Is Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan) good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 2 of the 8 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Marble Wreck and Boiler Wreck (Abu Madafi). The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)?

The water is usually between 22 °C and 31 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)?

Divers regularly see hammerhead sharks (Nov–Feb), whale sharks (Feb–May), grey reef sharks, silky sharks, whitetip reef sharks and turtles.

Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)

Diving in Saudi Arabia

8 documented dive sites, 2 of them for Open Water divers. Known for whale sharks, hammerhead sharks and grey reef sharks.

Best months: Oct–May
Water: 22–31 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
Nearest airport: JED
One dive: €38–60

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan) in November

Best season

Sea: 30 °C; at the surface
Air: 33 °C; 24 °C at night
Rain: 30 mm; one of the wettest months
Wind: 11 km/h; on average

Exposure suit: swimsuit, rash guard or dive skin · if you feel the cold: 2 mm shorty or 1 mm full suit. How we choose

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Compare with another destination

Diving is year-round; best Oct–May (warm water, good visibility, calm seas, per SSI). Jun–Sep is very hot above water but diving is still possible; the Farasan Banks are best dived Dec–May.

Source: divessi.com

Dive sites in Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m2 sites

Wreck

down to 16 m

Marble Wreck

Shallow 8-16 m wreck of a marble carrier off north Jeddah, a short boat ride out and suited to beginners.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 45 m

Boiler Wreck (Abu Madafi)

Coral-covered wreck at 18 m on Abu Madafi reef with a resident moray eel and a tunnel through the coral to a 5 m pool.

Open Water
Manta rays

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m4 sites

Wreck

down to 24 m

Cable Wreck (Stavronisos), Abu Tair

Wreck lying at 24 m among its 1978 cargo of steel beams and cables, with whitetip sharks commonly seen along the ledge.

Advanced
Whitetip reef sharks

Wreck

down to 20 m

Chicken Wreck (M.V. Glaros)

A 60 m refrigerator ship resting on its side at around 20 m, beside the Coral Gardens reef.

Advanced

down to 36 m

Coco Beach

North Jeddah beach site with a 5 m platform for beginners and a sandy drop-off reaching 36 m.

Advanced

down to 40 m

SOL Beach

North Jeddah beach with a platform at about 5 m that fills with colour and marine life when the current runs.

Advanced

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m2 sites

Wreck

down to 32 m

Ann Ann Wreck

Jeddah's largest wreck dive, with corals on the deck handrails at 14 m and its propeller intact at around 30 m.

Experienced
Whitetip reef sharks

Wreck

down to 40 m

SS Iona Wreck

British steamship wreck about 8 miles from Yanbu Harbor, rich in marine life and reachable by dayboat.

Experienced

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Hammerhead sharksSource: divessi.com
Whale sharksSource: sandytimes.ae

Peak season
Seen

Also reported here, season not documented yet:

Grey reef sharks
Silky sharks
Whitetip reef sharks
Turtles
Stingrays
Tuna
Barracuda
Trevally
Napoleon wrasse
Snappers
Manta rays
Lemon shark
Tiger sharks
Dolphins
Dugong
Guitarfish
Sailfish

What diving costs here

Here a dive costs between €38 and €60, a try dive between €119 and €131 and an Open Water course between €525 and €668, depending on the dive centres we checked.

One dive (certified diver)packages counted per dive: €38–602 centres
Try dive: €119–1312 centres
Open Water course: €525–6682 centres

The cheapest and the most expensive of the dive centres we checked, from the prices on their own websites in October 2026. Prices change: confirm with the centre before booking.

Converted to euros at the ECB reference rate of 30 October 2026; for currencies the ECB does not publish, the official rate of the country's central bank.

Sources (5)

Where is Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Jeddah (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: JED

Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan): frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)?: The best months to dive Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan) are Oct–May. Diving is year-round; best Oct–May (warm water, good visibility, calm seas, per SSI). Jun–Sep is very hot above water but diving is still possible; the Farasan Banks are best dived Dec–May.
Is Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan) good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 2 of the 8 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Marble Wreck and Boiler Wreck (Abu Madafi). The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)?: The water is usually between 22 °C and 31 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)?: Divers regularly see hammerhead sharks (Nov–Feb), whale sharks (Feb–May), grey reef sharks, silky sharks, whitetip reef sharks and turtles.
How do you dive Saudi Red Sea (Jeddah, Yanbu & Farasan)?: The nearest airport is JED.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash