Dubai is one of the hottest spots in the world, and being around water is one of the best options to stay cool. Watersports, in turn, have become one of the only ways active people maintain their lifestyles, and many visitors come to the UAE specifically to do so. Today, we will break down everything you need to know to comfortably enjoy watersports in Dubai.
Watersports Available in the Emirates
Dubai is one of the largest tourism centers on the planet, and it is also well known for being extremely inclusive and universally appealing. With that in mind, you won’t be surprised to discover the assortment of watersports available here is vast and will surely fit the needs of almost any avid outdoorsman.
Casual Activities for Beginners
Most visitors who come to Dubai are not athletes, so the majority of water-related outdoor activities offered here are casual and beginner-friendly. There are numerous watersports you can try out here without any prior experience or any special training.
First of all, you will easily find all the classic water entertainment activities such as towed tubing or parasailing. All you need to do there is to hop on and enjoy, so it might not be the perfect option for those who are not only looking for thrills but also intend to work out in the process. However, most of these watersports are family-friendly, making them an easy option for tourists with kids to create a memorable moment.
If you’re looking to be more active and swim, you can indulge in snorkeling or recreational diving. The water in the Persian Gulf is very clean, making the exploration infinitely more interesting, as you can clearly see the environmental features as well as the inhabitants of the Indian Ocean.
A much more relaxing option would be to go on a boat tour. Even though it is barely a sport, it will allow you to enjoy some amazing views of the city from a distance. Moreover, there are numerous options to go on fishing boat trips, which can be arranged for both newbies and dedicated experienced anglers.
Lastly, in case you are going on a family trip to Dubai, it is absolutely going to be a great idea to visit a waterpark. There are many places of this kind in the Emirates, but the largest ones are the Aquaventure Waterpark on the Palm Jumeirah island and the Wild Wadi Water Park. Both of them offer dozens of slides for visitors of all ages, so you can easily go there with kids and adults for an entire day.
Advanced Sports for Pros and Amateurs
When it comes to more advanced watersports, we have to make a disclaimer first. We are putting them in a different category because they are much more commonly chosen by professionals and amateurs. However, you can still try out most of them even if you don’t have any training or prior experience. For almost every sport we are going to mention, you can easily find lessons, so if you’re up for learning some new skills by the water, you still have the option to do so.
Almost every watersport that is popular among pros and amateurs relates to riding the waves with some kind of gear. It includes surfing, paddleboarding, jet skiing, wind foiling, surf kayaking, rafting, and others. Once again, you can both indulge in these sports on your own or get training from a professional.
This category also includes more advanced forms of diving. While recreational diving can be performed without any prior experience, freediving, cave diving, and several of its other forms can only be done by trained people due to the corresponding hazards. But if you are an amateur diver, you will have no trouble finding interesting exploration spots as well as like-minded people to interact with.
When and Where to Do Watersports in Dubai?
Needless to say, the location where you can do watersports strongly depends on the activity you choose. Some of the casual and beginner-friendly activities we mentioned are available on almost every public beach and even within some private resorts, while some of the more advanced sports require you to get to a designated spot.
Activities that are available almost anywhere across the shoreline of Dubai include:
- parasailing, towed tubing, and similar watersports;
- snorkeling;
- yacht tours, boat trips, and fishing trips;
- water slides.
Water sports that involve using heavy equipment are a bit less common, but you can still find them on almost any public beach. The best locations to go for windsurfing, kayaking, or other gear-dependant activities are:
- La Mer Beach;
- Jumeirah Beach;
- Al Mamzar Beach Park;
- The Kite Beach.
The latter public beach is the most popular choice among pros and amateurs, as it is almost entirely dedicated to water sports, while other beaches only have them as an addition to the casual sunbathing experience by the Persian Gulf. If you want to learn more, we have a separate article about public beaches in Dubai.
As for other watersports such as advanced diving, it is always better to research them individually. Activities like this are usually tied to a specific location, so it won’t be hard to find them for the sport of your choosing.
Logistics
Since watersports are so popular in Dubai, all the required infrastructure is already present there. Normally, you won’t have to bring in any gear, as there are equipment rentals all over the place. Almost every public beach offers everything you might need for popular sports, but if you’re into a more niche activity, you will almost certainly find the gear at the Kite Beach.
Similarly, there will be no issue with getting to the location, whether it is a public beach, a popular waterpark, or a scuba diving spot. There are bus routes going all around the city, and taxi apps like Uber also work perfectly well here. Another great option would be to rent a car, especially, if you are going to carry your own equipment. Driver licenses from almost anywhere in the world are accepted in Dubai, and you will always easily find a parking spot for your vehicle.
Best Time to Do Watersports in Dubai
It is hot in Dubai all year round, but in summer, most watersports become fairly dangerous. With the temperature going up all the way to 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit, many of the rental venues are closed, and some activities become entirely unavailable.
Thankfully, all the other watersports are great throughout the three remaining seasons. Of course, depending on the exact activity you choose, the best timing might be different, but in general, you have an equal assortment of watersports available from autumn to spring.
Once again, we recommend performing individual research for your own sport, because there might be some nuances you have to keep in mind. For example, if you’re looking to catch a particular fish, it might not be swimming around the Persian Gulf all year round.
How Much Do Watersports in the UAE Cost?
Just like with many other parameters, the prices and costs associated with doing watersports in Dubai may vary dramatically. It depends on numerous factors starting with the exact activity you choose and ending with the location where you decide to perform it. But in order to give you a rough estimate, we have made a table with approximate prices for popular sports.
| Sports | Entry Fee | Renting Equipment | Taking Classes |
| Parasailing | From AED 300 or $82 | N/A | N/A |
| Snorkeling | From AED 150 or $41 | From AED 50 or $11 | From AED 200 or $55 |
| Recreational Diving | From AED 300 or $82 | From AED 150 or $41 | From AED 800 or $218 |
| Windsurfing | From AED 150 or $41 | From AED 100 or $27 | From AED 400 or $109 |
| Water Parks | AED 250 – AED 350 or $68 – $95 | N/A | N/A |
| Yacht Tours | AED 600 – AED 2,500 or $163 – $681 | N/A | N/A |
| Fishing Trips | AED 400 – AED 1,200 or $109 – $327 | N/A | N/A |
We have to note that the prices mentioned above are approximate, and might vary depending on the time of the year and the location in question. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind all the other associated costs such as getting a cab or renting a car as well as paying for lunch or groceries throughout the day.