Roots Red Sea & Pharaoh Dive Club – A Freediving Paradise in the Egyptian Red Sea

From 21st April to 5th May 2026, Steve Millard of Apneists UK spent two exceptional weeks at the stunning Red Sea coastline of El Quseir, Egypt, staying at Roots Red Sea and diving with Pharaoh Dive Club.

A trip focused on freediving training quickly became one of the most successful Apneists UK overseas trips to date, combining outstanding training facilities, world-class marine life encounters, and a relaxed atmosphere perfectly suited to both recreational and professional freedivers.

A Resort Designed for Divers

Roots Red Sea offers a unique blend of comfort, simplicity, and direct access to the Red Sea. Situated on a private beach overlooking Abu Sauatir Bay, the resort provides comfortable accommodation, a freshwater swimming pool, restaurant, beach café, pool bar, Wi-Fi, and a peaceful environment far removed from the bustle of large tourist resorts. The house reef is only a short walk from the accommodation and can be accessed directly from the resort’s private beach.

The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, making it ideal not only for scuba divers but increasingly for freedivers looking for quality water time, excellent visibility, and easy access to the sea.

Freediving at Roots Red Sea

Although traditionally known as a scuba diving destination, Roots and Pharaoh Dive Club have proven themselves to be an outstanding venue for freediving activities.

During the trip, Apneists UK successfully delivered multiple RAID Freediving courses, ranging from beginner programmes through to instructor development. A major highlight was the qualification of two new RAID Pool Instructors, helping to expand the future teaching capacity of the RAID system along the Hurghada to Marsa Alam coast.

The combination of calm conditions, warm water, excellent visibility, and convenient access to both pool and open-water environments makes the venue particularly well suited to freediver education and progression. Pharaoh Dive Club is already a RAID Instructor Training Centre and has extensive experience delivering diver training programmes.

Exceptional Marine Life Encounters

The Red Sea once again demonstrated why it is considered one of the world’s premier diving destinations.

Among the highlights of the trip was a memorable visit to Abu Dabbab, where participants enjoyed the rare privilege of encountering a dugong in its natural habitat. Abu Dabbab is internationally renowned for its seagrass meadows and frequent dugong sightings.

Additional encounters throughout the trip included:

  • Green and hawksbill turtles
  • Blue-spotted rays and other ray species
  • Moray eels
  • Lionfish
  • Barracuda
  • Snapper schools
  • Extensive hard and soft coral formations
  • Countless reef fish species characteristic of the Egyptian Red Sea

The house reef and surrounding El Quseir dive sites continue to enjoy a reputation for abundant marine life and relatively uncrowded diving compared with many of Egypt’s more heavily visited destinations.

Why Apneists UK Will Be Returning

One of the most impressive aspects of the trip was the willingness of the resort and dive centre teams to accommodate freedivers alongside traditional scuba operations.

The combination of:

  • Comfortable accommodation
  • Excellent food and facilities
  • Direct access to a superb house reef
  • Warm, clear water
  • Professional support from Pharaoh Dive Club
  • Suitable training environments for RAID courses
  • Outstanding marine life

creates an ideal destination for both individual freedivers and organised groups.

Here is a video of when we started the beginner training for new Freedivers starting out:

Future Apneists UK Trips

Following the success of this visit, Apneists UK plans to develop future club trips, training camps, and RAID Freediving courses at Roots Red Sea.

The destination is particularly attractive for:

  • New freedivers seeking warm-water training
  • Experienced freedivers looking to improve depth and technique
  • UK freediving clubs wanting an organised overseas trip
  • Schools and instructors wishing to join or develop within the RAID Freediving system
  • Divers and non-diving partners seeking a relaxed Red Sea holiday

For anyone looking for a friendly, uncrowded Red Sea destination that now offers genuine opportunities for freediving development as well as outstanding scuba diving, Roots Red Sea and Pharaoh Dive Club have proved themselves to be an excellent choice.

For more information about future trips and RAID Freediving courses, visit Apneists UK