Do you need a scuba certification for an introductory dive in Sharm El Sheikh, and what are the usual depth and dive time limits?
Based on 2 discussions with 3 participants · Last activity: 11 days ago
TL;DR
For an introductory dive in Sharm El Sheikh, you usually do not need a certification if you go with an instructor. Travelers report about 40 minutes underwater and a typical depth cap of around 12 m, although some excursions may go deeper in practice, so it is best to confirm with the dive center in advance.
What the community said
One recent traveler said they went down to about 25 m on an excursion dive with an instructor and were not asked for any certification. This suggests that actual practices can vary between operators and may differ from the usual limits.
11 days ago 25 m
According to another traveler, it is вполне possible to do a roughly 40-minute dive without a certification if you are accompanied by an instructor. The depth mentioned was around 12 m, which matches a typical introductory dive format.
11 days ago 40 minutes, 12 m
Another comment suggested that dive duration may depend on certification level and noted that 55 minutes sounds unusually long for an intro dive. If an operator promises nearly an hour underwater without a license, it is worth double-checking the exact program and limits.
11 days ago 55 minutes