Riding the Red Sea Winds: A Diver’s Guide to Weather in Hurghada
When you picture a dive trip to Hurghada, your mind likely conjures a perfect, unchanging image: blazing sunshine, a flat, turquoise sea, and endless visibility. And for a huge part of the year, that picture is absolutely accurate. Hurghada is blessed with one of the most stable and dive-friendly climates on Earth.
However, the Red Sea is a vast and dynamic natural environment. The weather, like the sea itself, is in a constant state of flow. As experienced mariners and dive professionals, we have a deep respect for this and understand that the daily conditions are the single most important factor in planning a safe and enjoyable day of diving.
Understanding how the weather affects your dive day not only helps you pack and prepare, but also gives you an insight into the professional decision-making that goes into every single trip we run. At Scubadore Hurghada, our number one priority is your safety, and that starts with a profound understanding of the Red Sea’s weather.
The Big Player: The Wind and the Waves
While we enjoy near-constant sunshine, the most influential weather factor in Hurghada is the wind. The wind is the engine that creates waves, and the state of the sea is what dictates much of our daily plan.
How Wind Affects Your Day:
- On the Boat: A windy day means a choppier sea. This can make the boat journey to and from the dive sites a bit more “adventurous.” While our boat is large and stable, a bumpy ride can be uncomfortable for those prone to seasickness.
- At the Dive Site: Strong winds can make the surface of the water choppy, which can make entries and exits from the water a little more challenging. Underwater, strong surface winds can sometimes translate to a “surge”—a gentle back-and-forth movement of the water in the shallows.
The Scubadore Solution: A Library of Dive Sites
This is where the expertise of a professional, experienced crew becomes your greatest asset. The Hurghada coastline is blessed with a vast number of islands and reefs, which means for every weather pattern, there is always a sheltered side.
Our experienced Captains and dive guides make their final dive site decision on the morning of the trip, based on a direct assessment of the day’s wind and sea conditions. If the wind is blowing strongly from the north, we will choose beautiful dive sites on the southern, “lee side” of the islands, where the water will be calm and protected. This operational flexibility is the key to our ability to offer fantastic, safe diving 365 days a year. We don’t fight the weather; we work with it to find the best possible conditions for you.
The Constant Companion: The Sun
The Egyptian sun is the lifeblood of our ecosystem and a core part of the holiday experience. It’s a overwhelmingly positive factor, but one that still requires respect.
Fire Coral
How the Sun Affects Your Dive:
- Incredible Visibility: The bright, direct sunlight penetrates deep into the Red Sea’s clear water, illuminating the reefs in brilliant detail. This is what makes the colours of the fish and corals “pop.” For underwater photographers, the sunny conditions create a stunning, naturally-lit studio.
- Your Comfort and Health: The sun provides that glorious warmth for relaxing on the sundeck between dives and helps your body produce Vitamin D. However, it is also powerful. Hydration is absolutely key—we provide plenty of water on the boat, and we encourage you to drink it all day. Sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses are non-negotiable essentials for your dive bag. We strongly urge all guests to use reef-safe, mineral-based sunscreens to protect both their skin and our precious coral ecosystem.
The Seasonal Shift: Air and Water Temperatures
While diving is excellent year-round, the seasons do bring a change in temperature that affects what you’ll wear and how you’ll feel.
- Winter (December – February): The air is pleasantly warm, but the water is at its coolest (21-23°C). A 5mm or 7mm wetsuit is recommended to stay comfortable for two long dives.
- Summer (June – August): The air is hot, but the water is a blissful, bath-like 28-30°C. A 3mm shorty or even just a rash guard is often enough.
- The “Sweet Spot” (Spring & Autumn): These seasons offer a perfect balance of warm air and wonderfully warm water, typically requiring a 3mm or 5mm wetsuit.
We provide a full range of high-quality wetsuits to match the season, ensuring your thermal comfort is never a concern.
The Rare Event: Rain
What about rain in Hurghada? In short, it is a true novelty. We receive so little rainfall per year that a shower is an event that has locals looking up at the sky in surprise. A light rain shower has absolutely no effect on the diving conditions—the fish are already wet! The only time we would cancel a trip for weather is in the extremely rare event of a major electrical storm, where safety on the boat would be a concern.
Trust in Our Expertise
The most important takeaway is this: your safety and the quality of your experience are the guiding principles for every decision we make. Our Captain has the final, absolute authority on where it is safe to go on any given day.
When you dive with Scubadore Hurghada, you are placing your trust in our deep, local knowledge of the Red Sea’s patterns. We pride ourselves on our ability to adapt, to find the calm in the wind, and to deliver an exceptional underwater adventure, no matter what the weather report says. The sea sets the rules; our job is to be the best possible interpreters.
