Cali_Rec_Diver
Registered
Hi all,
A friend and I went diving in the U.A.E. on the 31st of Jan. We had a great time although had some problems, not with the diving company though. We came in aboard a military ship on the gulf side and signed up on a tour with the USO. We were told it was a two hour ride because we were going to the Indian ocean side of the U.A.E. and that was not a problem. After our driver got lost and our 4.5 hour trip was over we ended up at the the Al Boom dive shop . The staff there were very nice and helped us get our stuff quickly and get to the boat with no delays. Once aboard the ship, which was pretty nice with enough room for everyone; we got our safety instructions and were told to split up into groups of four. The first sight we went to was call three rocks, and we were told a little bit about how it got its name. After doing all our check on the gear we got suited up and were ready to get in. The water was pretty warm, about 70 deg. F. On the dive we saw lots of fish, turtles and a couple of manta rays. The turtles were every where and had no problems with us saying hi, unlike the manta rays which took off quick once we were about eight feet away from them. The vis on that day was about 30 feet or so, not too good but not horrible considering that they are doing a lot of work in the ocean there. The dive masters that were with us were great, they guided us in the right direction but let us do our own thing. At the end of the first dive we headed back to the shop which was only a 2-3 minute ride away. We hung out for a half hour and had a couple of snacks then jumped back on the boat and headed in the other direction for about 15 minutes. This place was much colder, not freezing but a noticable difference. I cannot remember the name of this dive spot but it was packed full of coral, so much that you could hear it chirping during most of your dive. There was even more fish here and eels and more turtles of course.
Overall I had a great time. So much so that when we return to this port again we are signing up for the next tour. I would highly recommend the Al Boom shop as they were more than helpful with everything we needed or asked and it helped that they spoke english very well. I would only sugest that you pack a lunch and drinks before you head out as there is a resort there but its a bit expensive so unless you are willing to shell out some bucks for some good food, bring it with you.
I hope this helps someone out there that cant decide where to dive in the U.A.E.
A friend and I went diving in the U.A.E. on the 31st of Jan. We had a great time although had some problems, not with the diving company though. We came in aboard a military ship on the gulf side and signed up on a tour with the USO. We were told it was a two hour ride because we were going to the Indian ocean side of the U.A.E. and that was not a problem. After our driver got lost and our 4.5 hour trip was over we ended up at the the Al Boom dive shop . The staff there were very nice and helped us get our stuff quickly and get to the boat with no delays. Once aboard the ship, which was pretty nice with enough room for everyone; we got our safety instructions and were told to split up into groups of four. The first sight we went to was call three rocks, and we were told a little bit about how it got its name. After doing all our check on the gear we got suited up and were ready to get in. The water was pretty warm, about 70 deg. F. On the dive we saw lots of fish, turtles and a couple of manta rays. The turtles were every where and had no problems with us saying hi, unlike the manta rays which took off quick once we were about eight feet away from them. The vis on that day was about 30 feet or so, not too good but not horrible considering that they are doing a lot of work in the ocean there. The dive masters that were with us were great, they guided us in the right direction but let us do our own thing. At the end of the first dive we headed back to the shop which was only a 2-3 minute ride away. We hung out for a half hour and had a couple of snacks then jumped back on the boat and headed in the other direction for about 15 minutes. This place was much colder, not freezing but a noticable difference. I cannot remember the name of this dive spot but it was packed full of coral, so much that you could hear it chirping during most of your dive. There was even more fish here and eels and more turtles of course.
Overall I had a great time. So much so that when we return to this port again we are signing up for the next tour. I would highly recommend the Al Boom shop as they were more than helpful with everything we needed or asked and it helped that they spoke english very well. I would only sugest that you pack a lunch and drinks before you head out as there is a resort there but its a bit expensive so unless you are willing to shell out some bucks for some good food, bring it with you.
I hope this helps someone out there that cant decide where to dive in the U.A.E.
