Equipment and pressure
How scuba equipment works, pressure, equalization and gas awareness, so the physics behind the sport makes sense before the first dive.
CMAS One-Star Diver · ★ · Hurghada
The world’s oldest diving certification, taught the way CMAS wrote it: real knowledge, real skills, four qualifying open water dives and a diver who can go on to dive with a buddy of the same level, unsupervised, to 20 meters. Trained on the Red Sea reefs around Hurghada.
The CMAS One-Star Diver course, also written CMAS P1 or CMAS ★, is the entry-level scuba qualification of the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques, the world underwater federation founded in 1959. In Hurghada it costs €320 per person for the training, with CMAS federation, registration, materials and certification fees charged separately. Candidates must be at least fourteen and need no previous diving experience; the program combines knowledge development, practical scuba training in confined water and a minimum of four qualifying open water dives, training progressively toward a maximum depth of 20 meters. Once certified, a One-Star Diver can plan and log no-decompression dives without a CMAS instructor present, accompanied by another diver of at least the same level. Red Sea Diving runs it in Hurghada on the Egyptian Red Sea.
Moreover, the €320 covers what happens here: the instruction, the confined water sessions, the qualifying open water dives, the boat, the tanks and the transfers within Hurghada. Therefore we explain in writing any CMAS fee that applies before you confirm. The program follows the standards published by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques.
| Course | CMAS One-Star Diver (P1, CMAS ★), the entry-level CMAS scuba qualification |
|---|---|
| Price | €320 per person, training only |
| CMAS fees | Federation, registration, learning materials and certification, charged separately where they apply |
| Level | Beginner, entry-level sport diver |
| Minimum age | 14 years; no upper age limit |
| Prior experience | Not required |
| Training | Knowledge development, confined water skills and open water diving |
| Open water dives | Minimum 4 qualifying dives |
| Maximum depth | 20 meters |
| After certification | No-decompression dives without a CMAS instructor, with a buddy of at least the same level |
| Next level | CMAS Two-Star Diver |
| Location | Hurghada, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt |
| Booking | Written confirmation of inclusions and CMAS fees before payment |
| Operator | Red Sea Diving, a CMAS-affiliated dive center in Hurghada, diving since 2000 |
Both certify a new diver to roughly the same depth, and both are recognized worldwide. By contrast, CMAS is a federation of national diving organizations rather than a single company, so a One-Star Diver certified here carries a card recognized by CMAS member federations across dozens of countries, with training standards set by an international manual rather than one agency’s curriculum.
Furthermore, CMAS One-Star Diver defines readiness slightly differently: the diver is judged able to plan, conduct and log open water dives without a CMAS instructor, provided a buddy of at least the same level joins. Consequently the emphasis on buddy procedures and independent dive planning runs through the course from the first confined water session.
In short, choose whichever system matches your existing card or your travel plans; the diving itself, and the reefs it happens on, are the same either way.
How scuba equipment works, pressure, equalization and gas awareness, so the physics behind the sport makes sense before the first dive.
Comfortable breathing underwater and buoyancy control, the two skills that make every dive after this one easier.
Above all, the core confined water skills, practiced until they are automatic rather than alarming.
Controlled movement up and down the water column, including the awareness that keeps an ascent safe.
Likewise, staying aware of a buddy, communicating underwater and following the agreed dive plan together.
In addition, planning a dive within depth and gas limits, the skill that later lets a One-Star Diver dive without an instructor.
Recognizing and responding to a developing problem, introduced at a beginner’s level and built on later.
Furthermore, understanding no-decompression limits and dive computers, so depth and time stay within safe bounds.
Finally, buoyancy and fin control that protect coral, taught as a diving skill rather than an afterthought.
However, the objective is understanding safe diving principles, not simply memorizing information. In other words, four qualifying dives let you apply every one of these skills in real conditions before you are certified.
To begin with, equipment, pressure, buoyancy, dive planning and safety, taught so the knowledge changes how you dive, not just what you can recite.
Then equipment preparation, pre-dive checks, mask and regulator skills, buoyancy control and controlled ascents and descents, practiced step by step.
Next, the first qualifying dives, applying every confined water skill in a real Red Sea environment with your instructor alongside.
Afterward, progressively deeper dives toward the 20-meter limit, with buddy procedures and dive planning built into every one.
