About Us
About Us
You give us something that cannot be replaced - YOUR TIME.
Your trust is our obligation. For us, this commitment is more than just a job - it encompasses our enthusiasm and passion for diving, our respect and responsibility for the underwater world and our commitment to diving safety.
Your dive hosts Johann & Verena
Experience
Centers
SUBEX History
Find out more about the SUBEX History
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Hour of birth
In the spring of 1965, the two diving pioneers Walti Guggenbühl and René Galster laid the foundation stone for the company by founding the first Swiss diving school (then still eurosub) on the island of Elba.
First season from May 1 to October 15
Together with the leading travel company at the time, KUONI, the offer for a diving vacation was advertised and organized.
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Exploratory trip to the Sinai
In 1971, shortly after the 6-Day War, a small exploration group made its first foray into the Sinai, which was still under Israeli occupation at the time. What they saw and experienced there was so inspiring that a plan was immediately drawn up, which was first implemented in 1972.
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Visit from diving legend Hans Hass
The world-famous diving pioneer and filmmaker Hans Hass visited the diving school, then still eurosub, on the Elba in the summer of 1972. He wanted to see for himself how Walti Guggenbühl and René Galster trained divers in the use of a collar lifejacket and buoyancy compensator.
Sinai liveaboards
In November 1972, two Land Rovers and trailers were loaded with extensive equipment, shipped to Israel and driven to Sharm El Sheikh. The famous SUBEX Sinai safari programs were born, which were successfully carried out until 1985.
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Name change
Other providers used the, unfortunately not protected, name eurosub and advertised diving trips. This necessitated a name change and a new logo was designed by Walti Guggenbühl.
SUBEX reg. trust
Acquisition of a company in Liechtenstein and renaming to SUBEX reg. trust.
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Norseman
The takeover of the motorsailer Norseman and the founding of Club Norseman marked the beginning of SUBEX's legendary diving cruises to the diving areas of Monte Christo, Giglio, Giannutri, Capraia, Koriska and Sardinia.
Dive Center Maldives
After a test trip by René Galster to the Maldives, the SUBEX dive center opened in Rannali in the South Male Atoll in the fall of 1977.
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Start of Johann & Verena Vifian's diving career
In the spring of 1982 Johann & Verena Vifian turned their hobby into a profession and started their first season with SUBEX as dive guides/diving instructors on the Elba and in the same year from November as base managers of the SUBEX base Fiha Lohi on the Maldives.
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Hurghada
In the spring of 1985, SUBEX was informed that the Hydrotec diving center was to be sold because the heirs of the deceased owner Karl Heinz Bühner did not want to continue running it. On behalf of SUBEX, Johann & Verena traveled to Hurghada on September 6, 1985 to take a look at the offer.
All beginnings are difficult
What they found there was a diving center in the worst possible condition. Nevertheless, Johann & Verena recognized the potential and made a deal with the Egyptian partner of the Hydrotec dive centre at the time. SUBEX rents the dive center with guest house and the Hydrotec dive boat and operates it on its own account.
SUBEX Dive Center
In the following 2 ½ months, the dive center and guest house were completely renovated and brought up to SUBEX standard.
Diving boat
The Hydrotec submersible was made ready for operation and the first diving trip under the SUBEX flag was carried out on December 26, 1985.
SUBEX Hurghada Logo
The foundation stone was laid for SUBEX's first year-round diving center on the Red Sea.
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SUBEX Reiseservice AG
Foundation and opening of SUBEX Reiseservice AG under the management of René and Trudi Galster.
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Foundation of sub-egypt L.L.C.
In order to legalize the activity of SUBEX in Egypt, the company sub-egypt L.L.C. was founded. The first tourist company in Egypt with the purpose of water sports tourism. Owners Johann Vifian, René Galster and Walti Guggenbühl.
SUBEX Clubhouse
A prerequisite for working in tourism was the operation of a tourist cafeteria. In the Aldahar district of Hurghada, 200 meters from the sea, a multi-storey house was therefore rented and converted into a guesthouse with a restaurant.
Opening of the clubhouse incl. restaurant
In August, after a four-month renovation period, the SUBEX clubhouse and restaurant shone in the night sky of Hurghada.
Diving center
Another building was rented right next to the clubhouse, where the diving center was set up.
Diving boat
Purchase and transfer of a boat from Suez to Hurghada, where it was converted into a diving boat for day trips according to the plans of Johann Vifian.
