Water sports and leisure activities Oman

Serious and well-organized, this club offers 2 dives every morning between 8.30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and one in the afternoon. PADI courses are offered at all levels, from beginner toAssistant Instructor, with instructors speaking several languages, including French. Equipped with a pool suitable for learning to dive, the center has a wide range of quality equipment and three boats. It also offers a number of water sports activities: kayaking, SUP, dolphin-watching excursions, sunset cruises...

Dolphins are abundant in the waters around Muscat, and you're almost guaranteed to see them - sometimes even hundreds of them - when you take part in a boat trip along the coast. Whatever the company, the program is always more or less the same and consists of sailing along the "wildest" part of the capital, the one with the most indented shores, namely the area around Al Bustan, Sidab and Old Muscat (the south-eastern section of the city). Here, not far from the Al Bustan and Shangri-La hotels, a small marina serves as an anchorage for dhows and boats of all kinds: the Bandar al Rowdha Marina, complete with Italian restaurant and swimming pool. It's from here that cruises generally depart, lasting an average of 2 to 3 hours depending on the program and whether or not snorkeling is included. Dolphins are almost always present, and are happy to follow the boats: a spectacle made all the more visual by the raw, arid coastline punctuated by ochre mountains. As you approach old Muscat, you can see the Al Mirani and Al Jibali forts, as well as the sultan's palace in the distance. Several serious companies are present at the marina, so don't hesitate to shop around and compare prices: Al Sansool Cruises (www.alsansool.com - ✆ +968 9679 0191), GCC Tours (www.gcctoursmuscat.com - ✆ +968 9901 3424), Az'Zaha Tours (www.azzahatours.com - ✆ 9942 5461), etc.

In 2007 the German Alexander Friesl opened the first VDWS certified kite school in the Middle East. Since then, Kiteboarding Oman has developed other spots in the country and the company has become THE kite reference in the sultanate. The equipment is rented to people who can prove their qualification via a VDWS, IKO, BKSA or ISAF license. For those who don't have one, a "check-kite" is offered by an instructor. Courses are also provided: rigour, quality, fun and flexibility are the key words. On request: package-accommodation.

Co-managed by the charming Léa, this human-sized company was created in 2016 by Captain Fahad, like a dream come true. Passionate about the sea, concerned about the environment and with a solid experience as a diving instructor and seasoned skipper, Fahad makes you discover the wonders of the Arabian Sea through a nice range of outings on his own boat. House speciality: excursions to the Daymaniat Islands, day and even overnight trips with bivouac camping on site under the care of the ultra-professional team.

Two dives every morning (departure at 9 h), one afternoon and one night upon reservation. PADI courses of all levels. In addition to being a diving club, Blue Zone is a leisure centre that organizes snorkeling, sunset cruises or excursions to see dolphins.

This center, which has been present in Oman for over 30 years, takes divers to the Fahal Islands and Bandar Khairan, but specializes above all in diving in the Damaniyat Islands, only 25 minutes away by boat. The only NAUI center in Oman, it offers the full range of courses, from Baptism to Dive Master, with the emphasis on small-group teaching (4 to 5 students per instructor). In addition to dives of varying depths, we also offer snorkeling sessions, diving trips with bivouacs on the islands and even complete diving holidays.

With dozens of diving centers in the world, including 4 in Oman, the reputation of Extra Divers is well established. The Musandam club is located at the Six Senses Zighy Bay Hotel, close to fifteen sites. Exclusive (few divers) and composed of fjords, the underwater landscape offers magnificent scenery, rich with a varied marine life including many pelagics, turtles, rays, nudibranchs, dolphins ... and even whale sharks in season, from January to April. Also at the club: snorkeling and all the SSI and PADI courses.

This highly professional Omani company offers a wide range of activities: snorkeling trips to Bandar Khiran Island, fishing, dolphin, turtle or even bird watching sessions on Fahal Island, sunset cruises, strolls in Muscat's fjords, etc. As the company owns several boats, including a comfortable 3-cabin yacht, it also organizes, on request, private outings lasting from a few hours to several days, with meals on board or on exclusive beaches, tailor-made activities, etc.

With 4 diving centers in Oman, Extra Divers is the most represented company in the sultanate. In Dhofar, the club is located in Mirbat, in the heart of the Wyndham Garden Hotel, from where the boats depart. More than 25 scuba diving sites can be explored in the surrounding area (nitrox on request), and the club also offers snorkeling and swimming with dolphins. Courses follow the SSI curriculum, from beginner to assistant instructor, and can be taken in German, English, Italian and Arabic, from age 8 upwards.

