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Rave Hadas
s2858839@techst02.technion.ac.il
I'm posting this guide because I think Israel has a lot
to offer to a diver and I have read some articles in the newsgroups stating
sits and dive shops from divers that have little experience in diving
here.
Israel - General diving information
Yes you do have to pass Israeli security when flying
in or out of Israel I KNOW IT'S A MAJOR NOSINESS BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH
IT !
I know all you guys hear about Israel is bombing and
Israeli Arab war but Israel is not Bosnia it is safer then N.Y.C. all
I hear about N.Y.C is rape murder and robbery. so DON'T JUDGE US BEFORE
YOU KNOW US.
You should know that PADI NAUI CMAS etc. have no meaning
in Israel. Israel hase a independent Israeli Under Water Sport Federation
supported by a Dive Law. (the only country that hase a dive law as far
as I know) so all PADI NAUI YMCA CMAS instructors and DM can not work
in Israel unless they pass Israeli federation exams.
Don't worry ALL CERTIFICATES ARE ACCEPTED FOR REC. DIVING
but you will have to show diving insurance or buy one at the dive club
for apr. 50 nis ($16). You do not have to pay it every time you dive this
is a yearly payment acceptable all over Israel and Sinai.
Israel is divided in to too major diving areas:
- Mediterranean Sea
- Red Sea
There is a little dive community in the sea of Galilee but we will
not discuss it here.
Mediterranean Sea
- geology - a graduated sloped sand florae
- water temperature of 10c to 30c
- vis. 3m to 30m (most of the time it's apr. 10m)
- average site depth if you're interested in site seeing is 20m
- the best time to dive the med. sea is winter since like in Alaska
the vis. is at it's best.
Red Sea (Eilat)
(Editor's note: Since Hebrew -> English transliteration
is not precise, it is usual to see several spellings of one place, even
on neighbouring road-signs! Thus Elate = Elat = Eilat)
- geology
- a 1m to 10m shallow lagoon bordered by a coral reef
- 20m shallow with 30m to 200m drop.
- water temperature of 22c to 24c CONSTANT ALL YEAR LONG
- vis 10m to 100m (average of 40m)
- depth - up to 200m in Elate (in the south part of the Red Sea depth
reaches 1000m )
- the best time to dive is winter since it is not baking hot outside
the water. Heat can be a major nuisance.
- Tel numbers are international numbers when calling from in side
Israel ( 972 - ) == ( 0 ) zero
Sites and Shops
Med. Sea - north (Natanya and north)
There are 8 dive clubs in the north part of the country
:
- Achziv tel:972-4-823671 north of Nahariya
- Shavey Zion tel:972-4-820540 souse of Nahariya
- Ako tel:972-4-9918990 Marina ,Ako
- Shikmona tel:972-4-622005 Haifa
- Shcafit tel:972-4-514809 Haifa
- Kesarya tel:972-6-361787 Archeological park, Kesarya
- Li-yam tel:972-6-360765
- Hadera tel:972-6-342171 Hadera Major dive sites :
- Rosh Anikra caverns : a very nice 15m cavern dive on the border
between Israel and Lebanon.
Go with : Achziv,Shavey Zion or Ako
- Italian U-Boat Shira : a 34 m Max. of a W.W.II Italian sub sank
by the British army. you can not penetrate since the Italian sailors
are still inside and it is declared a grave.
Go with : Ako
- Kesarya Archeological National Park : a very nice 20m dive of
a Byzantine sea port. it includes a ground tour of excavations
of the dry section of the port.
Go with : Kesarya (located inside the Park)
- Med. Sea - middle (Natanya to Ashdod)
5 dive clubs are located here
- Dogit tel:972-3-5441712 Tel Aviv old sea port
- Snapir tel:972-3-5463226 Tel Aviv old sea port
- Ocktopuse tel:972-3-5271440 Tel Aviv old sea port
- Leonardo tel:972-3-5105871 Tel Aviv Dolphinaryum
- Jerusalem tel:972-2-257808 Jerusalem
Major dive sites :
- Zev Hyam wreck : a magnificent 34m dive of Israeli navy ship
(it hase a very nice and long history too) sank as a artificial
reef .
Go with : Dogit, Snapir, Octopuse, Leonardo
2 dive clubs in this region
- Ashkelon tel:972-7-711375 Ashkelon
- Nachal Oz tel:972-7-805324
Major dive sites :
- Shech Farock wreck : a Egyptian ware ship sank by Israeli navy.
Very big ship and a nice dive.
Go with : Ashkelon. Requires early registration!
8 dive clubs are in Eilat ( Feb. 1995 )
(every day a new one pops up so its hard even for me to keep track
)
- Aqua sport tel:972-7-334404 coral beach
- Manta tel:972-7-376569 Marina, King salomon hotel
- Red Sea tel:972-7-379685 coral beach
- Lackey divers tel:972-7-370075 hotel region
- Dolphin reef tel:972-7-375935 Dolphin beach
- Divers village tel:972-7-372268 Maritime University Elate
- Marina divers tel:972-7-372268 Club Med. marina
- Siam Divers tel:972-7-370581 Orchidea hotel
I recommend the Divers Village club, it is a small quiet family like
club. All the others are a Diving factories. Major sites :
- north of navy port : a very nice 20m dive with allot of jelly
fish.
ask : any club
- Dolphin beach : Dive with dolphins. recommended but you have
to be rich to dive there.
ask : Dolphin reef
- navy ship wreck : a 50m wreck of a navy missile ship sank as
an artificial reef.
ask in : Marina,Aqua sport,Red sea
- Yatosh (mosquito) wreck : a nice 30m dive to a navy 20m ship.
ask in : Aqua sport
- Japanese gardens : a 80m steep coral wall very colorful. The
site is a national park so the number of people allowed in is
limited and you should order a day in advance.
ask : any club
- Light hues and The caves : a colorful shallow 15m reef with
a lot of small caves .
ask : Divers village.
All the dives are shore dives. Even so when you dive for the first
time take a guided dive or ask at the dive club for information For
some of the sites you have to pay entrance fees or some of them may
by limited to a certain number of divers per day. There are more sites
- just ask any diving club there.
Money
- A 2 tank Dive day with full gear is apr. 35 $us
- A boat dive is apr 45 $us
- food and drink apr. 10 - 50 $us per person.
- hotel 20 to 200 $us per person per night.
Well that's it. I hope you will consider Israel as an opportunity
for your next vacation. If you need more information pleas E-Mail
directly to me.
If you do have time go to Sinai. If anyone wants
a guide on Sinai please write.
-- Rave.
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