Dive talking

IT MIGHT sound odd, but diving is surprisingly close to flying. Drifting weightlessly metres above solid ground, staring into the blue nothing as the sea bed drops into one of the Red Sea's deep canyons. This is Superman stuff. This is how it feels to forget the laws of gravity, to know you can move in every inch of the water above. No longer are your feet firmly on the ground.

The Superman analogy is strengthened by the extraterrestrial world in which you are swimming: the coral, intricately- woven, casting massive webs which stand proud above the reef;, the waving anemones; the alien-like forms of stingrays or the prehistoric turtle.

It's enough to leave you breathless - if you could forget the obsession with an air-giving hose clenched tightly between your teeth.

Diving in the Red Sea really is a trip to another world, a world that's been seen on television or in pictures but which has to be experienced at first hand before its amazing beauty can be appreciated.

To swim above a sandy sea-bed and watch what can only be described as a mountain range of reef which teems with life is awesome.

To look up through metres of water to the ripples far above; to watch milk fish leap away from you into the air beside the hulls of boats; and look horizontally into the deepening blue which hides miles and miles of mystery, knowing that at any time the distinctive wave of a manta ray, the bulk of a reef shark or the sleek form of a barracuda could appear.

All around are the hordes of blue fusiliers, the bright yellows of clown fish, the weird turquoise-purple of parrotfish.

It is surreal, but not frightening. On the day I first took my seat in the classroom to study for the PADI diver certification, before even my feet were wet, I was told if I were lucky enough to see a shark, I'd be swimming after it.

With no effort at bravado, I can say that's true.

There's something about being 20 metres under water that eases the nerves. Maybe it is the deep breathing practised to slow the sucking of vital air supplies strapped to your back; maybe it's the complete silence, broken only by the bubbles streaming from your mouth and past your face.

Much of it must be from the first-class instruction I received from Emperor Divers.

Kneeling on the ocean floor while Denise Fletcher, my instructor, tells me to remove my mask is a definite way to learn quickly. As is reaching for my buddy's alternative air source after she has turned off my supply.

Coughing up a lung full of water shows choking can be dealt with easier on the sea-bed than rushing in a panic to the surface to gasp at fresh air, and spend time in a decompression tank.

The teaching method sounds harsh, but the confidence it gives you is essential to feel safe and enjoy diving.

Emperor Divers, the award-winning operation used by dive specialist Regal Holidays, is based near the centre of Na'ama Bay, the new part of Sharm El Sheikh which is designed for tourism.

The charming seafront promenade is lined by outdoor restaurants, the main street has shops and bars and pavement cafs which bubble with the sound of the Sheesha pipe and the distinctive Arabic smell of apple tobacco.

And it's not just the bed of the Red Sea which exudes an alien feel. The flight from Gatwick to the tiny Sharm El Sheikh airport ends by passing over Egypt's Sinai desert. From the aeroplane's window is a night-time scene of sheer blackness, broken only by orange spots of the Bedouin fires.

The town, a favourite holiday spot for Egyptians, including the country's president, tries through irrigation to bring some green to the desert. But the cloudless skies, the relentless sun and the orange mass of the desert mountains peering over, never lets you forget its arid position.

Students on the PADI Open Water course spend their first two days at this base, packing in classroom study and basic skills in the centre's training pool.

Then they join the experienced divers on the custom-made dive boats, bathing in the desert sun as the Egyptian crews cruise through the crystal waters, fishing for the lunchtime tuna as they take you to the region's best dive sites.

Diving is far removed from the typical sunshine holiday which leaves you crammed on a beach but, once you discover what's under the water, time above it will be considered wasted.

Travel Facts:

Adam Nichols travelled with Regal Holidays, which can be contacted on 01353 778096. He travelled from York to London with GNER, and stayed overnight at Gatwick airport with Posthouse Gatwick.

The hotel allows car parking for 15 days. It can be contacted on 0345 404040.