UAE East Coast Temperatures
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Temperatures in March are usually around the mid-20's (centigrade).
Regarding place to stay, the east coast of the UAE offers much better diving so it'd be the natural choice; there's a number of nice hotels in Al Aqah (Rotana, Meridien, Miramar) and those would give you access to local diving (a mix of reefs & a couple of wrecks) as well as allow you to get on a fast boat or day boat up the Musandam coast (which offers some great diving). There are many more hotels in the area, both in the budget-oriented category (e.g. Sandy Beach hotel) as well as in 'exclusive' range (e.g. the Six Senses at Zighy Bay).
If one flies half-way around the world, they may also want to visit the city of Dubai, therefore a stay of a few days there might be a part of the plan. Spoilt for choice regarding accommodation there, but diving is pot luck due to bad viz; the majority of divesites are wrecks in a flat sandy (and very often dredged) bottom.
Another, often overlooked, option is spending 2-4 days in Oman, diving the Daymaniyats or the reefs & wrecks around Muscat. Again, plenty of accommodation options in Muscat - regarding the Daymaniyats, my understanding is that the closest hotel nowadays is the Millennium hotel in Mussanah.
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OP
Well at last, two dives yesterday 
It's been over a month, and during that time have been crazy at work as well as moving house, still trying to find things
Anyway, my buddy Kerstn and I decided to dive with Palms Dive Centre at the Radisson. We had our own boat for the first dive to Inch 1
We were the second boat on the mooring, with the Sandy Beach boat first. This was fine as all of their divers were on air and we had the wreck to ourselves for a short time until some other boats (and loads of divers) arrived. When we surfaced 50 mins later there were 3 other boats on the mooring (Al Boom, Divers Down and another boat).
Since I hadn't dived in over a month I was just looking for a chilled dive and spent most of the time just hanging with the fish. The wreck itself is in a rather forlorn state as far as corals are concerned, there are far too many divers diving this wreck now.
Visibility was pretty bad and very green, perhaps 2-3m at best, fortunately I was shooting macro. Lots of Crocodile fish around and of course the resident Lionfish.
We returned to the dive centre and after a biological break and a quick snack we returned to the same small boat joined by three other divers, one of whom was twice the size of me. It was a tight fit!
At Dibba rock we had a 76 min dive, I was totally chilled at 13m and had a slow drift about a meter off the bottom for around 30 mins having nicely dialled in my buoyancy with my new drysuit. Temp was 22C and I had added a sweatshirt over my Fourth Element under garments. which kept me nice and warm.
It's been over a month, and during that time have been crazy at work as well as moving house, still trying to find things
Anyway, my buddy Kerstn and I decided to dive with Palms Dive Centre at the Radisson. We had our own boat for the first dive to Inch 1
We were the second boat on the mooring, with the Sandy Beach boat first. This was fine as all of their divers were on air and we had the wreck to ourselves for a short time until some other boats (and loads of divers) arrived. When we surfaced 50 mins later there were 3 other boats on the mooring (Al Boom, Divers Down and another boat).
Since I hadn't dived in over a month I was just looking for a chilled dive and spent most of the time just hanging with the fish. The wreck itself is in a rather forlorn state as far as corals are concerned, there are far too many divers diving this wreck now.
Visibility was pretty bad and very green, perhaps 2-3m at best, fortunately I was shooting macro. Lots of Crocodile fish around and of course the resident Lionfish.
We returned to the dive centre and after a biological break and a quick snack we returned to the same small boat joined by three other divers, one of whom was twice the size of me. It was a tight fit!
At Dibba rock we had a 76 min dive, I was totally chilled at 13m and had a slow drift about a meter off the bottom for around 30 mins having nicely dialled in my buoyancy with my new drysuit. Temp was 22C and I had added a sweatshirt over my Fourth Element under garments. which kept me nice and warm.
OP
22C today, however I was nice and cosy in my drysuit
Dived Car Cemetery 2 and Meemo off Fujairah and Kalba.
Lots of nudis, some tiny (3-4mm) and some easy to see
Chromodoris anulata
Hypselodoris dolfusi
The nicest find however was a flatworm that looked like a Risbecia pulchella
Weather was overcast and we had drizzles of rain off and on, no sun whatsoever The people in wetsuits were cold 
Dived Car Cemetery 2 and Meemo off Fujairah and Kalba.