The first of its kind in Oman, this water park, nice but relatively modest compared to what can be found elsewhere in the world, covers an area of 65,000 m². It includes the inevitable wave pool, a large playful paddling pool for the youngest and a whole range of water slides of varying speed and tortuosity. Kiosks can be rented for the day or for a few hours so that you and your belongings can rest while the children have fun. There is also an outdoor playground, fast food and a shop.

Created in 1998, Sidab Sea Tours is one of the oldest companies in Muscat to offer sea trips and water activities in the heart and immediate surroundings of the capital. From the Bandar al Rowdha marina where the company is based (with the possibility of transfer from some hotels on the coast), one can participate in dolphin watching cruises, sunset boat trips, fishing parties, dhow trips, etc. Privatization of boats on request and tailor-made excursions.

This nautical leisure center, run by Dhofari Youssef, offers a wide range of marine activities, including fishing trips to track barracuda, dorado or wahoo, 2.5-hour humpback dolphin watching trips, dhow cruises with lunch on board, and more. For whale watching, day trips are required to go further out to sea. The center also acts as a nautical hut for marina residents and vacationers - activities and equipment rental (wake, kayak, towed buoy, etc.). Another branch at the Al Baleed Resort.

Sea Oman is a company propelled by Oman Sail, a non-profit organization created in 2008 at the initiative of the Sultan, to revive Oman's maritime heritage and promote the Sultanate through sailing. The initial goals of establishing Muscat as a regular destination on the world sailing circuit by organizing international races and regattas in Omani waters have been largely achieved. Every year, professional sailors from all walks of life come to Oman to compete.

It is on the strength of this acute knowledge of navigation that Sea Oman was born and today offers individuals numerous activities in and under Omani waters. The seabed is very rich and the coastline often spectacular. Sea Oman, the country's leading provider of nautical leisure activities, has understood this and offers a wide range of products such as dinghy courses, wakeboarding, RYA motorboat courses, PADI diving courses and a complete marina service. From the Al Mouj marina, the boat rental with skipper allows you to go for a day trip to the Daymaniyat Islands or to sail along the so varied coastline of the capital... unless you opt for a navigation of several days aboard a luxury catamaran equipped with 4 cabins (the biggest model of the fleet). In the latter case: captain's care, angling, meals on board and swimming stops with masks and snorkels. Many options available, see the website.

The territorial waters near Muscat are full of fish and it is very nice to try to hook tuna, barracudas, kingfishes, sea breams, etc... Created in 2008, Alsansool is the first nautical company in Oman to specialize in fishing. We are dealing here with specialists who know the best spots and know how to identify the best places to go fishing according to the seasons. Like the vast majority of marina providers, Al Sansool also offers dolphin watching cruises.

As well as cultural and cultural destination, Salalah has beautiful beaches where it is possible to enjoy water sports of all kinds. Two companies (Extra Diverse and Sub Aqua Dive Center), based on the two luxury hotels in the sector, are responsible for organizing and/or providing courses for: windsurfing, scuba diving… They also offer cruises at sea to appreciate the beauty of the coast and try to see dolphins (regular in the area). Sub Aqua Dive Center also organizes wholesale fishing parts. Refer to "Scuba diving" section below.

Also a golf at the Crowne Plaza Resort.

This excellent PADI club, which opened over 12 years ago, offers diving courses for all levels, including nitrox. The competent and friendly team speaks English, Italian and German, and the center is equipped with top-quality equipment and three boats. Two trips a day are usually organized to Bandar Khairan or Fahal Island, and to Damaniyat on request. Euro-divers also offers snorkeling and dolphin cruises. To save time, you can start your Open Water course online.

This par 72 of 6,383 metres long was the first grass course in the Sultanate. Located on a royal estate, it was designed by Paul Thomas on the heights of Muscat and conceptualized with respect for the environment and the Omani landscape, which it enhances. The complexity of the course lies mainly in the greens and the links between holes 15 and 18, which can quickly lose points. Lessons are given all year round on reservation.

With 4 centers in the country, Extra Divers is the most represented diving center in the sultanate. The one in Qantab is directly located on the site of the Shangri-La hotel in the south of Muscat and offers no less than 20 diving spots nearby. Fahal Island can be reached in 30 minutes, Bandar Al Khayran in 15 minutes and the famous Damaniyat Islands in 90 minutes. Extra Divers only takes small groups of 4 to 5 divers maximum depending on the experience of each diver, to guarantee more safety and fun. Courses for all levels in several languages.

Based at the Sifah marina, this branch of the Extra Divers company offers all the usual courses, particularly in French. The proximity of the seabed and coral reefs, which can be reached in 30 minutes by boat, allows you to make the most of each site explored - such as Ras Abu Doub: a group of small islands with colorful drop-offs and reefs. The area is rich in marine life, with large schools of fish, dolphins, turtles, rays, leopard sharks and more regularly passing through. Snorkeling and dolphin-watching cruises are also available.