Blue Hole Dahab — Dive Site Guide, Depths & Safety

The Blue Hole is roughly 60 meters in diameter at the surface and shaped like a bell — widening as it descends. The entry is from a flat reef platform with a short walk from the road. You gear up at Bedouin-run cafés right at the entry point.

The shallow rim (6–10 meters) runs along the seaward edge, offering a gentle reef with soft corals, anemones, and abundant reef fish. This is where snorkelers and Open Water students spend their time. Visibility typically exceeds 30 meters, and the effect of looking into the deep blue void from the rim is striking even at 7 meters.

The saddle (25–30 meters) is a notch in the rim on the seaward side. Recreational divers often descend to the saddle for a view down the wall and into the open water. It is the deepest point appropriate for single-tank recreational diving.

The Arch (52–58 meters) is the feature that gives the Blue Hole its reputation. A natural tunnel connects the interior of the sinkhole to the outer reef wall. Swimming through takes about 30 seconds. On the far side, divers ascend along the outer wall. This is categorically a technical dive — it requires decompression stops, appropriate gas mixes (typically EAN50 or oxygen for deco), and training in deep/overhead environments. The arch has claimed lives; every fatality involved divers who were not equipped or trained for the dive.

Beyond recreational depths, the walls descend past 100 meters into darkness. Freediving records have been set here, and deep technical exploration continues on CCR.

The rim is suitable for any certified diver or snorkeler. The saddle is appropriate for Advanced Open Water divers comfortable at 30 meters. The Arch is exclusively for technical divers with deep and overhead training, decompression gas, and proper redundancy. Do not attempt the arch on a single recreational setup.

Year-round. The Blue Hole faces east and is somewhat sheltered from prevailing northerly winds. Summer provides the warmest water and calmest surface conditions. Winter is cooler but still very diveable.