Finally, your instructor’s evaluation of your development throughout the program and your certification.
However, training progresses gradually according to your ability and the applicable CMAS standard. Consequently we confirm the exact schedule once we know your dates and experience.
Already tried diving once and want to see if it suits you first? Our Discover Scuba Diving day is the lower-commitment option. Moreover, if you already hold a card from another agency, tell your instructor before the course, since the required CMAS training and assessments still apply either way.
Therefore your written quotation shows the €320 training price and each applicable CMAS fee as separate lines. In fact, that is why the headline says €320 rather than a vaguer all-in figure.
Hurghada gives a first-time diver exactly what an entry-level course needs: warm water for most of the year, sheltered reefs within minutes of the marina and visibility that makes the four qualifying dives memorable rather than nerve-wracking. Moreover, butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish and moray eels show up on training dives as readily as on any other.
Furthermore, the season runs all year, so the course fits around a holiday rather than the other way round. Our daily diving continues after you qualify, and our procedures sit on the diving safety page.
Equally, depth is never the objective of beginner training here. Good buoyancy, awareness and buddy skills matter more than reaching 20 meters quickly.
Gallery
Simply keep diving as a One-Star Diver, accompanied by a buddy of at least the same level, within the 20-meter no-decompression limit.
By contrast, the next grade, certifying an autonomous diver able to organize and conduct dives, typically to 30 meters.
Afterward, an advanced recreational grade with leadership and deeper diving, building on Two-Star experience.
Overall, the CMAS route runs: One-Star Diver ★ → Two-Star Diver ★★ → Three-Star Diver ★★★. Meanwhile, we also teach the PADI and BSAC systems, and can advise on which fits your existing certification or your travel plans.
Why us
Above all, training decisions follow student ability, medical suitability and actual sea conditions, and a planned dive changes whenever conditions require it.
Indeed, more than two decades of diving and liveaboard operations out of Hurghada, on every Egyptian route.
Furthermore, skills are introduced according to your ability and confidence, because good habits matter more than finishing quickly.
Moreover, every qualifying dive happens on genuine Red Sea reefs from our own boats, not a simulated environment.
In addition, the €320 training price and every applicable CMAS fee are explained in writing before you confirm.
Likewise, we teach PADI, BSAC and CMAS, so we can advise honestly on which suits your goals and your existing certification.
Questions
The Red Sea Diving price is €320 per person. However, applicable CMAS federation, registration, learning-material and certification fees are separate unless your booking specifically includes them.
Not automatically. Therefore we charge applicable federation, registration, learning-material and certification charges separately and confirm them before booking.
The exact equipment package depends on your confirmed booking. Consequently tell us before arrival if you require full rental equipment.
Yes, provided sufficient time is available to complete all required knowledge, practical training and open water dives safely. In fact, the exact schedule depends on your progress and diving conditions.
Yes. It is the entry-level CMAS scuba-diving qualification, and no previous scuba certification is required.
Fourteen years, with no upper age limit. A legal guardian’s signature is required where the applicant is a minor.
No. However, if you have already completed introductory dives, tell your instructor before the course, since the required CMAS training and assessments still apply.
A minimum of four qualifying open water dives, applying your knowledge and practical skills in real diving conditions.
The program can progress to a maximum of 20 meters, according to the applicable CMAS requirements, your ability and the conditions.
In suitable training environments in Hurghada and the Egyptian Red Sea. Nevertheless, exact dive sites are chosen according to training objectives, conditions and safety.
Yes. Once certified, a One-Star Diver can plan and log no-decompression dives accompanied by another diver of at least the same level, without a CMAS instructor present.
The next main qualification is CMAS Two-Star Diver, which certifies an autonomous diver able to organize and conduct dives at greater depth.
Send us your full name, your age, your swimming ability, your previous diving experience if any, your arrival and departure dates, your hotel in Hurghada, your equipment requirements and any medical information relevant to safe participation. Then we confirm availability, the training schedule and any applicable CMAS fees in writing before booking. For liveaboard diving in Egypt see also redsealiveaboard.net, and read the current fitness guidance from Divers Alert Network.
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Red Sea Diving, Madares Street, Hurghada 1, Hurghada 84511, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt. Diving and training here since 2000.
This page was last reviewed by the Red Sea Diving instructor team in September 2026.
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