Diving center in southern Turkey
Opening of a SUBEX diving center at Kiris World in Turkey.
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SUBEX Dive boats
In the spring of 1990, the time had come. The two SUBEX-owned dive boats Alchasar and Alhambra were put into operation.
SUBEX Head Office
A third building was rented directly next to the diving center in Hurghada. The growth of SUBEX on the Red Sea meant that additional office space was needed and furnished.
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Recognition of SUBEX Hurghada by CMAS
After the visit of a delegation of the World Diving Association CMAS, led by the President of the Technical Commission Walter Tichy, SUBEX Hurghada was recognized as the first CMAS O.C.C. Diving Center in Egypt.
SUBEX Branch Egypt
Registration of a branch office of SUBEX reg. Trust in Egypt. This is associated with the establishment of the independent subsidiary SUBEX Branch Egypt.
Foundation of HEPCA
SUBEX began actively working to protect coral reefs in 1988. This led to the founding of the HEPCA as an NGO for the protection of coral reefs. Johann Vifian, initiator and co-founder of the HEPCA, succeeded in getting 40 diving centers to donate US$ 4,000 each to support the goals of the HEPCA as members.
Installation of the first 100 mooring buoys in the Red Sea
In coordination with HEPCA, SUBEX organized the Halas mooring system in America and delivered it to Hurghada. This was used to install the first 100 mooring buoys in the Red Sea.
Dive center in Sharm El Sheikh
In January 1991, Johann Vifian received a request from Mövenpick to operate the SUBEX dive center at the Mövenpick Jolie Ville Resort in Naama Bay in Sharm El Sheikh. After intensive negotiations with the owner, work began on setting up the base.
Opening ceremony
On Sept. 5, 1991, Mövenpick's first resort on the Red Sea was officially opened with SUBEX as its dive center. The owner, the founder of Mövenpick and SUBEX ceremoniously shook hands.
Diving activities in Sharm El Sheikh
In Naama Bay, the dives and diving excursions were carried out with jeeps and trailers.
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Diving center in El Gouna
Opening of the SUBEX diving center in El Gouna, just north of Hurghada, in the Sonesta Paradisio Hotel.
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Project Fortune 1
Launch of the Fortune I project for diving cruises in the Red Sea organized by Mövenpick with SUBEX as diving operator.
Fortune 1
The first diving cruise with the Fortune 1 took place in August 1994.
Mövenpick and SUBEX in El Quseir
In El Quadim Bay, 5 km north of El Quseir, the then southernmost diving resort was opened in spring 1994.
El Quadim Bay
To protect the house reef, the first jetty was built on piles from SUBEX on the recommendation of Johann Vifian.
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Closure of the dive center at Sonesta El Gouna
Because the owner of El Gouna decided to change his strategy with considerable consequences for the operation of a diving center, the contract was terminated by mutual agreement after only 2 years.
Closure of the diving center in Turkey
For economic reasons, the contract with Kiris World was not extended after 6 years.
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Exit from the Fortune 1 project
Because Mövenpick as the main initiator terminated the cooperation with the owner of the Fortune I at an early stage, SUBEX also had to cease operations on the Fortune 1 six months later.
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Sale of the SUBEX base on the Elba
After 33 years, the SUBEX base was sold. The buyers continued the business as an independent company, independent of SUBEX, under a new name.
Opening of a second diving center in Sharm el Sheikh
The owner of the Baron Resort in Ras Nasrani, 15 km north of Sharm, asked SUBEX to operate the diving center in their resort. The negotiations were successful and in the summer of 1998 another SUBEX base was opened in Sinai.
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SUBEX THE ART OF DIVING
Adaptation of SUBEX's corporate identity (CI), supplemented with the slogan THE ART OF DIVING and the design of the associated logo. Both were protected under trademark law.
Registration of the domain www.subex.org
To enable SUBEX to use the World Wide Web with its own website, SUBEX was registered as its own domain with Networksolution in America. As the domain subex.com was already taken, this was done under org and net.
Years later, this was extended to ch and eu.
FUN DIVER
Johann Vifian develops a beginner's program for divers and gives it the name FUN DIVER. An own logo is designed and protected.
Closure of the SUBEX base Fiha Lohi
After 22 years in the Maldives, SUBEX ended its activities there. The owner of the island decided to run the diving center himself.
Closure of the dive center at the Baron Resort in Sharm
No agreement could be reached in the negotiations to extend the contract, which led to the diving center being closed.
