The Red Sea around Hurghada remains one of the more reliable reef experiences I've had anywhere in the world. Visibility regularly stretches to 25–30 metres, sometimes further, and the water carries that particular clarity that makes everything look almost too vivid to be real. Depths along the outer reefs and drop-offs run from a comfortable 5 metres on the flats to 40-plus where the walls fall away into deep blue.
Currents vary — some sites like Sha'ab Abu Nuhas can run strong, but most day-trip reefs are manageable for open-water divers.
The marine life is genuinely impressive. Moray eels peer from crevices along virtually every reef, spinner dolphins turn up with enough regularity that you stop being surprised, and the soft corals — particularly the gorgonians and the rich purples and reds on shaded walls — hold up well compared to reefs I've visited in more heavily bleached regions.
Hard coral coverage has taken some hits from bleaching events and careless anchoring over the years, and around Hurghada's busier sites the pressure shows, but venture to Elphinstone or out to the offshore pinnacles and the condition improves noticeably.
The SS Thistlegorm sits roughly three hours north by liveaboard or fast RIB, and it earns every superlative. Motorcycles, ammunition, locomotive parts — all sitting at 15–30 metres in excellent visibility. Do it on a liveaboard if you can; the day-boat crowds thin out once other boats head home.
Operators are plentiful along Hurghada's marina strip, ranging from budget outfits to well-equipped liveaboard companies running week-long itineraries south into the Brothers and Daedalus.
Open-water certification covers most sites; advanced certification opens the best walls and the Thistlegorm — October through May offers the most comfortable conditions.