Jeddah, the area around Crazy Eight

Jeddah · Saudi Arabia · Reef · Wall

Crazy Eight

Shallow reef at 7 to 13 m with a drop-off past 60 m alongside

Area photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

An offshore reef 26 km out from the Jeddah creek with two halves to it. The north side is a shallow reef formation in 7 to 13 m, and the southwest side falls away in a drop-off that extends beyond 60 m. Barracuda are always on the site, jackfish and moray eels are a feature, and silky sharks stay in the area for months at a time.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Crazy Eight: typical dive 7–13 m (23–43 ft), deepest point 60 m (197 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit7 m13 m60 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 70 m (230 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

21.6548° N, 38.8721° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The north end is where the recreational dive happens. The reef formation there sits in 7 to 13 m, shallow enough to give you a long bottom time and enough structure to spend all of it in one area. Barracuda are always present over this ground, jackfish move across it, and moray eels are a feature of the reef itself, so the shallow half of the site is not a consolation prize for staying off the wall.

The southwest side is a different dive. The drop-off there extends beyond 60 m, well past any recreational plan, so it is a wall you look over rather than descend unless you are diving it as technical ground with the gas and the training for it. Silky sharks roam this area for months at a time and are always expected here, so keep an eye on the blue as well as the reef. Come back onto the shallow north reef to finish.

Marine life and season

  • Barracuda
  • Trevally & jacks
Month-by-month season rating for Crazy Eight
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFairFairPrimePrimeGood

Season follows Jeddah: Diveable in any month: winter water near 22C wants a 5 mm suit and hood, and July-September pairs the warmest sea with severe heat ashore.

Know before you go

  • The southwest drop-off runs past 60 m with nothing in recreational range below you, so set a hard maximum before the descent and keep the shallow north reef as your reference.

Questions divers ask

How far offshore is Crazy Eight?+

The site is 26 km out from the Jeddah creek, which makes it a day-boat dive rather than one of the shore or short-run sites along the North Obhur strip.

Can you see sharks at Crazy Eight?+

Silky sharks roam the area for months at a time and are always expected on this site. Barracuda are always present, and jackfish and moray eels are a feature of the reef.

Sources

  1. Crazy Eight - Scubago — Scubago

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