Volkert Dive Center
German-speaking SSI dive base at the Abu Soma Beach Resort in Safaga, with a shore-entry house reef, two-dive day boats and a hotel jetty.
Last updated October 2026
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About
Volkert Dive Center is built around regulars. Its motto is "Tauchen unter Freunden", diving among friends, and it says that returning guests gather at the base every year for a beer after the day's diving. By its own account the centre has operated for more than 40 years and counts itself the town's oldest dive base.
The team is small and visible. Hassan Razek runs the base, Banga teaches for SSI, and Hassan Ali guides as a divemaster, with drivers, compressor operators and a boat crew behind them. Guests report that many on the team speak German and English, and the courses are taught in German.
The house reef starts at the beach in front of the base. It is a shore entry, about 4 to 16 m deep and rated from beginner to advanced, with a shallow check-dive area, a seagrass meadow and then coral across the bay. The centre says it placed a brick pyramid and a metal shark structure there that are now overgrown, and it counts five resident turtles, one of which it says turns up almost daily. It calls the reef a good choice for night dives and macro.
Day boats leave from the hotel's own jetty, so there is no transfer and no kit to carry. A boat day is two dives with lunch, and the sites are chosen each morning with guests' input from a list of 23, among them Panorama Reef, Abu Kafan, Tobia Arba and the Salem Express wreck. The boats have a shaded salon, a large sun deck, showers and two toilets.
Teaching runs from a first try-dive to Divemaster, with more than 20 specialties and a Deep course to 40 m. Children can dive from 10. Nitrox and guiding for certified divers are free, and returning guests get a discount that grows with each visit.
Volkert Touristik, the centre's sister agency, sells dive packages and liveaboard safaris that the centre does not operate itself.
What divers say
Reviews read like a regulars' club. Guests come back year after year, some across two decades, and describe being welcomed like family. Some stay a full week or more and dive every day.
Instructors and guides are praised for patience, thorough briefings and clear teaching, and Hassan and Banga are the names that come up most. Lunch on board is a regular mention, as is a crew that helps with kit. The house reef is described as a good way to settle in before the outer reefs.
The reviews are positive throughout and no recurring complaint appears.
Facilities
Pricing
We do our best to show current pricing, but rates may change without notice. Last verified October 2026. Always confirm the latest prices on Volkert Dive Center's official website before booking.
View pricing details▾
Courses
Guided Dives
Other Services
Prices are net per person; 10% tax is added at the till (a boat day with two dives is 62.70 with tax). Payment is cash only. Repeat guests get 3% off on the 2nd visit, 6% on the 3rd, 10% on the 4th and 15% from the 5th; packages of 3 days or more announced in advance take EUR 10 off. Guiding for divers with under 25 dives is charged per dive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I dive here if I am not staying at the Paradise hotel?▾
Yes. The base is open to the public and is reached on foot along the beach path to the left of the hotel. You can walk in without notice, or pre-register by e-mail, WhatsApp or the contact form to get the early-booking reduction listed with the prices. You can fill in an online check-in form from 24 hours before arrival.
Is this a PADI or an SSI centre, and which certification will I receive?▾
The centre is listed as an SSI centre and its course overview describes SSI programmes, while one line on its home page speaks of training by PADI or SSI and its base manager is shown as a PADI instructor. Treat SSI as the certification on offer and ask which agency's card you will receive before you pay for a course, especially if you need a particular one for a later liveaboard or training step.
Can I pay by card?▾
The price list states cash only, and the hotel's cash machines are not guaranteed to be working. Bring euros with you for the whole stay, including courses and the boat lunch.
Where is the nearest recompression chamber?▾
The centre's own equipment profile puts the nearest chamber and hospital in Safaga town, and the base itself carries oxygen and an emergency kit. That profile is the centre's description of its set-up, so confirm the arrangement when you book if it matters for your plans.
Is the house reef suitable for a diver with a physical limitation?▾
The centre describes its house-reef diving as designed for divers with physical limitations, and its boats leave from the hotel's own jetty with no coach ride or kit to carry. Describe your needs when you contact the base so the check dive and the boat day can be arranged around them.
Can I book a Red Sea safari through the centre?▾
The centre does not run liveaboards. It sells them through its sister travel agency, Volkert Touristik, and advertises a one-week safari to Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone on the MY GELEN, with marine park fees paid on site. Dates and prices change, so ask the agency for the current departure.
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