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Sale of SUBEX Reiseservice AG
After 12 years of successful business, the travel agency was sold. Two years later, the new owner closed the travel agency.
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SUBEX Info Office
René and Trudi Galster have taken on this task so that SUBEX has a contact person in Europe.
Diving center at the Mövenpick Golf Resort in Sharm
At the request of the Mövenpick management, SUBEX has taken over the dive center incl. snorkeling center in the Golf Resort, 15km north of Naama Bay.
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Contract with SSI (Scuba Schools International)
SUBEX takes over SSI Egypt from SSI Germany and is thus the official regional representative of SSI in Egypt.
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Study on the condition of the coral reef of El Quadim Bay in El Quseir
On behalf of SUBEX, a study was conducted on the condition of the coral reefs in SUBEX's house reef in El Quadim Bay in El Quseir. This was conducted under the direction of Dr. Georg Heiss and Reef Check. The concept developed by SUBEX for environmentally friendly diving with a voluntary limit on the number of dives per day was the reason that the condition of the house reef was assessed in the same way as a coral reef in a national park.
Anniversary week 40 years of SUBEX in El Quseir
40 years after the company was founded in 1965, this was reason enough to celebrate in style. A special plane was chartered to take the guests to the Red Sea. The anniversary week, from December 4 to 11, 2005, came to a fitting conclusion with a huge party attended by around 350 guests.
International symposium on environmentally friendly diving
At the invitation of SUBEX, an international symposium on environmentally friendly diving was held in El Quseir from December 6 to 8, 2005. Experts from the fields of marine biology, environmental protection authorities, tourism, diving associations, the trade press and SUBEX looked for ways to protect coral reefs.
Launch of the El Quseir charter
The outcome of the symposium on environmentally friendly diving was recorded in the El Quseir Charter. Anyone who agrees to protect the coral reefs can sign the charter. A website was created for this purpose and launched in spring at www.elquseir-charta.org.
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SUBEX air28 "It's all in the mix"
The new air mixture was introduced at all SUBEX diving centers on April 1, 2006. It contains 28% oxygen and combines the advantages of "NITROX diving" with those of diving with "normal" air. In a nutshell, SUBEX air28 ensures increased safety without restricting the maximum recommended diving depth for recreational divers of 40 meters.
Award of Excellence
The SUBEX dive center in El Quseir was the first dive center in Egypt to receive the highest award for exemplary performance, the "Award of Excellence" presented by the Minister of Tourism of Egypt.
VDST
Recognition of all SUBEX dive centers in Egypt as VDST mta dive centers.
Trip to Zanzibar
In August 2006, we received an invitation from Mövenpick France to take over the dive center at the newly planned Mövenpick Resort in Zanzibar. Reason enough to
to travel to Zanzibar. The project seemed promising and planning for a new diving center began immediately.
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Dive center in Zanzibar
In the summer of 2007, five of us flew via Kenya to Zanzibar with a lot of excess baggage to take over the base. During our stay, we learned that Mövenpick was terminating the management contract with the South African owner company. We also discovered that the owners were not adhering to the agreements made with us. So, the adventure of a SUBEX base in Zanzibar came to an end.
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Diving center in Dahab
In spring 2008, we were asked whether we would like to set up and run the diving center at the new 5-star Sea Sun resort in Dahab. We agreed, planned, and built a diving center, which was opened in the autumn.
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Experimental study on Air 28
Experimental study on Air 28 by Ms. Anne-Kathrin Brebeck to obtain a doctorate in medicine, during 8 weeks in August and September 2009 with 108 subjects.
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Dive center at the Radisson in El Quseir
Because the management of the Radisson in El Quseir was not satisfied with the dive center operator, their contract was not renewed. At the request of the Radisson, we took over the vacant building on April 1st, furnished it and were thus able to open another SUBEX base.
25th anniversary of SUBEX Hurghada
In December 2010, the time had come. All 118 employees were invited to a birthday party in Hurghada. The birthday present was passed on with an invitation to invite 5 times 25 kids from orphanages in Egypt to Hurghada to show them the wonder of coral reefs.
Test center for compressed air cylinders
In February 2010, our application for a test center for diving cylinders was approved by the responsible ministry.
With official approval, we were able to do what we have been doing every year since 1985, namely test our diving equipment ourselves.
