United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

Middle East
LAST UPDATED 08/09/2008
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Level of surfing

Beginner

Quality of surf

Average

Call code

971

Net code

ae

Area

83600

Coastline

1,318 km

Climate

Desert

Hazards

Extreme Heat, Severe Storms, Difficult Access

Best Months

October - December

Population

5432746

Currency

UAE dirham (AED) Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.673 (2007)

Time Zone

UTC+4

Special Requirements

Private Beaches, Strict Religious Observance, Limited Surfing Supplies Available

surfing

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Klaus F; Burj Al Arab; 2005

Storm cells rip through the Arabian Sea around MAY through to JULY and deliver good swell right along the Arabian coast of the UAE . It is worth bearing in mind that there are fewer than 100 surfers living in this country so it's one of those places that you dont mind surfing with someone else for a change. The predominat flow of SW swell across the Indian Ocean tends to miss the coast here with Sri Lanka really being the cut off point for reliable swell activity originating in the Southern Hemisphere.

Wandering swell systems can and do manage to get bent back to the coastline here however offering you another source of swell generating activity. The UAE has a coast both to the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. Persian Gulf swells are a real rarity that occurs with rideable results maybe twice a year. Standard weather patterns will not produce rideable surf within the Gulf. What you are looking for is a stray system from the northern Indian Ocean or the Arabian Sea to go spining out of control and sit at one end of the Gulf for a few days. If the system sits to the north then the UAE, Western Iran, Saudi, Qatar and even Bahrain will have something small but rideable. If the system sits south then the UAE will be a howling offshore sandstorm with Qatar, Saudi and even Kuwait getting a wave. 

Many a visiting servicemen have watched the morphing sandbanks off Iraqs' small slice of coast during storms and legend has it that  a sliding left hander peels along the dredged harbour approach every few years. Some of us are still waiting for a colour photo to confirm it!

The ever changing man made sandbank formations around Dubai have created several quality waves over the past few years, each one really a bi product of ongoing reclamation activities in the area including the world city project. Each one is erased only to be replaced by another time and time again. Surfing Atlas has commenced efforts to secure a permanent artifical break in the area once all reclamation activities have been completed. The wave will be called Djinni. You read it first here people.

what to pack

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Rich Niewiroski Jr.: 62 mm ultra-violet, fluorescent, and polarizing lens filters. Camera used was a Canon 400D; April 9, 2007

Trainers, loose clothing - everything for the hot weather. Definitely take along some bug repellent spray, good sunscreen and sunglasses! Better take your medicines with you (esp. anti histamine tablets), as the brands can be unfamiliar and cost more.

Bring your daily needs, such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, tooth paste, tooth brush, nappies for babies, anything you would usually need in your every day life.

And if you are taking your camera, take a good protection for it to protect it from the sand.

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