Open Water Course in Hurghada: 2026 Price, How Many Days & What's Actually Included

The quick answer: what it costs in 2026

A full Open Water Diver course in Hurghada runs roughly €280-€450 in 2026, depending on the school and — crucially — on what's actually inside that number. At DiveRED the course is from €395 all-in: eLearning materials, all equipment, four confined-water sessions, four open-water boat dives, tanks, instructor and the certification itself. No surprise line items on the last day. That makes Hurghada one of the cheapest places on the planet to get a certification that's valid worldwide — the same course commonly costs $600-800 in North America and €550+ in Europe, with cold water and a drysuit thrown in.

How many days do you need?

Plan three full days — four if you want a buffer or a celebration fun dive at the end. If you finish the eLearning theory at home before you fly (a few relaxed evenings on your phone), you can compress the in-Egypt part to two and a half days and spend the rest of your holiday actually diving. A typical DiveRED schedule looks like this:

Day by day

• Day 1 — Theory review and confined-water sessions: master every skill in shallow, calm water until it's boring.
• Day 2 — Boat day: open-water training dives 1 and 2 on a sheltered reef, plus surface skills.
• Day 3 — Boat day: dives 3 and 4, final skills, paperwork — and you surface as a certified diver.
• Optional Day 4 — First fun dives as a certified diver, on the same boat, with the same crew.

What's included — and the hidden fees to ask about

The €250 offers you'll see on flyers around town are real — but they're rarely the number you end up paying. Before booking any school (including us), ask what happens with these five items: 1. Certification card fee — the agency charges for issuing your card; some schools add €40-60 for it at the end. 2. Equipment rental — 'course price' sometimes means instruction only, gear billed per day on top. 3. eLearning / materials — the theory code alone retails around €100-180 if it's not bundled. 4. Boat and marine-park fees — per-day charges some schools list separately. 5. Insurance — dive insurance for the course days should be included, not an upsell. At DiveRED all five are inside the €395. The full price list is public — compare line by line and the cheap offer usually stops being cheap.

PADI, SSI or SDI — does it matter for Open Water?

Less than the flyers suggest. All three certifications follow the same international standard (ISO 24801-2), are recognised at dive centers worldwide, and teach near-identical skills. The real difference is the school and instructor in front of you, not the logo on the card. We teach all three and will recommend whichever fits your plans — the full PADI vs SSI vs SDI comparison covers every difference in detail.

Why Hurghada is one of the best places on earth to learn

Warm water year-round (22-29°C — no drysuit, no shivering through skills), 20-30 metre visibility, and sheltered sandy-bottom bays that feel like a swimming pool with coral. You'll do your training dives on real reefs with turtles and morays, not in a murky quarry. Add short boat rides, low prices and 300+ diving days a year, and it's hard to name a better classroom — whatever the season, there's good diving.

Am I eligible?

You need to be 10 or older (ages 10-14 earn a Junior Open Water that upgrades automatically at 15), comfortable in water — the standard asks for a 200 m swim and a 10-minute float, done at your own pace — and able to answer a routine medical questionnaire. Certain conditions need a doctor's sign-off first; ask us and we'll send you the form before you book flights. Traveling as a family? Here's how kids' diving works in Hurghada.

What comes after Open Water

Open Water certifies you to 18 metres with a buddy — which covers most of Hurghada's best reefs. When you're ready for more, the classic next steps are the Advanced Open Water (€320, two days, takes you to 30 m and includes wreck-friendly deep and navigation dives) and the Nitrox specialty, which stretches your bottom time. Many divers do Open Water + Advanced back-to-back in a single five-day trip — ask us about combining them.

FAQ: Open Water in Hurghada

How much does the Open Water course cost in Hurghada? Typically €280-450 depending on what's included. At DiveRED it's from €395 with equipment, eLearning, boat dives and certification all inside. How many days does it take? Three days — or about two and a half if you complete the eLearning at home before your trip. What should be included in the price? Theory materials, all equipment, confined-water sessions, four open-water dives, boat fees, insurance and the certification card. Ask specifically about each. Do I need to know how to swim? Yes — a 200 m swim (any style, no time limit) and a 10-minute float are part of the course. Can I dive anywhere in the world afterwards? Yes. Open Water is recognised globally and certifies you to 18 metres with a buddy — for life, with no expiry.