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Gear I Wish I Had Before My First Ras Mohammed Dive
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items Showed up to Sharm el Sheikh for my first Ras Mohammed dive with a borrowed mask that leaked and a wetsuit that smelled like someone else's vacation. Spent half the trip shopping instead of diving. If you're planning a Red Sea trip and don't want to ...
Sections
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Masks That Actually Seal on Different Face Shapes
Wetsuits for Red Sea Water Temperatures
Dive Computers Worth Bringing to Ras Mohammed
Fins That Handle Ras Mohammed Currents
Surface Interval Gear for Sharm el Sheikh Dive Boats
Underwater Camera Setups for Red Sea Clarity
Masks That Actually Seal on Different Face Shapes
I have a weirdly narrow face and every rental mask flooded on me at 15 meters. Tried four before I found ones that stayed dry the whole dive.
Grab this if you've got a narrow or medium face. I went from clearing my mask every two minutes to forgetting it was even there. The low-volume skirt seals so well I stopped worrying about water creeping in during descent.
Big Eyes Evolution Mask - Cressi 1946
Swap to this if rental masks always press weird spots on your cheekbones. The dual-lens design gives you crazy peripheral vision, which matters when a Napoleon wrasse the size of a golden retriever swims past at Shark Reef.
Synergy 2 Twin Trufit Dive Mask, w/Comfort Strap
For anyone with a wider face who's tired of red pressure marks after every dive. Ultra-thin skirt conforms to your face like it was custom-molded. Worth every penny before you spend a week diving Ras Mohammed's walls.
Venom Frameless Scuba Mask
Use this if you wear contacts or prescription lenses. The Freedom technology lets you blink naturally, and I stopped getting that dry-eye headache I used to get after back-to-back dives at Jackfish Alley.
Paragon S Mask
Wetsuits for Red Sea Water Temperatures
Water at Ras Mohammed ranges from 22C in winter to 28C in summer. I brought a 5mm and was boiling in August, then froze in a 3mm during a February trip. Getting the thickness right changes everything.
Perfect for summer Red Sea diving, June through September. Kept me comfortable on three dives a day without overheating on the boat between sessions. The back zip is actually easy to reach solo, which sounds small until you're the only one getting re...
Fourth Element Proteus II Wetsuit Reviewed in 2026
Try this for those shoulder-season trips when you're not sure what the water will do. Surprisingly warm for how thin it is. I wore it in late October at Yolanda Reef and stayed toasty at 25 meters.
Waterproof W30 2.5mm Full Wetsuit - Mens
Bring this if you're diving Ras Mohammed between December and March. The water drops enough that a 3mm leaves you shivering by dive three. This one kept me warm without feeling like I was wearing a sleeping bag.
Bare Elate 5MM Full Female
For the diver who cares about what their gear is made of. Limestone neoprene instead of petroleum-based. Performed just as well as my old suit at Anemone City, and I felt slightly less guilty about diving a marine park in petrochemical rubber.
Henderson Men's Greenprene 3mm Back Zip Fullsuit
Dive Computers Worth Bringing to Ras Mohammed
Rental computers in Sharm work fine until they don't. My buddy's rental died at 30 meters on the Shark Observatory wall. Having your own means you trust your data, and at Ras Mohammed's depths, that matters.
Get this if you want a computer that just works without a 50-page manual. Clear screen, readable at depth even in the blue water off Shark Reef. I switched from a cheaper unit and immediately stopped second-guessing my deco stops.
Perdix 2
Perfect for the diver who also wants to show vacation photos. Pairs with your phone for easy log sharing, and the color screen is readable even when sunlight hits at a weird angle during shallow safety stops at Eel Garden.
Suunto D5 Reviewed in 2026 - Dive Computer
For anyone who also runs or hikes between dive days. Works as a full smartwatch on land, then switches to a serious dive computer underwater. I wore it hiking Mount Sinai the day after diving Ras Mohammed without swapping watches.
Descent Mk2i | Smartwatch
Snag this if you want reliability without spending rent money. Does everything a recreational diver needs at Ras Mohammed depths. Bluetooth sync worked first try, which is more than I can say for the expensive one I returned last year.
i300C - Dive Computer
Fins That Handle Ras Mohammed Currents
Nobody warned me about the current at Shark Reef. I showed up with short snorkeling fins and spent the whole dive kicking like a hamster on a wheel while everyone else glided past. Never again.
These changed how I move underwater. The pivot blade design means less effort per kick, which matters when you're fighting current at the Shark Observatory drift. My legs stopped cramping after switching from stiff paddle fins.
Seawing Nova Gorilla Fin, Orange, M
Bring these if you prefer a simple, no-nonsense fin that just pushes water. Heavy enough to keep your trim stable on Ras Mohammed's deep walls, light enough that your calves survive a three-dive day.
Understanding the World's Top Tech Fins
Try these for a middle ground between power and comfort. The channel thrust design gives solid propulsion without requiring bodybuilder legs. Handled the Jackfish Alley current without me wanting to cry afterward.
Mares Avanti Quattro Plus Fins Review
For the diver who does frog kicks and cares about precise maneuvering. Stiff enough for current but responsive enough for tight spaces near the coral walls. Took me one dive to adjust and I never looked back.
