FAQs – Frequently asked questions

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FAQs Dive base Coraya Divers Coraya Bay

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FAQs Dive base Brayka Divers Brayka Bay

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Questions about the Madinat Coraya Dive Centre/
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08:00 – 17:00 winter season 01.12. – 28.02.
08:00 – 18:00 summer season 01.03. – 30.11.

We accept the diving certificates of all recognized diving associations from scuba diver upwards.

To start your diving holiday with us, we need some information from you, and filling out these forms on site takes just a few minutes.
However, you can shorten this time by filling out some of the necessary forms at home. You can find the forms in the download area.

In addition to these forms, we need the following documents from you:
Diving certification from a recognized diving organization, your logbook, passport or a copy thereof. In addition, we need the medical self-disclosure or, if the answers from the self-disclosure require it, a valid medical certificate, which must not be older than one year. If you have any vouchers for pre-booked diving packages please bring them with you.

Download the forms here at the Download Centre

We work with the Baromedical decompression chamber. They offer specialist medical care and are located about 30 minutes away from our dive center.

For a donation of 7 euros, participating divers who need it will receive the first hyperbaric chamber treatment free of charge, provided that they do not have their own insurance cover.

The medical certificate must not be older than 12 months from the date of issue. Please bring your certificate with you to check in.
Forms can be found in the Download Center.
A diving medical examination is always recommended. However, if a medical self-disclosure can be answered with ‘no’ in all questions, this is also sufficient.

Coffee and tea are available free of charge at the base. Bottled water and soft drinks can be purchased at our reception.

At Coraya Divers we have air-conditioning classrooms with DVD/Video devices and large amounts of documentary material for instructional purposes.

Branded equipment from Aqualung, Apeks and Mares (ABC, jackets, suits, regulators, etc.) is available for purchase and rental.

Online bookings are only possible, if completed up to 7 days before arrival, and must be paid by bank transfer.
The online package/course price is not valid on site.

The online prices for diving packages and courses are already reduced and cannot be combined with further discounts.
Online bookings are refundable for a cancellation fee of €25.00 before the start of the holiday.
Once the package or the course has been started, they can no longer be refunded.

If you are unable to use all the pre-booked dives in the package, you will receive a voucher for the remaining dives, which is valid for 5 years.
Diving packages and courses cannot be transferred to or shared with another person and cannot be applied to other products.

Our orientation-dive is compulsory for every new client!

It takes place on our beautiful house reef.

Each diver completes an orientation-dived during his/her first visit for safety reasons with one of our diving professionals.
Here certification and/or the number of logged dives is irrelevant. The orientation-dive is not only to assess the necessary amount of lead, the equipment and diving skills, but offers you the chance to get to know our house reef with a local guide (no extra charge for the dive guide).

The following exercises are required of us underwater:
Recovery of lung regulators, taking off, putting on and blowing out the mask. Buoyancy during the dive

 Note:

  • the first 2 exercises take place on our platform at a depth of 4 m.
  • Students who have completed these exercises satisfactorily may then participate in all of our diving activities.

We have a nitrox membrane system.
EAN 32 is available at no extra charge for certified Nitrox divers!

The orientation dive, even for non-certified Nitrox divers, can be used after a short Nitrox instruction session for divers to get to know the benefits of Nitrox (of course under the supervision of a diving professional and at no additional cost).

 According to Egyptian law, the following rule applies:

Divers with more than 25 logged dives and a certification as OWD or higher are allowed to dive on in Buddy teams without a guide.
Divers with less than 25 logged dives must be accompanied by a dive guide registered with the Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Water Sports.
(At Coraya Divers, a maximum of six divers dive in a group per dive guide).

The buoyancy is significantly higher due to high salt content!

The Red Sea has a salinity of approximately 4.3%; compared to the North Sea, which has a salinity of about 3.2%, the lift is consequently higher, which requires carrying additional lead.

Our safety standards exceed the Egyptian requirements. They also meet the strict German rules!

Of course, the base is equipped with first-aid equipment and oxygen.
These aids we carry on all dives (boat, microbus, etc.).

