Dubai - anyone want to go diving?

[MB NZ]

I'll be in Dubai in early August. Considering a day or two diving despite the risk of my wife's anger. Would love to meet up with a local and do some diving either through a club or private boat. I'm not being cheap, happy to pay my way, just generally don't enjoy diving with dive centres. Happy to do shore diving, reefs, wrecks or whatever. Will have full kit except weights and tanks. Failing that, any recommendations?

Coming up to 1000 dives. PADI. BSAC. Have some technical certification cards gathering dust in a drawer somewhere, but a recreational diver now. Will spend July diving in the Mediterranean, so should have remembered how to dive by August

Cheers

Andrew

 

[Searcaigh]

Hi Andrew,

You are welcome to dive with our group when you're here in the UAE

There are some wrecks off Dubai, but visibility is a lotto, 1m to 10m depending on tides etc. Water temps will be in the 30s and air temps in the 40s.

East coast over in Fujairah is a bit cooler depending on the dive sites, and air temps will be slightly lower too.

The dive centre (Barracuda) that I usually use in Fujairah is very flexible, they have three small boats and a dhow. Water temps will be in the mid-20s at the bottom 24-30m. We can certainly get our own boat from Barracuda if we have 4+ at the weekend and 2 during the week.

 

[MB NZ]

Sounds perfect! Can I PM you closer to the date?

 

[Searcaigh]

Yes, no problem

 

[BoltSnap]

East coast over in Fujairah

WAY better than diving in Dubai.

 

[hedonist222]

Andrew I would skip Dubai if you can fit the East Coast into your schedule.
It is Dubai - there is everything for your wife to do here! Except anything outdoors because it will be rather hot.

You're in good hands with Searcaigh!

Andrew, drop me a message if you remember. Happy to join the dive as well!

 

[MB NZ]

Andrew I would skip Dubai if you can fit the East Coast into your schedule.
It is Dubai - there is everything for your wife to do here! Except anything outdoors because it will be rather hot.

You're in good hands with Searcaigh!

Andrew, drop me a message if you remember. Happy to join the dive as well!

Will do. Thanks. Is Fujairah diving possible as a day trip from Dubai? I'm entirely ignorant of your geography.

 

[BoltSnap]

will be rather hot.

The heat isn't an issue; it is the oppressive, stifling, sticky, icky, miserable humidity. I dove off Dubai once in the summer, and the water temperature at 30 meters was only 34C. YUCK

 

[hedonist222]

Will do. Thanks. Is Fujairah diving possible as a day trip from Dubai? I'm entirely ignorant of your geography.

So Fujairah, or the East Coast, is approximately 1.5 hours of easy driving.

The operator usually does a double tank from 8 am and then a third optional dive at 2:30.
Furthest site is around 30 minutes away.

Here is a typical weekly announcement.

 

[Searcaigh]

Just to add that Barracuda do run dives during the week also as does Divers Down, so you're not limited to busy boats at the weekends.