Full-Day Wreck Dive in Hurghada - El Mina

El Mina was a Soviet-built minesweeper serving with the Egyptian navy when she was bombed in Hurghada harbour in 1970. She lies on her port side at around 27 meters, close enough to the port that the boat ride out is short, and the reef has spent five decades colonizing her.

That is what makes wreck diving here different from a reef dive. The structure is intact enough to read - the deck gun, the bridge, the twin propellers - and it is covered in soft coral and glassfish. You are diving a piece of history that has become a functioning ecosystem.

Requirements - please read before booking

• This is a dive for certified divers. At 27 meters you are near the limit of recreational diving, and Advanced Open Water certification or the equivalent is expected.
• Bring your certification card and logbook.
• If you have not dived in over a year, say so - a refresher first is a good idea and we can arrange one.
• Penetration of the wreck requires specific wreck training. Do not attempt it because someone else did.
• Declare any medical condition or medication in advance.

How the day runs

Hotel pickup in an air-conditioned private car, then a full day on the boat - around 7 hours in total. Full dive equipment is included, along with lunch and drinks on board. There is a proper surface interval between dives, which at this depth is not optional.

Good to know before you book

• Transfers are included from hotels inside Hurghada; a $5 per person supplement applies from Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El Ahyaa, El Gouna and Soma Bay.
• Photography and video services are not included, though you are welcome to bring your own camera.
• Do not fly within 24 hours of diving. Schedule this trip accordingly.
• Deeper water is cooler. A 5mm wetsuit is more comfortable than a shorty outside the summer months.

$92 per person (regular price $110), including full dive equipment, lunch, drinks and hotel transfers.