Diving in Dubai

Diving can be a great activity to take part in while enjoying your Dubai holidays, giving you the chance to explore underwater and take in some fascinating sights.

A number of fantastic diving sites can be found off the Arabian Gulf and even if you have never taken part in this activity before, you will be able to have fun swimming beneath the surface.

If it is your first time diving in Dubai it may be an idea to book a trip through the hotel you are staying at. The Jumeirah Beach Hotel’s Pavilion Dive Centre provides everything that you will need to have a fantastic underwater experience, whether you’re a total beginner or have been on diving trips in the past.

You’ll be able to depart on regular excursions that leave from the hotel’s marina to explore below the water’s surface, and although the gulf’s seabed does not contain many natural features – it is largely flat and sandy – there are several rocky parts that are home to some astounding coral life for you to see.

It is, however, the wrecks that may pique your interest when diving in the emirate. You can take in sunken boats and cars, as well as see the remains of the Lion City tanker, which was used by members of the United Arab Emirates’ armed forces as target practice.

But although you will largely come across wrecks while in Dubai, you can still discover some fascinating marine wildlife during your time underwater, including sea snakes, dolphins, Arabian angelfish and barracudas.

All instructors at the Pavilion Dive Centre are accredited by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), so you can be sure of being taught by experts in the field.

You can dive up to a depth of 30 metres on these trips, however you will need to hold a current diving license and must have taken part in the activity in the past 12 months in order to be allowed on these excursions. Such certification will need to be presented to officials before you are able to dive and you will also need to carry additional photo identification while onboard in accordance with local law.

But if you do not have this accreditation – perhaps you’ve never gone diving before – that will not stop you from having fun. Hotels and dive schools throughout the emirate run PADI Discover Scuba Diving Experience courses, where you will be given an insight into basic scuba diving techniques.

You can then go on a short dive up to a depth of 12 metres. The skills you learn here can be used on the path to taking the full PADI Open Water Diver qualification, which can give you more freedom to take in Dubai’s dive sites.

In addition to booking at the Pavilion Dive Centre you can also arrange a diving excursion through the Sandy Beach Hotel, where PADI-qualified instructors offering both entry and professional-level courses are based. By departing from custom-built boats, you can dive into the waters surrounding Snoopy Island – which lies 20 metres from the beach and contains a range of coral reefs – or take a daytrip up to the various dive sites to be found in northern Oman.

Situated a 90-minute drive from Dubai is Al Bidiya beach. Located at the foot of the Hajjar Mountains, this can make for a great trip for diving enthusiasts.

A number of wrecks can be explored here, including the sunken Inchcape boat and the so-called Car Cemetery, which is the resting place for some 200 automobiles.

With so many fantastic diving opportunities, you can have the cheap holiday cheap holiday of a lifetime exploring the waters of Dubai.