Best Scuba Diving Experience Overview
The three regions of the United Arab Emirates that provide diving are the East Coast, the West Coast, and Musandam, which lies technically in the West Coast but merits its own category.
The Western Region
The West Coast has the greatest concentration of dive shops, although the diving is only average at best. This is the coast that is home to cities like Dubai and Abu-Dhabi. The Persian Gulf’s natural terrain, relatively shallow water level, and recent dredging initiatives have resulted in an almost total lack of coral life and usually appalling visibility. There are plenty of interesting Best Scuba Diving Experience locations on the west coast Coast, but wrecks are by far the most exciting. Though not always, the poor visibility unfortunately makes these dives unfun.
The MV Ludwig and Zainab are two prominent and rather well-preserved wrecks that provide for excellent dives when the visibility is decent. Since identifying these wrecks might be difficult, the best method to reach them is from an Abu-Dhabi-based dive organization, particularly one that has been in business for some time. The East Coast of the United Arab Emirates is an excellent location to obtain certification at every level because of the plethora of highly skilled diving operations, including Al Boom Best Scuba Diving Experience , The Pavillion Diving Centre, and the Professional Diving Institute, which was as well as the primarily warm waters. The PADI course director, Mohammed Helmi, oversees instructor-level training and is based in Al Boom.
The Eastern Seaboard
There are two sections to the UAE’s east coast: Musandam and UAE. Although Musandam has no physical connection to other parts of Oman, it is technically part of Oman. From Musandam, the UAE coastline extends further south. The majority of divers in Musandam are from the UAE.
Best Scuba Diving Experience is considerably better on the UAE’s east coast than its west. In contrast to the west the east coast is made up of mountains, with certain locations, especially in Musandam, having rocks that border the sea. The largest cities on the West Coast are Khorfakkan and Fujairah, where a number of dive businesses, usually housed in hotels, operate.
There are several wrecks in the United Arab Emirates (not in the Musandam, the region of the West Coast), and the coral life there is mediocre at best. A few of the most well-known locations include “Martini Rock,” “Pinnacles,” “Inchcape 1” and “Inchcape 2” from the wrecks. Both “Blue Planet Diving,” which is led by an exceptionally skilled teacher, and Al Boom Diving, located at the Le Meridien Al Aqah, are excellent diving operations.
Musandam
Unquestionably, Musandam—which, as previously established, is technically in Oman and not the United Arab Emirates—is the Best Scuba Diving Experience destination par excellence in the country. Musandam is a highly hilly peninsula that is mostly deserted save for a few towns tucked away on isolated beaches in lagoons. The coastline features breathtaking views and sceneries both above and below the water, with mountains plunging down into the ocean. Numerous small islands that are often found along the main shoreline also provide for some really fascinating diving destinations. Musandam is the place to go diving if you’re a tourist or a resident of the United Arab Emirates.
United Arab Emirates: Dive Sites, Marine Life, and Environment
The general seasons in the United Arab Emirates are winter, pre- and post-summer, and peak summer. Best Scuba Diving Experience are the three of the main locations (East, West, and Musandam ), the water temperature is comparatively comparable.
The water temperature decreases between 21 and 23, and occasionally as low as 20, during the winter months, which run roughly from November to March. This is typically accompanied by poor visibility. I have observed a decline in dive centers’ business over the past few months. Wearing a dry suit, as many people do, or at least a 7mm suit is recommended.
The hottest months of the year are June, July, and August. Even if the water is fairly pleasant during these months, it is uncomfortable to dive outside for the entire day because the air temperature is typically very high—up to 50 degrees Celsius. Moreover, visibility is typically poor during these months. The months of April, May, September, and October have to be the greatest.
For novice divers who want to learn more about diving or get certified, the United Arab Emirates is an excellent destination. The Best Scuba Diving Experience is not very good outside of Musandam, which is nominally in Oman but may be regarded a part of the United Arab Emirates for all intents and purposes of diving there.
Because of the sandy bottom, artificial dredging being done as part of the Palm Islands development, and the somewhat shallow Arabian The Gulf, viewing on the West Coast—Dubai, Abu-Dhabi, Sharjah, and RAK—is often poor throughout the year.
