The Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge — Hotel in Red Sea

Ultimate Reef Diving in Soma Bay, Hurghada: A Stay & Dive Review at The Breakers Hotel

Location: Soma Bay, Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt Base: The Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge (on-site dive center)

Overall Verdict: Combining luxury resort convenience with world-class house reef diving and professional SSI training, The Breakers Hotel in Soma Bay offers an exceptional Red Sea experience. Ideal for beginners, shore diving lovers, certification seekers, and those valuing ease + quality. Highly Recommended. Soma Bay & The Breakers Advantage: Soma Bay is a self-contained, upscale peninsula resort area south of Hurghada, known for pristine conditions and minimal boat traffic. The Breakers is uniquely positioned with direct, private access to one of the bay’s healthiest reefs. Key benefits: ● Zero Transit Time: Walk from your room to the on-site dive center and onto the jetty/beach entry within minutes. Dawn, dusk, or lazy afternoon dives are effortless. ● Exclusive House Reef: The Abu Soma reef system accessible “only” from Soma Bay resorts (The Breakers, Sheraton, etc.) is protected and less crowded than public sites. ● Integrated Dive Center: The Breakers Diving & Surfing Center operates seamlessly from the hotel, offering gear rental, storage, rinse tanks, and daily briefings. ● Value Packages: Hotel-stay-and-dive bundles are frequently available (Source: The Breakers official website, Booking.com packages).

Abu Soma House Reef Diving: ● Access & Conditions: The reef slopes gently from the shore/jetty, featuring sandy entries and max depths ~25m. Sheltered by the bay, it offers year-round calm waters – perfect for training, beginners, and relaxed exploration. ● Marine Life & Reef Health: ● Vibrant & Protected: As a private bay reef, Abu Soma is notably healthy with dense hard/soft coral gardens (Sources: HEPCA conservation reports, dive operator ecological briefings). ● Abundant Biodiversity: Expect clouds of anthias, parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, moray eels, scorpionfish, crocodilefish, octopus, and frequent turtle sightings. ● Macro Paradise: Excellent for nudibranchs, shrimps (including cleaner & commensal species), crabs, and pipefish. ● Occasional Pelagics: Reef sharks (blacktip/whitetip), rays (eagle/sting), and barracuda patrol the outer edges/deeper sections. ● Topography: Features swim-throughs, small caves, coral pinnacles, and sandy valleys – offering diverse terrain for repetitive dives. ● Crowds: Significantly quieter than Hurghada public house reefs. Primarily shared with guests from Soma Bay resorts.

SSI Certification & Trainer Professionalism: The Breakers Diving Center is a certified SSI (Scuba Schools International) Training Facility, renowned for its structured education and environmental focus. ● Why SSI Here? SSI’s digital learning (mySSI app) allows flexible theory study. Their emphasis on buoyancy control, safety protocols, and marine conservation aligns perfectly with diving sensitive reefs like Abu Soma. ● Instructor Professionalism (Islam Sanad): ● Aggregated feedback (Tripadvisor, Google Reviews, ScubaBoard) consistently praises SSI trainers at The Breakers for: ● Uncompromising Safety: Meticulous briefings, small ratios (often 1:2 or 1:3 for courses), and adherence to protocols. ● Exceptional Patience & Clarity: Especially valued by new divers – instructors build confidence through calm, clear communication (multiple languages spoken). ● Skill Mastery Focus: Heavy emphasis on perfecting buoyancy and finning techniques “before” reef exploration to minimize environmental impact. ● Ecology Knowledge: Instructors actively educate divers on reef species, behaviors, and conservation challenges (e.g., coral bleaching recovery). ● Personalized Approach: Adapting pace/style to individual learning needs and comfort levels. ● Passion & Enthusiasm: Genuine love for the Red Sea and diving...

My first stay at the Breakers was so great that I definitely want to come back. The staff and most of the guests were incredibly nice, it was easy to strike up a conversation, and even solo travelers don't stay alone for long (unless they want to). The round tables for 6 to 8 people invite you to join others and meet new people. The food is delicious and there is something for everyone. Every evening (at least during one week), the theme of the buffet changes, which means there is plenty of variety. In the morning, you can have omelets, fried eggs, or pancakes made to order, and there is always freshly squeezed juice/smoothies and fresh fruit. Drinking water (still or sparkling) is available free of charge at the bar at any time or (outside dinner times) 24/7 in the restaurant. At the beginning, you are given a card with which you can get an aluminum bottle at the bar, which you can refill as often as you like. However, you can also bring your own bottles. Beach towels are also provided and can be exchanged daily at the distribution point near the pool. The room was great. There is enough storage space for everything. A hairdryer and shower gel/shampoo are provided. Clean, tidy, good air conditioning. Large balcony, in my case with a view of the sunrise and in a quiet location. You can also book a private hammock on the balcony. The complex is nicely designed and not too big (a plus point for me personally). There are various seating areas, small bars, etc., which invite you to linger. I particularly liked the (probably relatively new) sky bar, from where you can watch the sunset. Every day there are different happy hours at different times and in the evenings there are often events, such as movie nights or parties on the roof bar, which you can find on the Breakers app, where all the latest news and information is posted. The diving school is located right next to the restaurant. A long jetty takes you over the reef to the water, where you can snorkel, dive, or swim. Another advantage is the slightly offshore lagoon, where you can also snorkel in sheltered waters and where the beginner diving courses take place. However, you cannot enter the water directly from the beach. During the day, a free shuttle bus runs every half hour, taking you from the hotel entrance to 7 Bft Kitehouse in less than 10 minutes, where you can learn or practice kitesurfing and wing foiling (also highly recommended, great atmosphere, nice people, good instructors). The beach promenade starts right in front of the Breakers, where you can stroll along and pass the neighboring hotels. This also takes you to the marina in about 20 minutes, where there are shops, a pharmacy, etc. If you don't feel like walking, you can also take one of the golf carts that run regularly up and down the promenade. The guests at the Breakers are mainly German-speaking, which I didn't find a disadvantage as a German myself. All in all, the week at the Breakers was really great. It's a wonderful place to learn/improve/practice kitesurfing/wingfoiling, snorkeling, or diving, or just to relax. This was my first stay at the Breakers, but it definitely...

This hotel was recommend by a friend.. I was traveling alone and wanted to dive. When I arrived I was a little bit sceptical because the breakers is not looking that "posh" like the Robinson.. not that much plants and decoration around.. only two floors high (ground floor, 1st and 2nd)..

But at the check-in my view changed. There is this special atmosphere.. I mean, a lot of hotels have the "welcome home" slogan now.. but here it really felt like it.

It took me 10 minutes at lunch to have a dive buddy and after some days I knew nearly everybody in the hotel. It really feels like being part of a...holiday family. This impression gets even stronger when the boss of the hotel is around nearly every evening and talks to everybody.

There are special events like movie night on the rooftop.. pretty nice! Happy hours every day on different bars..

The food was great! I have read some reviews where people were unsatisfied by the food.. I have no idea in which hotel they were.. it really was delicious and the selection was great. Every day another topic. Only one small remark here: the fish and meat was a little dry.

The hotel itself feels and looks good. Clean, no damages.. the rooms are perfect.. don't expect anything special.. but they are perfect for what you need. I had a lifestyle room with sea view.. awesome to wake up with the view to the riff.

I think I could go on and on about this hotel.. maybe the most important fact is: I was there in July and will go there again this year hopefully!

Thanks Breakers and see you soon :)

PS. I have not rates the diving spots and the diving school here. It was awesome to say the least, but this review should only be about the hotel. I will review the orca school and the...