Snorkelling in Hurghada if You Cannot Swim

A surprising number of people arrive in Hurghada, book a snorkelling trip because that is what you do here, and then spend the whole boat ride quietly dreading the moment someone says "in you go".

You do not have to. And you do not have to miss the reef either.

You can snorkel without being able to swim

This is the part most people do not know. Snorkelling is floating, not swimming. With a life jacket on you float whether you can swim or not, and the mask lets you look down at the reef while you do it.

On our boats:

• Life jackets are on board in every size, including children's.
• The snorkelling stops are supervised — a guide is in the water with the group, not watching from the deck.
• You can stay near the boat. There is no requirement to swim off anywhere.
• Nobody is made to get in. If you decide at the stop that you would rather sit it out, you sit it out.

Plenty of people who told us on WhatsApp that they could not swim have spent an hour face-down in a life jacket watching a reef, and got out delighted with themselves. It is one of the better parts of this job.

If you would genuinely rather not get in the water

Take the glass-bottom boat. You go out over the coral and watch it through the floor of the boat — dry, seated, and comfortable.

It is the trip we recommend most often for:

• Grandparents.
• Families with toddlers.
• Anyone who cannot swim and does not want to be talked into it.
• People who get seasick and want a shorter trip.

It costs less than the full day trips and it is about half a day. If it turns out you want to get in after all, you can — snorkelling is available on that trip too.

Small children

Children are welcome on all the boat trips, and they pay less. What actually matters is the day itself, not the swimming: a full-day boat trip is a long time on the water for a toddler, and a hot deck with no shade is nobody's idea of a good time.

If your children are very young, our honest advice is the glass-bottom boat or one of the island days where there is a beach to run around on, rather than a trip that is mostly time at sea.

Tell us the ages on WhatsApp and we will tell you which one we would take our own family on.

Seasickness

The Red Sea is generally calm, but windy days happen. If you are prone to seasickness:

• Take the tablets before you board, not when you start to feel it.
• Ask us about the wind for your date — we will tell you honestly.
• Stay on deck and look at the horizon, not down at your phone.
• Consider a shorter trip. Half a day is a lot easier than a full one.

The short version

Not being able to swim does not mean missing the Red Sea. It means picking the right trip — and telling us before you book, so we can put you on it rather than on the wrong one.