What are the swimming conditions like at Sharm el-Sheikh hotel beaches — depth, space, marine life?

The beach is large with plenty of room for everyone. You can swim right toward the neighboring hotel. The pier is short and drops off quickly into deep water. Marine life varies — sometimes plentiful, sometimes sparse. Don't swim past the buoys or lifeguards will whistle you back.

At low tide the lagoon is waist-deep, at high tide it reaches chest level. You don't need to go far — all the good snorkeling is right in the local lagoon.

Full-face snorkel masks are inconvenient for short swims — exhaled air goes into the water creating lots of bubbles, and they're bulky. A classic mask and snorkel is more practical and compact for casual snorkeling.