James & Mac Diving Center

Did an OWD course. Great experience overall, amazing staff who adjusted to me not being fluent in German. I had the best instructor who was very clear, patient and made the entire process of learning fun! Can definitely recommend and would love to come back.

Very nice and helpful people. Very well organised. In and around the water really professional and gave you a sense of safety and controll. I'll deffinetly dive again with them when in Hurghada!

OWD Course – February 2026 I was informed that windy conditions could make the water colder, but I did not expect such strong waves and uncomfortable boat movement. The trip to the dive site was tough, with seasickness, and getting geared up on arrival was not pleasant. The dive itself was fine once in the water with the wetsuit, but the exit was particularly uncomfortable: strong wind, a heavily moving boat, and physical exhaustion after 40–50 minutes of diving. Removing the wetsuit while cold and tired was difficult. I would not recommend diving in windy conditions to beginners or people prone to seasickness. Regarding the OWD course, I personally do not think it is worth doing during a vacation unless you plan to continue diving afterward. It requires many hours of theory and demanding exercises, which take up several days and leave little room to actually enjoy the dives. There was no chemistry with the instructor. He was correct but distant and not very empathetic. On my second day I forgot my booties (my mistake), which made me wonder what would have happened if it had been something more important. Fortunately, it was solved pragmatically. I have no complaints about the dive center itself: everything was clear, no extra charges, and the transfer staff were friendly and professional. Overall, my experience was not positive, probably due to a combination of weather conditions and expectations. I can recommend the dive center, but not diving in windy conditions for inexperienced divers.