Ocean Club

[Stu Sheridan]

<font color='#0000FF'>Hi all,

Wondered if some of you red sea vets' could give me a bit of feedback regarding the Ocean Club resort in Ras um Sid, Sharm.

Have done a search through the travel sections but thought I'd get better info asking direct.
How were the rooms, and more importantly the beds!?
Food?
Resort in general?
Would you dive with Ocean College again?

All replies and any other info you feel relevant would be much appreciated. I've not been to the Red Sea before.

Stu.

[KimH]

<font color='#000080'>Hi Stu,
My wife and I have dived with Ocean College a number of times and have always found them excellent, friendly, helpful and very competent.
The accommodation varies. The Club itself is basic although clean, comfortable and the staff are friendly. There is a good atmosphere as the dive centre is there and the hotel tends to have mainly divers who congregate at the end of the day for the usual “diving stories”.  They also use the Rock which is next door that tends to be quieter although you can still use the Club facilities, pool, and hang out in the bar etc.

You can upgrade to the 5* Na'ama Bay Hotel if you want a bit more luxury, although personally on the basis of being out on a boat for most of the time I have found this to be of little importance.

The food has always been fine, reasonable choice for breakfast, with normal bar snacks - burgers, toasties and chips during the day and proper restaurant for the evening, that's if you want to hang around the hotel as there is plenty of choice in town - Na'ama Bay or old Sharm. The Club now has a Mongolian Barbeque - eat all you can for one price ( 2 prices actually with or without 5 beers thrown in)

I'm sure you'll get more than our opinion to help you but if you want any more info please feel free to PM.

[Bobcat]

<font color='#FF0000'>Hi

I have dived with Ocean college twice now and stayed at the Ocean Club both times and am thinking about going abck there this year. &nbsp;The resort is friendly, basic pub food and good loca beer, and very relaxing sunset bar . The rooms are basic but who cares as you are out all day diving and they are clean and comfortable.

I would highly recommend the resort unless yuo want to stay somewhere posh and the dive centre, I found to be professional and friendly at all times

Hope you have a fab time out there

Carolyn

[torbaydiver]

I was their last month, basic rooms but at the cheap price you can't complain. &nbsp;Everyone staying their are English divers (that I met anyway).
Ocean College seemed competent and the food on the boats was excellent especially at £3 for all you can drink and eat.
Thistlegorm a must do dive!
Steve

[Andy Phillips]

Hi,

I've been there a few times, the rooms are amounst the best you will get in Sharm without paying silly money, Ocean College are very professional.

Have to say though, they have added entertainment in the bar upstairs, I always liked the place because it was very quiet. In it's defense it turned out to be unobtrusive as long as you get a room on the other side of the pool.

They now have a Barbie by the pool which was unfortunatly very, very tasty. Gone are the days of the 1 week crash diet.

I fully recommend both the hotel and the dive center, I will be back there again before the year is out.

Andrew

[Stu Sheridan]

<font color='#0000FF'>Thanks all, that's settled then, where's me visa....

Cheers, Stu.

[Lou]

Yup, concurr with the above. &nbsp;Caroline and i stayed there and the rooms were fine, all you need. &nbsp;The pool bar is great during the early evening, grab a cold one and rinse off in the pool. &nbsp;The roof top bar is just nice for a quiet eveining, gassing with other divers, eating perfectly nice food and watching the sunset over the mountains.

Breakfasts were ok, certainly all you could eat, or want to eat. &nbsp;The minibus into town was somewhat erratic in its timing so you are better off getting a taxi back rather than wait in the heat for a bus that never shows!

The boats were variable in quality. &nbsp;We had one that was just ok, and one that was great. &nbsp;The food was fab on both though!

I would recommend it, but also consider going on the Thursday-Thursday itinerary if they still do it. &nbsp;We did that and in June met only 1 other boat ont he THistlegorm and none at Tiran! &nbsp;All the other boats seem to go Sunday to Sunday and do the sites in the same order, hence the crowding. &nbsp;Maybe we were lucky, but it seemed to work for us.

Lou

[DanE]

I'd echo everything said above. &nbsp;Simple and clean hotel and the BBQ is excellent. &nbsp;

The sculptures that the roomstaff make out of bedding and anything else they can get their hands on are something to behold...

It's a bit out of town, but taxi's are cheap.
dan.

[SCUBA Chick]

Hi!

I didn't stay at the ocean club but our hotel was just down the road from there and we went there every day and dived with them...

Can't comment too much on the accommadation standards there but the diving they provided was great! We did all the usual, Ras Mohammed, Gorden, Thomas, Jackson and the Thistlegorm...and apart from myself getting the odd headache we had a brill time whilst we were diving (that might have been my own fault as I seem to skip breathe without realising it - hence me coming up with 100 bar on a 12l after 1 hour!! Oppppssss!!)

All in all I can't think of anything negative to say about them...

Scubachick

[KimH]

<font color='#000080'>I don't know if you've come across these guys but if you want to know anything about Ocean Club have a chat with them and they have a few pictures on their website. They organise regular group trips there for their club. I may be wrong but I think their shop is quite local to you (Walton, Liverpool - this is from a Southern Shandy drinker) and Steve and Marion are very friendly and helpful. At one time they were thinking of becoming an agent for Explorers Tours who I would normally book through so may be able to help with the travel arrangements or at least point you in right direction.

Orca Divers