Each of our guides is trained and certified in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in order to effectively help in an emergency.

Emergency buoys are obligatory for Elphinstone trips and are recommended for all other dives. (We have these buoys both for rental and sales).

For a donation of 7 euros, the Deco Chamber in Marsa Shagra offers a free first treatment in the hyperbaric chamber.

BAROMEDICAL SHAGRA will cover the costs of the first hyperbaric chamber session. This is valid for three weeks and is also valid when diving in different dive centers.

We recommend a 3 to 5mm thick wetsuit. During the summer months a shorty is also adequate. If you are prone to feeling cold, you should bring headgear and a body warmer.

Rental equipment is available directly on site. We have over 100 sets of rental equipment from Aqualung and Mares. ABC sets, regulators, jackets, suits, computers, dive lights, cameras – everything you need for a perfect dive vacation can be rented directly on site for a fee. Payment is only required for the days on which the rental equipment is used.

The dive center has four large freshwater tanks for rinsing your equipment. During their stay, each diver receives a lockable box as well as two hangers in the well-ventilated dry room to let their equipment dry and store in the shade.

Compared to the amount of lead in your own equipment in freshwater.
You should use approximately 2 kg more lead than in freshwater. Since we use 12 liter aluminum tanks, you can reckon with 1 to 2 kg more with traditional steel tanks used in Germany.

Yes we always use diving computers! For safety reasons every divers is obliged to have a divingn computer. If you do not have one – no problem: Computers can be rented from us.

Rental equipment is available onsite. There are more than 100 rental sets available onsite from the companies Cressi and Seemann Sub. ABC, diving regulator, jackets, suits, computer, diving lights, photo cameras, video, etc. and everything you may need for a perfect dive! – available onsite at a nominal fee.

According to internal rules and the recommendations of the Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Water Sports , wearing gloves for thermal protection is not prohibited, while touching any corals or marine life is strictly prohibited.
For this reason, it is not recommended to wear gloves. If you need this for medical reasons, we ask you to present a medical certificate.

Our team is always at your disposal! In our workshop our trained staff regularly services our rental equipment and we can repair (almost) everything for our clients.

We have three different tanks on offer: 12 liter, 15 liter and 9 liter aluminium tanks for compressed air and Nitrox. The tanks are fitted with DIN valves, INT adapters and are available upon request.

Your diving torch should be in your hand luggage! When flying please never pack the torch in hold cabbage. Transport your lamp always in your hand luggage. Please pay attention to the specific provisions of different airlines (bulbs must be removed from the lamp).

Good torches can be rented for a fee from us.

Keep in mind diving knives serve as tools and should only be used in emergencies. A dive knife max. 10 cm long may be carried, although trauma shears and line cutters are better options for this purpose.

We use DIN valves but can also use INT connections using an adapter. Simply bring what you have.

Yes, we have Cameras with a Underwater housing for rent.
The rental price of 40 euros per day includes an SD memory card.
Please note that the rental request must be registered at least one day in advance.

We offer daily several trips with our full-day and half day boat trips. They depart from the harbour only a few minutes away.
Coraya Dive Centre: Five times daily we offer direct trips with our two speed boats to our house reef.
After 20 minutes journey time 8 different sites can be accessed exclusively by Coraya Divers.

Two of these trips coincide with the opening times of the Badingo kids club so parents can dive together without their children.

Furthermore our house reef – Zodiac crosses back and forth every 5 minutes to the outer reaches off our bay so our divers can enjoy the full diversity of our beautiful house reef.

Depending on the dive sites/trips, we might have a minimum number of participants.
In general, we need at least 4 people for minibus and speedboat trips and at least 6 people for day boat trips .

Yes, we offer daily excursions by speedboat and day boat.
In addition, our house reef Zodiac shuttles between our jetty and the outside of the bay during the day. So you can use the whole variety of our beautiful house reef extensively.

