another. The perception of cold of the individual plays a major role in addition to the water temperature. For example, many dive guides in the Red Sea wear dry suits in winter, while guests from more northerly climates who are used to the cold still feel comfortable in shorties.
So it is difficult to make a general statement, but we would like to give you some general guidelines and tips anyway.
Diving in Egypt by "seasons"
In trying to determine the right diving suit for Egypt, we would like to divide the year into two "seasons" in the broadest sense of the word.
- The "winter" in Egypt
The colder season we call "winter". In winter, which for our purposes is from December to April, water temperatures of 20-25 °C prevail. This is the significantly colder diving period for Egypt. The advantages, of course, are fewer boats at the dive sites, fewer divers in the water, and generally more moderate temperatures, for those who do not tolerate the summer heat so well or want to escape the "nasty" dark months in northern Europe to soak up some sun.
In these months, we advise a wetsuit with at least 5mm thickness for divers who are less sensitive to cold and dive only occasionally. Divers who do three dives a day or more, perhaps over several days, are better served with 7mm and possibly a semi-dry suit, especially since it can get downright cold on the boat from December to March, so you cannot warm up between dives. Especially if there is a fresh breeze. We also recommend a hood and undersuit for the particularly cold months.
By the way, dive guides who are in the water several times a day for weeks and months at a time often dive in dry suits during the cold months.
- The "summer" in Egypt
From May to November, the Egyptian "summer", the water has consistently over 25 ° C and from July to October even temperatures over 30 ° C can be reached. Many divers, who usually dive in Northern Europe, now dive with shorts and a T-shirt or a shorty. Air temperatures are pleasantly warm and usually you do not feel cold on the boat but can warm up between dives. For those who are susceptible to the " itchy stuff " in the water, we do not recommend a shorty, but a 2-3 mm full wet suit. For those who want to go diving several days in a row several times a day, a 5mm wet suit is a good option. A thin hoodie is still recommended for those who are prone to ear infections.
Conclusion - Which suit is the best?
For those who only own, want to purchase or take along one wetsuit, a 5 mm wet suit with undersuit and/or ice vest and hoodie is generally a good choice all year round.