Lots of nudis, some tiny (3-4mm) and some easy to see
Chromodoris anulata
Hypselodoris dolfusi
The nicest find however was a flatworm that looked like a Risbecia pulchella
Weather was overcast and we had drizzles of rain off and on, no sun whatsoever
The people in wetsuits were cold
OP
Not had time to post recently although I did manage one dive a week ago and two dives yesterday. I had some equalisation issues on a planned dive on "Cauliflower Gardens" (40m) and had to call the dive, although I did a 16m dive on Dibba Rock an hour later.
Yesterday was the same initially, but after resting for about 10 mins on the surface I managed to make the dive on "Three Cars" (23m) followed by Car Cemetery 2 (20m).
Visibility on Dibba Rock a week ago was 12m, yesterday was pea soup at 1-2m.
Water temps still at 22C, although air temps are now hitting 30C.
Key find on Dibba Rock was this very small 1cm Gymnodoris sp
Yesterday I changed from my usual 60mm lens to the 85mm lens as I expected to find some small nudis, but along with my initial equalisation issue, my LP inflator was playing up again and I had to disconnect it. The 85mm lens was set on autofocus which didn't work at all and my focus light was not sufficient to help.
In the end I took only 12 shots.
This small scorpionfish was only about 2-3cm long
One of my favourite bottom dwelling fish are crocodile fish
And the tubes on abandoned fish traps provide great homes for blennies
Not sure what the plans are for next week yet, but for sure the drysuit will be used.
Yesterday was the same initially, but after resting for about 10 mins on the surface I managed to make the dive on "Three Cars" (23m) followed by Car Cemetery 2 (20m).
Visibility on Dibba Rock a week ago was 12m, yesterday was pea soup at 1-2m.
Water temps still at 22C, although air temps are now hitting 30C.
Key find on Dibba Rock was this very small 1cm Gymnodoris sp
Yesterday I changed from my usual 60mm lens to the 85mm lens as I expected to find some small nudis, but along with my initial equalisation issue, my LP inflator was playing up again and I had to disconnect it. The 85mm lens was set on autofocus which didn't work at all and my focus light was not sufficient to help.
In the end I took only 12 shots.
This small scorpionfish was only about 2-3cm long
One of my favourite bottom dwelling fish are crocodile fish
And the tubes on abandoned fish traps provide great homes for blennies
Not sure what the plans are for next week yet, but for sure the drysuit will be used.
OP
Wow, 10m vis on Inchcape 10 this morning and temps of 24/25C
We could see the whole wreck from 12m but of course I was shooting macro, not WA.
Plenty of nudis around, especially on the second dive on Car Cemetery 2.
Hypselodoris Dolfusi
Gymnodoris rubropapulosa
Caloria sp.
My favourite shot of the day is this Hypselodoris carnae
We could see the whole wreck from 12m but of course I was shooting macro, not WA.
Plenty of nudis around, especially on the second dive on Car Cemetery 2.
Hypselodoris Dolfusi
Gymnodoris rubropapulosa
Caloria sp.
My favourite shot of the day is this Hypselodoris carnae
Almost wetsuit temperatures, then
...and with that thought to warm me up, I'm off to Stoney (their website says that water temp is 6C
)
OP
Yep, I was wondering why I felt warmer than normal in my drysuit.
Good practice for the the west coast of Scotland in September
OP
Heavy rain and seas last weekend so no diving but a desert trip instead on our way back from Fujairah after crossing the mountains and moving into the dunes at Fossil Rock.
Not quite deep enough to dive
Anyway it was flat calm yesterday and sunny too, water temps of 24C, so perhaps another month and I will be back diving wet again.
I decided to shoot wide angle on Inch 10 but the water was very green
Mating dance by two pipefish
Plenty of crocodile fish around, over 20 on the starboard side alone
Second dive on Car Cemetery 2 was not so great, the bottom 3m was very milky for some reason and although I had switched to macro, I struggled to find some decent subjects.
Another shot of Inch 10
Not quite deep enough to dive
Anyway it was flat calm yesterday and sunny too, water temps of 24C, so perhaps another month and I will be back diving wet again.
I decided to shoot wide angle on Inch 10 but the water was very green
Mating dance by two pipefish
Plenty of crocodile fish around, over 20 on the starboard side alone
Second dive on Car Cemetery 2 was not so great, the bottom 3m was very milky for some reason and although I had switched to macro, I struggled to find some decent subjects.
Another shot of Inch 10
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