SPEEDBOAT DIVES
Up to four times a day, excursions with our two speedboats take place starting directly from our house reef jetty.
On boat rides of maximum 20 minutes, we have available 11 different dive sites, where Coraya Divers dive almost exclusively.

DIVES WITH DAY BOAT
We offer daily day boat excursions based on a weekly schedule.
Depending on the season, we use 3-6 boats that depart either from the Port Ghalib or Marsa Alam marinas.
The minibus ride to the port of Port Ghalib takes about 10 minutes and to the port of Marsa Alam about 45 minutes.
We usually do 2 dives during these excursions.

All boats have showers, toilets, changing rooms, sun lounges and shaded areas.
Lunch is freshly cooked on board, and guests can enjoy water, coffee, tea and soft drinks all day.
Most day trips are open to divers and snorkelers/non-divers, which is ideal for families with children or non diving members.

Basically, the safety of our clients is our top priority. For this reason all our dive trips depend on the weather and can be changed or cancelled for safety reasons without prior notice.

Alternatively, our house reef offers, on account of its topographical position, the possibility safe and beautiful dives 360 days a year which is a rarity, even in Egypt.

lt.

We accept cash payments in Euros, US Dollars, Egyptian Pounds and Swiss Francs.
Card payments incur a 3% fee and it should be noted that payments by card are automatically processed in US dollars, based on the daily rate displayed at the dive center. Payments by card are only possible for amounts of 100 € and above.
The main currency of our dive center is EURO €.
Payments in another currency will be calculated according to the daily exchange rate  displayed at the dive center.

A surface marker buoy (SMB) is highly recommended for every buddy team on guided dives.
A surface marker buoy (SMB) is mandatory for every buddy team during unguided dives and for every diver in Elphinstone dives.

Buoys can be rented on site for €5 a day.

All/
Questions about diving/
Questions about equipment and rentals/
Questions about the Brayka Bay Dive Centre/
Questions about trips and boots and beach diving/

OPENING HOURS

  • 08:00 – 17:00 winter season 01.11. – 31.03.
  • 08:00 – 18:00 summer season 01.04. – 31.10.

We accept the diving certificates of all recognized diving associations from scuba diver upwards.

At the start of your diving holiday with us, we need some information from you. Filling out the forms on site only takes a few minutes.
But you can save time by filling out the necessary forms already at home. The forms can be found here in the download section.
In addition to the forms, we need the following documents from you:

Certification card from a recognized diving association and two copies of your passport and a valid medical certificate, which for persons under 40 years must be not more than two years old and for adults over 40 it must be less than one year old. Also bring with you the vouchers for pre-booked dive packages.

Download the forms here at the Download Centre

The nearest decompression chamber with specialist medical supervision is about 5 minutes away from the dive centre, DÉCO Shagra.
For a donation of € 8 a diver will adopt the handling fee the first 6 hours decompression treatment in the pressure chamber financially.

ES, the medical certificate should not be older than 24 months for persons under 40 years of age and no older than 12 months for persons over 40 years of age. Bring the certificate with you at check-in.

Forms in the download centre (see link on the top bar). A medical certificate can only be used here by the hotel doctor. The certificate can be obtained for a small fee

Coffee and tea are available for free in the Dive Centre. Water and soft drinks can be bought at our reception.

At Brayka Divers we have air-conditioning classrooms with Video devices and large amounts of documentary material for instructional purposes.

Of course we have a shop! We have a large range of T-Shirts, equipment, swimwear, accessories, etc.

The online prices for dive packages & courses are already discounted.

They cannot be discounted on spot again.

The online package/course price cannot be paid on spot.

Online bookings must be paid at least 7 days before arrival via bank transfer.

Please note that this reservation is refundable only before your arrival with a cancellation fee of 25 €.

Once the package/course is started it cannot be refunded.

If the diver cannot finish all prepaid dives from the package, he/she will get a voucher with the leftover dives, which are valid for 1 year.

The dive packages and the courses cannot be transferred or combined with a different person.

Our orientation-dive is compulsory for every client!

It takes place on one of our beautiful speed boat places or in the pool of the hotel.

