All activities / Scuba Diving / Eilat
Scuba Diving in Eilat
Israel's Red Sea resort at the country's southern tip, on the Gulf of Aqaba between the mountains of the Negev and the Edom range. Its warm, clear, calm water and the coral reefs of the Coral Beach Nature Reserve make it a year-round diving and snorkelling base, with dive sites a short shore entry from the promenade.
Why here
Eilat is the easiest world-class coral diving on the planet to reach, a reef you can walk into from the shore at the top of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Coral Beach Nature Reserve protects a fringing reef alive with more than 1,200 species of fish and around 250 species of coral, a few fin-kicks from the beach, while offshore the wreck of the Satil missile boat and the Japanese Gardens reef reward boat dives. The water is warm and clear the year round, sheltered from ocean swell inside the gulf, so conditions stay calm and visibility often runs past 20 metres even in winter. This is a superb place to learn: the shallow, protected house reefs let a first course happen in real coral rather than a pool, and the town's dive centres run the full ladder from a first try-dive to instructor training. Turtles, moray eels, lionfish and the occasional reef shark patrol the drop-offs, and night dives bring out Spanish dancers and hunting octopus.
Best months
Diving runs all year. Summer water reaches around 26 to 27 degrees and winter holds near 21 to 22, so a shortie suits the warm months and a 5mm wetsuit the cooler ones. The Gulf of Aqaba is enclosed and largely swell-free, which keeps entries gentle and visibility high, commonly 15 to 30 metres. The reef is a nature reserve, so touching or standing on coral is prohibited and good buoyancy matters. Mornings are usually calmest before the afternoon breeze. Leave 18 to 24 hours between your last dive and a flight, which matters given how many divers fly out of Eilat.
Getting there & around
Eilat sits at Israel's southern tip, about four hours by road from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv and served by Ramon Airport, 18 kilometres north, with frequent domestic flights. The dive centres cluster along the Coral Beach strip south of town, reachable by local bus or a short taxi, and most sites are shore entries from the reserve or a short boat ride. Courses and guided dives book directly with the centres, and equipment rental is available on site. Remember the no-fly interval before departure.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Aqua Sport
SchoolAqua Sport is Eilat's oldest dive centre, established in 1962 on the Coral Beach strip at the south of town. A PADI centre running the full range of courses from Discover Scuba Diving through Divemaster and instructor development, it dives the Coral Beach Nature Reserve reef and sites toward the Egyptian border at Taba, with daily guided dives and equipment rental. The base has its own shore house reef, a dive shop, a bar and restaurant and on-site accommodation.
Manta Isrotel Diving Center
SchoolManta Isrotel Diving Center is a five-star diving centre on Coral Beach in Eilat, at the Yam Suf hotel inside the Coral Beach Nature Reserve, operating for more than 30 years. It runs introductory dives, guided reef and wreck dives and courses to instructor level, supervised under the Israeli Diving Authority and certifying through SDI. Facilities include a private training pool, three air-conditioned classrooms and diver accommodation, with the reserve reef reached direct from the shore.