With its Best Scuba Diving Experience array of sharks and stingrays, the Aquarium at Dubai Mall is perhaps the most thrilling diving spot on the West Coast.
Additionally, there are a few accidents that are worth investigating. The West Coast has very few noteworthy Best Scuba Diving Experience sites and no coral reefs, save from wrecks. certain of the better-known and well-preserved wrecks include the MV Ludwig and Zainab, although when visibility is decent, certain barges near Dubai may make for enjoyable dives. Obtaining a certification or an advanced certificate is highly recommended in the West Coast region. A considerable portion of the year sees the sea at a fairly pleasant temperature, and there are several well-established diving businesses.
Best Scuba Diving Experience may be found on the east coast, where there are several quite shallow dive sites with lovely coral formations and a good variety of marine life. Whale shark encounters have been reported on the West Coast; however, this is more true in Musandam than in the UAE portion of the Eastern shoreline. Photographers will find many unique marine wildlife at dive spots like Martini Rocks and Pinnacles, including barracuda, tuna, sea snakes, lionfish, lobsters, stingrays, and Murray eels. Similar scenery and aquatic life may be found in Musandam, though more of it. In general, Musandam has a lot more marine life and corals.
A few of the well-known diving spots at Musandam include Lima Rock, Caves, Octo Rock, and Ras Muravi, however, there are many more.
Airports, Dive Shops, and Diving Logistics in the United Arab Emirates
Logically, it is quite simple to fly into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as there are three foreign airports in Dubai and one each in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. It’s simple to go diving on the West Coast or the UAE portion of the East Coast; you only need to choose a dive operator that meets your criteria and schedule a day excursion, which typically consists of two or three tank dives.
Most the Best Scuba Diving Experience centers on the East Coast can arrange transportation for visitors from the West Coast. Al Boom, for instance, will come to you in Dubai, carry you to Fujairah, and finally drop you back in the evening. From Dubai to Fujairah, the journey takes around two hours.
The logistics of transportation will be handled by the Best Scuba Diving Experience shop you reserve.
It’s a little harder to dive into Musandam, but the experience is well worth doing. The requirement to cross the line is the first obstacle. Here are some things to think about:
- Avoid bringing alcohol with you; in half of the cases, they do really extensive inspections, and you may have the opportunity to spend the day in a police station if anything is detected.
- At the border, allow yourself a minimum of thirty minutes of wait.
- If you have a resident visa for the United Arab Emirates, you must get authorization from the Best Scuba Diving Experience operator that services you three days in advance. It is not applicable to visas for tourists.
- It’s not an official border crossing; your passport is just examined rather than stamped.
Three choices exist for the Best Scuba Diving Experience in Musandam:
First Choice: Day Trips
A day excursion is always a possibility, regardless of whether you are a resident or just visiting. On the Omani side of the checkpoint, the Dibba port is where most vessels depart. Speedboats and Best Scuba Diving Experience dhows are the two types of boats that often operate the journey.
A dhow is a traditional wooden ship that is rather big and often has two decks. It was initially used for transportation and trade but has now been renovated for tourists.
Comfort is one of the benefits of traveling by dhow; there is lots of room to spread out and relax on the way to the Best Scuba Diving Experience location and in between dives. In contrast to speedboats, where lunch is typically a cold sandwich, dhows typically provide a very substantial meal that includes hot cuisine, salads, and other items.
But since speedboats move considerably more quickly, you may either go further north to reach more isolated dive spots or spend less time traveling to the same dive destinations. In choppy seas, traveling by speedboat for an hour or more in either direction may be extremely exhausting and uncomfortable.
Choice 2: Remain in Six Senses
A dive shop staffed by Best Scuba Diving Experience operates out of the marina of the “Six Senses Zighy Bay” hotel, which is another choice if you’re seeking for a luxurious stay combined with some excellent diving. Excessively costly, yet well worth it, is the hotel’s luxury accommodations.
Third Choice: Liveaboard
There are a few businesses that provide multi-day tours aboard specially furnished dhows; these are arguably the greatest option for diving in Musandam since you can do up to six dives in a weekend.
Sheesa Beach is among the Dibba operators offering a wide range of overnight tours and a sizable Dhow Fleet.
