Surfing UAE in February

Peak season surfing at Dubai's Public Beach

February is smack dab in the middle of peak surfing season in the United Arab Emirates. There is indeed surfing... but for beginners. It's all windswell and very small, but appropriate for folks taking their first ride. The bottom is sand and the waves are knee high. Just remember to wear a wetsuit (2mm was enough for me). The water is cool at this time of year. 

If you gots loads of cash to blow, it's a different story. Head on over to Kelly Slater's artificial wave park at Surf Abu Dhabi, where you can bleed cash at a rate of US$950 per 6-wave, 90-minute session. Although, at that price, you might as well fly to Sri Lanka or Indo.

I surfed exactly once in 2 weeks at a spot somewhere in Sharjah that had some lefts. An old friend took me up there and we had a grand ol' time. It was small and got mushier as the tide filled in, but we still managed to catch more than 10 waves each - she on her longboard and me on my beater 6-footer (and a bad shoulder). Little cruisers as the sun rose. It was nothing short of a miracle.

After that, the sea went quiet for the rest of my 2 weeks in Dubai. Forecasts are notoriously inaccurate for this region. Best to check the webcams at Sean's Surf Report. When there's no waves, you have to make waves with a boat. So we wakesurfed! I had a ton of fun but it was a dangerous new hobby to pick up. Dangerous for my wallet, that is.

No waves? Try wakesurfing!

Surf Spots

Sharjah

Some beach breaks here with small rock pile jetties to provide some structure. Low tide is best. The water quality is not the greatest though as you're surfing near petrochemical plants. I came home with oil blobs stuck to my booties.

Dawn patrol in Sharjah

Dubai

Sunset Beach, Kite Beach, and Public Beach are the main surf spots. They don't differ much in wave quality. They're all beach breaks with lots of amenities nearby. 

Public Beach in Umm Suqeim 2 is the most popular as it's near Surf House Dubai, a local surf shop with a cafe. They sell gear and rent out equipment. They also run guided surf trips to Oman in May and June. You can find them teaching classes at the public beach. 

View of Public Beach from Book Hero Cafe

Food & Lodging

The best place to stay for a surfer in Dubai would be Beach Walk Boutique Hotel. It's a short 2-minute walk to the public beach. You've got restaurants all within walking distance and a well-developed beach area with restrooms, outdoor gyms, and a padded track for joggers. If you like Turkish food, I recommend Ziyafet a couple blocks away from the hotel. Huge portions and not too expensive. For surf checks, I recommend Book Hero Cafe, which overlooks Public Beach.

Ground floor room at Beach Walk Boutique Hotel

Conclusion

UAE is great for beginners. Everyone else, look elsewhere for surf (unless you can afford the wave pool). This is an unusually short post for my blog and it need not be any longer as I don't have much else to say other than bring a longboard and/or the right attitude.