Open Water Course €345 now €242
Advance OW Course €240 now €168
5 days diving pack €260 now €182
3 days diving pack €171 now €120

Quote “over 30%” when booking

VIPOne Offers
Week 23 3rd – 10th June Was €890 Now €650 only

So, this month we take a look at the growing trend of Rebreather diving, answer some basic questions so hopefully you too can experience the joys they bring!

Rebreathers: The Basics

First, a Few Questions:

Are you very thirsty during and after your longer dives?

Are you cold after a couple of dives even though you are wearing an appropriate exposure suit?

Are you seeing less marine life on your dives than you should?

Do you have to surface because your gas supply is depleted before you’re ready to leave?

Does your back hurt from carrying doubles and stage bottles?

Would you like to be able to dive with Helium-based gasses, without spending hundreds of euros per dive?

Would you like a way to accelerate decompression, yet carry fewer stage/deco bottles?

Back in 2007 we launched our Platinum Points Scheme, to reward our loyal guests, and its still going strong.

For every euro you spend with us, we give you points that you can exchange for free diving goodies.  3^rd Dive? No problem. Extra days diving? Sure. Or you can collect points over multiple trips and save for something really special….. how about a week on our liveaboard VIP One??

Don’t worry if you didn’t know! Just by diving with us you have had an account set up for you. If you want to check your balance, just drop us an email to info@redseacollege.com including your full name, and we will have a look for you.

We regularly change the rewards, so check the website before your next visit, so you know what you can claim.

As a very special offer (that will not last for long) we are adding a special reward to our list – A STAFF T-SHIRT. Oh yes, the much coveted and never before available staff t-shirt will be on the reward list for a limited time. You cannot purchase one with cash and it is only available in resort, so get planning your next visit!

In contrast to what many believe, Whale Sharks are actually carnivores whose diet, as well as plankton, consists partly of small fish, so being that cute pilot fish that hangs round the mouth of these huge beasts is not the danger free job we all thought! If you are lucky enough to get up close and personal with a feeding shark, you will notice rows of tiny teeth just inside the mouth. These, however, have been shown to be redundant as they play no part in feeding, as this is done by filtration through the gills. The Whale Shark differs from the other members of the filter feeders (basking sharks and manta rays fall into this category) as they are the only ones who actively suck water into their mouths as opposed to swimming into a water stream.

Measuring just over 50cm at birth, when fully grown males average 6m in length and females 8m – although the largest specimen ever recorded measured 20m. Whale Sharks are estimated to live for between 60 and 100 years, although no one documented this!
The small eyes they have possess very poor vision meaning navigation, as well as hunting, is done mostly by smell, using the highly developed nostrils located by the lower jaw.

These gentle giants are typically slow moving (tell that to anyone who has tried to keep up with one!) averaging 1km / hour, although when in a hurry, speeds of nearly 4km / hour have been reported.

So now you have all the facts, want to increase your chances of coming across one of these legendary creatures?? It’s all about location….
You need to be:
- In water between 18 – 30 degrees
- In a tropical sea
- In a plankton rich area
- VERY LUCKY!!

We would like to introduce you all to the new and improved vessel “Red Sea Waterworld 2″ – she’s back from dry dock, and a whole lot has changed.
There’s been an extensive refit with additional structural work leading to a mass of new and improved features. An extended dive deck, extra toilet, bigger and better kitting area, camera tables, covered rinse tank, increased stability, lighter sun deck, massive wet areas, flat screen TV showing footage post-dive… …the list goes on and on.
Expect a little sibling rivalry until her sister “Red Sea Waterworld 1″ gets the same treatment later this year.

Many of you will have heard of the ConShelf underwater habitat experiments of the 1960′s and 70′s, during which pioneers of underwater exploration, including Jaques Cousteau himself, constructed facilities to enable people to remain underwater for extended periods of time. In fact a few of these habitats are still in use today as hotels, notably the Jules Underwater Motel in Key Largo, Florida, and there are plans for many more, the ultimate of which is Dubai’s Hydropolis resort.

Using the latest technology, and after years of planning, the Red Sea Diving College is proud to announce that we will soon be relocating to a brand new, purpose-built underwater habitat located in Naama Bay, Sharm-el-Sheikh.

Whilst retaining a small annexe on the Viva Beach, in front of our current premises, to handle reception, logistics, and Open Water courses, the rest of our operations will be conducted from a depth of twelve metres on the flat sandy bottom, with direct views of the reefs we love.

The new Red Sea Underwater College will have offices, classrooms, showers, briefing areas and storage, just as you would expect to find in any Five Star diving centre, along with the added attraction of bedrooms for those guests who wish to have the ultimate experience, and remain living underwater for the duration of their course.

Entry and exit will be by way of a ”moon pool”, as if surfacing from or diving into a swimming pool, and the habitat will built largely from carbon fibre-bonded aluminium, with a steel frame, and will be maintained at ambient pressure by compressed air supplied from the surface. This air and all communications with the surface world will run through a reinforced conduit, monitored constantly by technical staff.

