At Emperor Divers we are proud of our long history and extensive track record for providing the finest diving experiences to our guests over so many years.
Now well into our fourth decade, Emperor’s journey has had its ups and downs but thanks to our fantastic staff and wonderfully loyal divers we are still at the top of our game.
But, for those who don’t know much about us, here’s a brief history of the company.
It began in 1992 when founders Terry and Theresa Simpson – both of whom had vast experience in diving instruction from their time in the USA – teamed up with Jim Yanny and Andy Telford after meeting at the UK Dive Show in London.
With the first diving centre (main picture) at the Princess Palace Hotel in Hurghada, a working partnership with Regal Diving and also inspired by Egypt’s Pharaonic history, the founders decided the company’s name had to have royal links – so Emperor Divers was born.
From the start there was a focus on doing things the right way – a quality offering, delivered by great staff at a realistic price.
Emperor Hurghada became the very first PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Centre on mainland Egypt and Theresa was the first female PADI course director. For many years she remained the country’s only resident course director.
Multiple awards followed and the teaching side of the company was going from strength to strength – as were the day diving trips. As Emperor’s reputation for quality and service grew, so did the fleet.
It wasn’t long before we ventured into the liveaboard market, initially with a charter boat called Golden Diver and then with our very own vessel, Pegasus.
There were also more dive centres to come. Hurghada was joined by Sharm el Sheikh, Nuweiba, Soma Bay, Port Sudan and Dahab – among others – as the desire for diving the Red Sea grew and grew.
Over the years centres have come and gone but, after all this time, Emperor maintain a strong presence in Egypt with three dive centres still thriving at Sharm, Ghalib and the beautiful Wadi Sabarah.
And the same is true with the liveaboard side of the company. Emperor’s strong reputation meant more and more people wanted to come on our boats and the fleet had to increase to meet the demand. The total number of vessels in Egypt has changed with time but we currently sit with four sailing the Red Sea after Asmaa, Elite and Superior were joined in 2023 by the hugely-popular Seven Seas.
Then there is diving beyond Egypt. The focus for Emperor for many years was on showing our guests the delights of the Red Sea. However, there is a big, wide world out there and we wanted to use our expertise to offer alternative diving experiences.
The first move outside the Red Sea took us to The Maldives. A link-up with the superb Constellation Fleet – which was set up and run by Emperor’s now-CEO Alex Bryant – saw a fleet of five boats available to explore this picture-perfect country.
Another destination was added when we acquired the beautiful schooner Raja Laut in Indonesia. With such diverse diving and cultural experiences on offer here, the move proved a great success.
This led us to explore the options of buying another boat. The decision was made to order a bespoke vessel, made in traditional fashion on the water’s edge by one of the country’s most respected boat builders.
It took a bit longer than planned thanks to a global pandemic but, in 2022, the phenomenal Emperor Harmoni (below) took her first voyage and has wowed all those who have boarded her since.
And that is where Emperor Divers are today. With 11 liveaboards and three dive centres we are still providing top-notch holidays after all these years.
There have been many awards, for diver training and for our quality of service, and we have also played our part in marine conversation – such as a crucial role in setting up HEPCA, an NGO focused on protecting the environment in the Red Sea.
The things that make us most proud, however, are the number of guests who choose to come back to us time after time and the loyalty of our wonderful staff – some of which have been with us since the very beginning.
It is over 30 years since Emperor Divers began and the ethos of ‘Service – Value – Excellence’ is as strong as ever.