Dive Safari Master • JP Marine • Red Sea Guide
Can I dive with sharks as an Open Water diver?
Yes — and the answer is simpler than most operators make it sound. Here is what Open Water certification really means on a Red Sea shark diving trip.
By Dive Safari Master • Hurghada, Egypt • Updated April 2026
Short Answer
Yes. Open Water certified divers can dive with sharks in the Red Sea.
On the JP Marine Pelagic Trail, Open Water divers dive Daedalus Reef along the Blue Trail — the south plateau and lighthouse zone at 15–20m, where hammerhead sharks, oceanic whitetips, and grey reef sharks are regularly encountered.
Deeper drop-off dives at 30–40m require Advanced Open Water certification, but both certification levels are on the same trip and dive the same world-class sites. The depth may differ — the experience does not.
Shark diving in the Red Sea
This question comes into our inbox every week. A diver holds an Open Water certification, wants to see hammerhead sharks, and has been told by multiple sources that shark diving in the Red Sea requires Advanced certification.
Some of those sources are correct — for some itineraries. But not for ours.
The JP Marine Pelagic Trail is designed specifically to be accessible to Open Water certified divers while still delivering the full big animal experience. Before explaining how, it helps to understand why this confusion exists in the first place.
Why people think you need Advanced
Most Red Sea liveaboards that go to Daedalus Reef require Advanced Open Water as a blanket minimum. The reason is operational simplicity — running a single group at one depth is easier than splitting divers into multiple depth levels.
As a result, many operators default to Advanced certification for everyone. A large portion of Open Water divers never realize that the same sharks are visible at recreational depths.
The reality at Daedalus is different. The south plateau — the Blue Trail — sits at 15–20m. Hammerheads school from the surface down to 40m and beyond, while oceanic whitetips patrol the reef at all depths.
A diver at 18m is not excluded from the encounter. They are watching the same reef — at a depth fully within Open Water limits.
“The hammerheads came up to 20 metres on our second day at Daedalus. The divers on the Blue Trail saw the same school as us.”
JP Marine Dive Guide • Daedalus Reef • 2025
The two-trail system at Daedalus Reef
JP Marine runs two simultaneous dive trails at Daedalus. One group follows the Blue Trail, while the other descends deeper on the Red Trail. Both groups dive at the same time, at the same site, for the same duration.
Blue Trail — Open Water Divers
15–20m
South plateau • Lighthouse • Reef top
- South plateau — where sharks patrol the wall edge
- Daedalus Lighthouse visit — iconic above-water landmark
- Hammerhead sightings documented regularly at this depth
- Oceanic whitetips patrol at 15–20m year-round
- Grey reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, barracuda schools
- Strong coral coverage — full reef experience
Red Trail — Advanced Open Water Divers
25–40m
North plateau drop-off • Blue water pelagic zone
- North plateau — most reliable hammerhead schooling zone
- Drop-off wall to 40m — open ocean blue water dives
- Hammerhead schools in formation, typically 20–50 individuals
- Oceanic whitetip encounters at depth
- Stronger current — requires dive experience and buoyancy control
- More consistent schooling behaviour at peak season
The honest difference: the Red Trail at 30–40m gives you more reliable access to large schooling formations in peak season. The Blue Trail at 15–20m gives you real shark encounters — documented regularly — with a shallower, more comfortable dive profile. Neither trail is a consolation prize. They are genuinely different experiences of the same world-class site.
What Open Water divers actually need to know before boarding
Open Water certification carries a recommended recreational limit of 18m and an absolute maximum of 20m. On the Pelagic Trail, OWD divers dive within this range throughout the trip. The rules below apply at all times and exist to keep your dives safe — not to restrict your experience.
| Situation | Open Water Diver | Advanced OW Diver |
|---|---|---|
| Can join the Pelagic Trail | Yes | Yes |
| Daedalus Reef — depth | Blue Trail · 15–20m | Red Trail · 25–40m |
| Hammerhead shark encounters | Possible at 15–20m | Most reliable at 30–40m |
| Oceanic whitetip encounters | Yes — all depths | Yes — all depths |
| Sataya dolphins | Yes — same experience | Yes — same experience |
| Fury Shoal caves | Yes — within OW depth | Yes — same |
| Elphinstone wall | Upper wall only · 15–20m | Full wall · 20–40m |
| Upgrade to AOWD on board | Yes · €280 · Days 1–2 | Already qualified |
| Solo diver (no buddy) | Private guide required · €350 | Dive with group |
| Free nitrox | Yes if nitrox certified | Yes if nitrox certified |