Decompression issues will be handled by a chamber located in the habitat itself, so that divers coming back from a deep dive will decompress to ambient pressure immediately after entering the habitat, while those returning to the surface will simply perform an ordinary safety stop after exit.

Discussions with the world renowned Dr. Adel Taher and Dr. Ahmed Sakr, of the Hyperbaric chamber in Sharm el Sheikh, confirm that there are no known medical issues arising from living for extended periods at a pressure of two atmospheres, provided that normal decompression procedures are followed.

Safety is of course of paramount importance, so all guests will receive a briefing on arrival, and there will be staff on hand at all times to ensure that the habitat is a secure environment.

All the required permissions from the Egyptian authorities have now been granted, the construction work is complete, and with the backing of the Governor of South Sinai, himself a keen diver, we are very soon to take delivery of the structure in prefabricated form. After a few weeks of positioning, installation and proving, we will be ready to welcome our guests to the world’s first ever Underwater Dive Centre. It is such a good idea, we are only surprised that no one else has done it before!

Click here to be the first one to visit our habitat!

DIVING COURSES 1^st April – 9^th May
Buy 1 and get 2nd ½ price

VIP ONE 22^nd – 29^th April
only €745 Buy 1 and get 2nd ½ price (saving € 372).

REBREATHER TRY DIVES 1^st April –30^th June
only €30 when conducted as a 3rd dive (normal price €60).

Long time guests may remember 6 years ago, when sea horses were often seen on the sea grass at the back of the confined area, but we have had no sightings since, so this fella (or girl, we aren’t sure!) is creating quite a stir.

Sea horses are typically found in tropical areas, on sea grass, coral reefs or mangroves, although there have been reported colonies as far afield as the Thames estuary!
Once located, most species remain in the area for a while, so as long as this one stays safe from predators, we should have the pleasure of its company for some time. Location is made easier if it is a male, as they rarely stray more than one square metre from their habitat, with females feeling a little braver, maybe exploring up to 100 times further.
Most species are monogamous and have one mate for life, making them unique in the underwater world. Another strange fact about them is that the males carry the eggs in a front-facing pouch (think Kangaroo) until they hatch, when they are ‘born’ as fully formed, tiny seahorses.
Speed is not something these fish are blessed with, the dwarf seahorse reaching a staggering 5ft per hour, and after using the small fin on the back for propulsion coupled with the small rudder like fins on the back of the head for direction, sea horses have to be very careful not to die of exhaustion, a common cause of death, which might explain why they stay close to the ground and are normally spotted gripping onto something with their tail.
Dinner is a slow frenzy, with up to 3000 shrimps a day being consumed. To add a bit of variety, they can also consume crustaceans or larval fish.

Someone needs to confirm the species and sex for us – why not you?

The PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy specialty course is just the preparation you need to make sure you don’t disturb any underwater organisms in your quest to get closer. You get two dives dedicated to improving your skills underwater, from hovering in a variety of positions, to maneuvering close to – but not disturbing – subjects. As you will discover, correct weighting and expert buoyancy gives you the ability to look closer for longer, as your dive time increases in your new state of relaxation while you dive.
So, you have the close up view, what about the all important evidence to prove it? With the Digital Underwater Specialty, you have the best of both worlds!

Whilst digital cameras as common as snorkels in diving now, many people are realizing that unfortunately, they are not as easy to use. Ever wondered how the bloke next to you on the boat has got great pictures, when yours are ok (ish)? Get to know your camera, spend some quality time together on your next visit. Two dives and expert tuition means that you can become friends with your camera, exploring its abilities to the full. Go on, let it show off to you!

The standards that have to be met are related to a wide selection of green issues, including energy use, waste management and conservation and leadership.  This award recognizes our continued efforts in the local area and within our own business, Of course, our efforts won’t stop here, it simply gives us something to improve on!

Email the girls in reservations, let them know what you want to do before you arrive and we’ll take it from there.
(T’s & C’s apply, valid for pre-bookings for diving until 30^th March and 1^st May until 30^th June 2012).

Look forward to seeing you!

This Easter we have something very special planned for all our visiting scuba bunnies.
Why wait until Easter Sunday for the fun to begin?

On Good Friday, we will be hosting a ‘bunny hunt’. Just as its getting dark, our bunny will be let loose in the confined area. Then it’s up to you to find the eggs, and more importantly, the bunny (who will be hiding!). Once the bunny has been located and safely returned us, the party will begin.

Get ready for an eggs-traordinary evening – prize giving for all those bunny hunters, an easter themed quiz and lots more fun for all the family.
We look forward to seeing you at this egg-citing event!

SPECIAL OFFERS FOR AN EGGS-HILARATING APRIL

This offer is valid for Red SeaCollegein Sharm between 7th January until 30th March 2012 and from May 10^th until June 30^th 2012. This does not include “dry” or professional level courses.