When Work Becomes Passion: My Diving Journey Through Egypt

My diving adventure began 3,5 years ago in Zakrzówek, Krakow. That's when I put on two wetsuits and equipment, and then took my first breath underwater. Who would have thought that less than two years later I would be traveling the world and working as divemaster on a boat!

How did it all start?

It's never too warm in Zakrzówek. At least underwater. A few years ago, on a July day, I went there with my instructor friend and got my first ever briefing – a short introduction to diving. After laboriously putting on two wetsuits, heavy equipment and all other elements necessary for survival, I crawled into the water. When a diver submerges above the waist, water starts to pour under the wetsuit. Brrrr! Later on, this feeling will become quite pleasant - because it means that an underwater adventure is about to begin.

"Put the regulator in your mouth and breathe a little. Ok, now put your head under the water. Is everything OK? Let's go." And so for the first time I spent more time underwater than the length of one breath. Cold water, grey and gray, a small perch scuba diving here and there - it would seem that it was nothing special, but... Actually, right after my first dive I took a basic course, the so-called Open Water Diver (OWD), and right after that an extended one, the Advanced OWD.

As I definitely prefer warm climates, when the opportunity arose I packed my bags and flew to Hurghada. This was not your typical all-inclusive holiday in Egypt. Imagine that – 6 days of diving, waking up at 6am every day, transferring to the boat, at least two dives, cold wind in wet hair, returning to the hotel and a nap. Amazing! I think that was when I was pulled under for good!

At first there were shallow lagoons, turtles, dolphins, colorful fish, then slightly greater depths, rays, moray eels, octopuses, a sense of freedom, no gravity, "flying" in currents, thrills over drop-offs. The underwater world mesmerized me and I knew that from now on I would return to it often. I just didn't expect it to be so often!

I'm flying to Egypt!

Krakow is a very small city. At the end of 2013, when I finished my studies and was wondering what to do with my life, a few suitable people met by chance and a plan was born. The owner of a diving center in Sharm el Sheikh wanted to rejuvenate her Egyptian team and she liked the idea of ​​me joining them. Just a short hitchhike to Corsica and a few months later I landed in Sharm. I did a few more courses there and stayed divemaster.

Divemaster is the first professional diving degree. Such a person can independently supervise and conduct dives, assist in training, and also take an instructor course. The entire training lasted about a month. First, I had to learn how to provide assistance to an injured diver and what to do if something happened during a dive. Then I was given a ton of materials and tests to complete. Then daily water activities. Finally, an exam and practice. I remember like it was yesterday one of my first dives in the Sharks Bay port, when a beautiful Eagle Ray swam before my eyes. It took my breath away! Slowly gliding like a bird, it presented itself and disappeared into the water. Eagle Ray is an exceptionally beautiful stingray, all white on the bottom, and black on top, speckled with white dots. It must have been a good sign!

Red Sea – dream job

After a month in Sharm, I moved for another three months to the area of ​​Marsa Alam – a small town in southern Egypt. There, I worked at a friendly base, partly as a receptionist and partly as a divemaster. It was there that I gained my first real experience in guiding groups underwater. At first, I didn’t believe that I would be able to find my way around the reef, and what’s worse, where the flat bottom is covered with sand. I was afraid that after swimming away from the starting point of the dive, it would be difficult for me to surface at the starting point. And this responsibility! After all, I was supposed to be primarily a guide for a group of divers of varying degrees of advancement.

Fortunately, with each dive it became more and more natural and less stressful. I started to remember the reefs, interesting spots, species of fish and other animals. I was getting better at maintaining buoyancy and using up air. I met a lot of wonderful people, both those who came to Egypt for vacation and locals. In my free time I learned to make Bedouin coffee and fell in love with Egyptian cuisine. Of course, apart from diving, my great passion is also traveling, so I took the opportunity to take a short trip and visit Luxor. There I visited Karnak, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Kings, an alabaster factory and, just to make things clear, I dipped my toe in the Nile... A few months later, my friends from Italy and I set off on a bigger expedition - from Sharm el Sheikh through Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, the Kharga, Mut and Farafra oases, and then back to Sharm.

I spent my vacation in Europe, traveling here and there. Cool waters don't appeal to me as much as the warm Red Sea, but I dived a few times in Krakow and in the Italian Lake Garda. The stunning Dolomites reflected in the lake's surface are the best! In September, I was expecting another trip to Egypt.

Salam Alaikum, my friend!

This time I flew as a full-size divemaster. For the first month I lived in my boss's house, but in the meantime I was looking for a cozy place for me and my cat. Exactly. In the first week after my arrival, fate gave me a small Egyptian kitten. Someone had abandoned the poor thing in a cardboard box in a garbage can, but luckily a friendly street dog found it and instead of devouring the baby, brought it to my door. That's how I became the mother of Kosmos. Since then, he has lived with me and still lives today - in Poland.

But back to the point. The Red Sea is amazing, the opportunity to dive in it every day is a great privilege. Although the work of a diver is not easy, the time spent underwater rewards all the effort. I won't deny that relaxing in the sun to the rhythm of the rocking waves is also quite okay. 😉 Working on a boat requires a lot of "management", being extremely careful and attentive, as well as physical endurance. I quickly learned to do briefings, i.e. preparation for diving. I bought myself a great album in which every reef in Sharm is described and drawn in detail.

At first, I went into the water as an assistant to the main guide. I had to memorize each dive site, know which way to swim, where there might be a current, what to watch out for and what was particularly interesting. Soon after, I was given my own groups of underwater enthusiasts to look after. It's a great feeling to be able to show the beauty hidden under the water, to provide advice and help. Of course, a very important part of this job was also to make people aware of the great impact they can have on the life of the reef, both negative and positive. You have to remember that it is very delicate and needs special care. Of course, I had my share of mishaps, I even shed a few tears, but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world.

The Red Sea is one of the best-rated diving destinations in the world. Due to its unique location, a beautiful coral reef has developed there and many species of animals live there. People from all over the world come there not only for exotic holidays, but also for unforgettable diving experiences. However, our planet is undoubtedly rich in other fabulous places that I would like to dive into someday.

That is why in the next article I will describe my top 5 diving spots in the world. I hope it will inspire you to travel further! If you feel like it, write a comment under this report about your diving experiences, inspirations and dreams - I would be happy to read about it. We - enthusiasts of the underwater world have to share knowledge and infect others with passion. 🙂