Each diver completes an orientation Dive during his/her first visit for safety reasons with one of our diving professionals.
Here certification and/or the number of logged dives is irrelevant. The orientation-dive is not only to assess the necessary amount of lead, the equipment and diving skills, but offers you the chance to get to know our speed boat dive sites with a local guide (no extra charge for the dive guide).

The following exercises are required of us underwater:
Recovery of regulator, taking off, putting on and blowing out the mask. Buoyancy during the dive

 Note:

  • the first 2 exercises take place in shallow water on the sandy surface.
  • Students who have completed these exercises satisfactorily may then participate in all of our diving activities.

We have a Nitrox membrane system.
EAN 32 is available for certified Nitrox – divers at no extra cost!

 According to Egyptian law, the following rule applies:

Only divers with more than 25 logged dives may dive independently (without guide).

Divers with less than 25 logged dives must be accompanied by a dive guide, who is registered with the National Chamber of Diving and Water Sports and its approval is renewed for the current year.

(At Coraya Divers a maximum of 6 divers dive with a dive guide per group).

The buoyancy is significantly higher due to high salt content!

The Red Sea has a salinity of approximately 4.3%; compared to the North Sea, which has a salinity of about 3.2%, the lift is consequently higher, which requires carrying additional lead.

Our safety standards exceed the Egyptian requirements. They also meet the strict German rules!

Of course, the base is equipped with first-aid equipment and oxygen.
These aids we carry on all dives (boat, microbus, etc.).

Each of our guides is trained and certified in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in order to effectively help in an emergency.

Emergency buoys are obligatory for Elphinstone trips and are recommended for all other dives. (We have these buoys both for rental and sales).

The Deco Chamber in Marsa Alam offers free treatment in the pressure chamber on when your make a donation of €8. (BARO MEDICAL SHAGRA)

It is not insurance in the strict sense of the word but it supports the chamber which is financed exclusively by such donations. This promises in return each donor free hyperbaric treatment if necessary.

Other types of injuries such as lacerations or ear infections, etc. are not included. This may be treated in the hotel clinic of by one of the hotel physicians.

For this, we would recommend a foreign travel insurance. They are cheap and are always valid for 1 year.

We recommend a 3 to 5mm thick wetsuit. During the summer months a shorty is also adequate. If you are prone to feeling cold, you should bring headgear and a body warmer.

Brand name equipment from Aqualung and Mares (ABC, jackets, suits, breathing regulators, etc.) can be rented or purchased.

The dive center has 3 large wash basins with fresh water to rinse the equipment. Then, each client has two hangers in a well-ventilated wet room to allow equipment to dry in the shade. For your booties there are special drying racks in the wet room.

Compared to the amount of lead in your own equipment in freshwater.
You should use approximately 2 kg more lead than in freshwater. Since we use 12 liter aluminum tanks, you can reckon with 1 to 2 kg more with traditional steel tanks used in Germany.

Yes we always use diving computers! For safety reasons every divers is obliged to have a diving computer. If you do not have one – no problem: Computers can be rented from us.

Rental equipment is available onsite. There are more than 70 rental sets available onsite from the companies Mares and Aqualung,  ABC, diving regulator, jackets, suits, computer, diving lights, photo cameras, video, etc. and everything you may need for a perfect dive! – available onsite at a nominal fee.

According to internal rules and the recommendations of the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports in Egypt, wearing gloves for thermal protection is not prohibited, but touching corals and marine life is strictly forbidden.

For this reason, the wearing of gloves is strictly not recommended. If you need them for medical reasons, please provide a medical certificate.

Our team is always at your disposal! In our workshop our trained staff regularly services our rental equipment and we can repair (almost) everything for our clients.

We have three different tanks on offer: 12 liter, 15 liter and 10 liter aluminium tanks for compressed air and Nitrox. The tanks are fitted with DIN valves, INT adapters and are available upon request.

Your diving torch should be in your hand luggage! When flying please never pack the torch in hold cabbage. Transport your lamp always in your hand luggage. Please pay attention to the specific provisions of different airlines (bulbs must be removed from the lamp).