F1 LT - Hollis
Surface Interval Gear for Sharm el Sheikh Dive Boats
You spend almost as much time on the boat as underwater. Sharm dive boats range from luxurious to ‘hope you brought a towel.’ These made the surface intervals actually comfortable.
Wrap up in this between dives when the wind picks up on the boat. Dries fast, packs tiny, and kept me from shivering in a wet rash guard while everyone else huddled in damp towels. Wish I'd had it on day one.
Original Puffy Blanket - Deepwater
Keep water cold in Egyptian heat that melts plastic bottles by noon. I filled it at the hotel each morning and still had cold water after the second dive. Dehydration headaches ruin afternoon dives, so this one's practical, not trendy.
32 oz Wide Mouth Flex Cap - Tonal Oat
Use this as a neck gaiter between dives so you don't fry in the Sinai sun. SPF 50 built in, dries in minutes, and doubles as a hair tie when the wind goes sideways. Saved my neck, literally, on every boat trip.
Adults' Buff Coolnet UV Plus Multifunctional Headwear
Toss your phone, wallet, and snacks in here on the dive boat. Nothing worse than fishing a soaked phone out of a puddle on deck. Rolls up to nothing in your dive bag and keeps everything bone dry even when waves splash over.
Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil Dry-Bag 13L Blue Atoll
Underwater Camera Setups for Red Sea Clarity
Ras Mohammed visibility regularly hits 30 meters. I kicked myself for not having a camera the first time a school of barracuda spiraled above me at Shark Reef. These are what I use now.
Grab this if you want a point-and-shoot that handles 15 meters without a housing. I got incredible macro shots of nudibranchs at Anemone City with zero photography training. The microscope mode alone is worth it for reef close-ups.
Olympus TG-6 Underwater Camera Review
Pair this with the TG-6 when you want to go deeper than 15 meters. Took it to 30 meters on the Shark Observatory wall and the controls worked perfectly through the housing. Build quality feels like it'll outlast me.
Olympus OM System Tough TG-7 TG 7 Underwater
For the diver who wants video more than stills. The stabilization handles current wobble at Jackfish Alley better than any camera I've tried. Tip: get the red filter before you go, or everything below 10 meters looks like a blue fever dream.
GoPro HERO12 Black Holiday Bundle
Use this if your underwater photos always come out flat and blue. Adding a strobe brought the coral colors back to life. Ras Mohammed's soft corals are insanely vibrant, but your camera can't see it without light. This one's small enough to not be an...
Backscatter Mini Flash 1 Underwater Strobe MF-1
Reef-Safe Sun Protection for Marine Park Diving
Ras Mohammed is a protected national park. Showing up slathered in chemical sunscreen felt wrong once I saw how pristine the coral is. These keep you from burning without poisoning what you came to see.
Tested and certified reef-safe, not just labeled that way. Applied it every morning before boarding the boat and didn't burn once in five days of Sinai sun. Goes on white but absorbs in a few minutes if you rub it in properly.
Waterproof SPF 30 Sunscreen | Sun Protection for Swimmers
Keep this in your pocket for quick reapplication between dives. The stick format means no greasy hands touching camera equipment. My nose used to peel after every Red Sea trip until I started using this religiously.
Sun Bum Mineral SPF 50 Face Stick Sunscreen
Skip sunscreen on your torso entirely. Wore this under my wetsuit and solo on boat days. UPF 50, dries fast, and I stopped going through a bottle of sunscreen every two days. Less chemicals in the water, less money spent.
Basic Skins 50+ Long Sleeve Rashguard - White
Toss this on during surface intervals so your scalp doesn't fry. The chin strap actually stays on in wind, unlike three other hats I lost overboard on previous trips. Folds flat in your dive bag without losing its shape.
Sunday Afternoons Ultra Adventure UPF 50+ Hat
Dive Guides and Resources for Planning Ras Mohammed
I booked my first Ras Mohammed trip based on a random TripAdvisor review and missed half the best sites because I didn't know they existed. A little research beforehand makes a huge difference in what you actually see.
Flip through this before your trip so you can actually identify what you're looking at. I spent my first three dives pointing at everything going ‘cool fish!’ This book turned me into the person who spots the ghost pipefish nobody else notices.
Red Sea Reef Guide: Debelius, Helmut
Book with these guys if you want a dive operation that knows Ras Mohammed inside out. Small groups, knowledgeable guides, and they actually care about the marine park rules. My best dives in the Red Sea were all with their team.
Camel Dive Club & Boutique Hotel
Take the full-day option instead of half-day. You get Shark Reef, Yolanda Reef, and usually a third site without rushing. I did the half-day once and spent the whole ride back wishing I'd stayed for the afternoon dive.
White Island Sharm - Isola che non c'è sharm , Рас Мохамед, Белый остров, Snorkeling, Diving, Safari and Excursions Sharm
Get this certification before your trip if you're only Open Water certified. Ras Mohammed's best stuff sits between 18 and 30 meters. Without Advanced, you'll watch your dive group descend to the good coral while you hover above waving sadly.
Advanced Open Water Diver program