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Dive center in El Quadim Bay in El Quseir
What became apparent when the resort changed hands in 2008 became a bitter reality three years later. The new owner was not prepared to support the concept of environmentally conscious diving. As a result, the contract was no longer extended, and we had to announce the closure of the diving center after 17 years of successful operation.
Summer 2011 KIDS EVENT-25 years SUBEX Hurghada
To mark the 25th anniversary of Hurghada, SUBEX has invited 25 Egyptian children and accompanying adults to a two-day event to learn about the coral reefs of the Red Sea.
Sale of SSI Egypt
Restructuring at SSI worldwide led to the sale of the SSI regional office in Egypt and its inventory to SSI Germany.
Diving and snorkeling center in Marsa Imbarak
In spring, we received an offer to set up and operate a diving and snorkeling center in a newly planned resort in Marsa Imbarak, 150 km south of El Quseir. We accepted and the center opened in the summer, although the hotel was not yet ready for operation.
Drinking water bottles
In order to reduce the waste of plastic drinking water bottles, we decided to provide every guest with free water dispensers and reusable drinking water bottles on every base, so that they can drink as much and as often as they want, free of charge.
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Visit from Holidaychecker
In February, a film crew visited us on behalf of SAT 1 to shoot another report for the Holidaychecker series about a vacation in Hurghada. The SUBEX base in Hurghada was chosen for the diving. As an actor was
Tanja Gutmann, actress and Miss Switzerland 1997, took part and made her first dive with SUBEX.
Last season of the Norseman
At the end of September 2012, Walti Guggenbühl, comandante and creator of the legendary diving cruises, conducted the last diving cruise in the Mediterranean with the Norseman.
The Norseman was sold, and the helm handed over to the new owner.
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Closure of the base in Dahab
After five years, we realized that the diving and snorkelling center was not economically viable, with the result that the contract was terminated prematurely. All the equipment was temporarily stored and used for the new base in Sahl Hasheesh in spring 2014.
Closure of the base in Marsa Imbarak
After only two years, the base in Marsa Imbarak was closed because the planned resort was not completed.
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Diving center in Sahl Hasheesh
In February, we received a call from the area manager of Baron Hotels with the information that they were looking for an operator for their new hotel, the Baron Palace in Sahl Hasheesh. The negotiations were successful. The dive center opened at the same time as the soft opening of the hotel in April.
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Change of ownership at SUBEX reg. trust
Walti Guggenbühl and René Galster, owners of SUBEX reg. trust in Liechtenstein, sold 100% of the shares to Johann Vifian.
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Fluo, Photo, Bio Event in Sahl Hasheesh
From 5 to 19 May, SUBEX organized an advanced training seminar on the three topics of coral fluorescence, underwater photography and marine biology. Three specialists, Prof. Dr. Horst Grunz, the multi-award-winning underwater photographer Herbert Frei and the renowned expert on kauri snails, Dr. Felix Lorenz, were invited to take part.
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Closure in the Golf
The contract with the Maritim Golf Resort, which expired on Dec. 31, 2019, was not extended.
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Covid crisis
In mid-March, a worldwide travel ban was issued due to the Covid virus. Hotels and diving centers had to cease operations. The travel ban was only eased after 3 months and we were able to resume operations in compliance with many hygiene regulations.
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Change of ownership at sub-egypt L.L.C.
Walti Guggenbühl and René Galster sold their remaining shares in sub-egypt L.L.C. to Johann and Verena Vifian and have finally begun their well-earned retirement.
Base at Radisson closed
The Radisson had been closed since spring 2020, which also affected the diving and snorkeling center. Before the planned reopening, the owner made demands of us that we were unable and unwilling to meet. The dive center in the Radisson was emptied and handed over to the owner.
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New website
The completely reprogrammed homepage was launched in March.
SUBEX Philosophy
THE ART OF DIVING
Your holidays are precious – and we make sure that you can enjoy them without worrying! Since its foundation in 1965, the well-being, satisfaction and safety of divers have always been a top priority for SUBEX. Of course, without losing sight of the fact that diving is and should remain an adventure! A recommendation rate of 99% and two-thirds of regular customers, some of whom visit SUBEX several times a year, are clear key figures for THE ART OF DIVING. Ultimately, the art of diving is a feeling that cannot be described but can only be experienced and dived. We cordially invite you to join us! A stress-free day including recreation, relaxation and adventure should be the be-all and end-all of every SUBEX diving holiday.
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