As most of you know, I currently live in Egypt and despite there being so much diving to do, with so many different centers (some owned by clients, some owned by friends), I am always on the look out for somewhere new to try.
Today I was given exactly that opportunity and was invited to dive in Makadi Bay, which is a little bit further south than Hurghada where I live. It would be an opportunity to test out a new house reef, which are perfect when I don’t have the time to take an entire day off work to go boat diving.
I have only been diving in Makadi Bay once before so I was quite looking forward to trying out a new reef and a new diving center (well, new to me at least). The plan was go with IDive, who also have facilities in Zanzibar and the Philippines.
Despite the 30 minute drive to get to Makadi Bay, everything else was perfect. The facility is well organised for both boat diving and shore diving. Spacious kit preparation areas mean that you are not all tripping over each other, and the walk from the changing area to the water is a massive 30 seconds (perfect for me as I can be quite lazy).
The staff are polite and professional, which you would expect everywhere but unfortunately it is not always that common in Egypt. Erika (owner of the diving center) was the perfect host and the whole team make guests feel very welcome. There are also simple little things like the places to hang suits and boots after your dive which are well thought out and make all the difference.
The diving itself was also surprisingly good. We were warned beforehand that due to the south wind, the visibility would be terrible, but to be honest I have certainly experienced a lot worse, even in Egypt. There was lots to see including Octopus, Lionfish, Blue Spotted Rays and a HUGE Barracuda and whilst the visibility could have been better, once you are on the reef you can see everything you need to.
I am looking forward to diving this house reef again as the 60 minute run time meant that there was a lot more to see.
I can’t recommend Erika and IDive highly enough and I would have no hesitation in suggesting others try out this facility when they are in Makadi Bay or fancy a 30 minute drive further south from Hurghada.
You can learn more about IDive at http://idivedivingcenter.com/