Good torches can be rented for a fee from us.

Yes, you may carry a diving knife. The Reason is: Diving knives are tools for use in emergencies.

We use DIN valves but can also use INT connections using an adapter. Simply bring what you have.

Yes, we are offering trips by speedboat or daily boat.

DIVES WITH SPEEDBOAT

We are offering trips by speedboat based on the weekly schedule.

We have available 2 speedboats for trips outside located 5 to 30min from our dive centre.

We are offering 1 dive and 2 dives trips either in the early morning at 05:30/ 06:00 depending on the season or during the day at 08:30 and at 13:30.

Our highlights are following dive sites: Elphinstone, Long Canyon, Gota Abu Dabab 3, 4, 5, Habiba wall, Abu Nawas, Om Halhalla, Nemo City, Marsa Assalaya, Marsa Egla, Nelson

DIVES WITH DAILY BOAT

We are offering trips by daily boat based on the weekly schedule.

We have available 2-3 boats starting the trip either from Marsa Alam or from Port Ghalib harbour.

It takes approximately 25 minutes by minibus to Marsa Alam harbour and 30min to Port Ghalib harbour.

The daily boat trips start around 08:00 in the morning and approximate return is between 16:30 and 17:00.

We are usually making 2 dives during these trips.

All boats have available showers, toilets, changing room, sunny terrace, and shades.

The lunch is freshly cooked on board and the guests are offered water coffee, tea and soft drinks during the trip.

Most of the daily trips can combine divers with snorkelers/ non-divers, which is perfect for families with children.

Our highlights are following trips: Dolphin House – Shaab Samadai with Dolphins, Shaab Marsa Alam with beautiful coral garden, Marsa Mubarak – Dugong (sea cow), Tondoba with coral gardens.

DAILY DIVING POSSIBILITIES/ DAILY SCHEDULE

Possible dives during a day:

  1. 5:30/ 06:00am early morning 1 or 2 dives possible
  2. 8:30 Speedboat trip 1 dive
  3. 8:30 Minibus trip 1dives
  4. 9:00 Guided house reef dive
  5. 9:30 Orientation dive
  6. 13:45 Guided house reef dive
  7. 13:30 Speedboat trip 1dive
  8. 13:30 Minibus trip 1dives
  9. 06:00/ 06:30pm Night dive

Depending on the dive site, we have a minimum number of participants. Generally we require a minimum of 3 people for minibus and speedboat trips and a minimum of 10 people for day boat trips (this is almost always guaranteed due to the size of the dive centre).

Yes, we are offering trips by minibus to our local beaches.

DIVES WITH MINIBUS

We are offering trips by minibus (12-seater) based on the weekly schedule.We have available 2-4 minibuses for trips outside located 15 to 90min from our dive centre.
We are offering 1 dive and 2 dives trips during the day starting at 08:30 or at 13:30.

Our highlights are following dive sites: Abu Dabab – Turtle Bay, Marsa Assalaya, Marsa Egla, Halg El Shoona, Marsa Samadai.

Basically, the safety of our clients is our top priority. For this reason all our dive trips depend on the weather and can be changed or cancelled for safety reasons without prior notice.

Alternatively, our house reef offers, on account of its topographical position, the possibility safe and beautiful dives 360 days a year which is a rarity, even in Egypt.

We accept cash payments in Euros, US Dollars, Egyptian Pounds, and Swiss Francs.

Credit card: Visa & Mastercard plus 3% fee. Please note that credit card payments are automatically processed in US Dollars based on the daily exchange rate.

The main currency of our dive centre is EURO €.

If you wish to pay in another currency, the amount will depend on the daily exchange rate.

As of 1.10.2019 we do not accept payments in British Pounds.

  • SMB – Surface marker buoy is highly recommended for every diver during every guided dive due to safety reason.
  • SMB – Surface marker buoy is mandatory for every diver during the unguided dives and Elphinstone dives.

We have SMBs available for rent and it costs 4€ per diving day.