- +971 55 290 2480
- Bin Abdullah Building, Deira Dubai - UAE
Skip to content Jet ski, jet car, eFoil and six more activities off JBR and Dubai Marina,
from AED 150
Water sports in Dubai are sea-based activities run from the city’s beaches and marinas: jet ski, jet car, Seabob diving, eFoil, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, banana boat and donut rides, and deep sea fishing. DXB Dune runs a 2 hour session from AED 150 (about USD 41), with the sport of your choice, pick up and drop-off from your hotel or residence in Dubai, and safety equipment provided.
The Dubai coast runs 72 km (45 miles) along the Arabian Gulf, and almost every water sport in the city launches from one of four stretches of it — Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah and Kite Beach. Water temperature holds between 22°C (72°F) in January and 34°C (93°F) in August, so the season never closes.
DXB Dune runs one package covering nine activities. You pick the sport at booking, the session runs about 2 hours including briefing and equipment, and the launch point is confirmed with your booking. Beginners are the majority on every activity except deep sea fishing, and no licence or previous experience is needed for any of them.
Water Sports Package
From AED 150
From AED 150 (about USD 41) covers a 2 hour water sports session in Dubai with the activity of your choice from nine options, safety equipment, a briefing, and pick up and drop-off from your hotel or residence. Sessions launch from JBR or Dubai Marina, both of which put the Dubai Marina skyline and Ain Dubai in view from the water.
Price
From AED 150
Activity
Your choice of sport
Duration
2 hours approx
The package suits anyone who wants one solid session on the water rather than a full day. Nobody needs a licence, previous experience or the ability to swim strongly, since life jackets come with every activity and an instructor stays with first-timers.
Nine activities run under the package. The table shows what each one is, how many people go per unit, and the skill each needs.
| # | Activity | What it is | Riders per unit | Skill needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jet Ski | Guided ride past the Marina skyline and Burj Al Arab | 1 to 3 | None, five minutes to settle in |
| 2 | Jet Car | Jet ski in a car body, with a steering wheel | 2 | None |
| 3 | Seabob Diving | Hand-held scooter that pulls you along and under | 1 | None |
| 4 | eFoil Board | Electric board that lifts clear of the water on a wing | 1 | Balance, about 20 minutes to stand |
| 5 | Wakeboarding | Towed on a bound board, crossing the boat's wake | 1 | Three or four tries to get up |
| 6 | Wakesurfing | Surfing the boat's wake with no rope | 1 | Balance, easier on the body than wakeboard |
| 7 | Banana Boat Ride | Inflatable tube in a line, towed by speedboat | 4 to 6 | None |
| 8 | Donut Ride | Circular inflatable that spins on the turns | 1 to 3 | None |
| 9 | Deep Sea Fishing | Offshore boat trip with rods, tackle and bait supplied | Group, per boat | None, crew rigs the rods |
Four activities run under their own power, which means you control the speed rather than a boat setting it.
Jet ski in Dubai is the most-booked water sport in the city, and the reason is the route rather than the machine. Rides leave from JBR or Dubai Marina and run past Ain Dubai, the Marina skyline, Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab, so the session doubles as sightseeing from the water.
A jet ski seats one to three people. The guide rides alongside, sets the route, and takes photographs at the landmarks. Controls come down to a throttle lever and handlebars, so most riders are comfortable inside five minutes.
A jet car is a jet ski built into a car body, with a steering wheel, two seats side by side and a hull that sits low in the water. Driving one feels closer to a go-kart than a jet ski, since you sit in it rather than on it.
Jet cars arrived in Dubai recently and there are far fewer of them than jet skis, which is why they book out first at weekends. Reserve one at least 48 hours ahead.
A Seabob is a hand-held underwater scooter. You hold the handles, point it where you want to go, and it pulls you along the surface or a few metres under it. There is no technique to learn beyond leaning the nose down to descend and up to surface.
The Seabob is the one activity on the list that puts you under the water rather than on it, and it works with a mask for anyone who wants to look at what is down there.
An eFoil is an electric surfboard on a hydrofoil wing. Once the board reaches speed, the wing lifts the hull clear of the surface and you ride above the water with nothing touching it, which makes the ride silent and almost free of chop.
The eFoil takes the longest to learn of the nine. Most people spend the first twenty minutes lying and kneeling on the board, then stand for the rest of the session. An instructor runs the throttle remotely at the start.
Four activities run behind a speedboat. The boat sets the pace and the route, and the driver adjusts both to the riders.
A banana boat is an inflatable tube that seats four to six riders in a line, towed behind a speedboat. Nobody needs any skill, everyone wears a life jacket, and the driver decides how hard to turn based on who is on board.
The banana boat is the cheapest way for a group to get on the water together and the standard first choice for families.
A donut is a circular inflatable that seats one to three, towed the same way as the banana boat. The round shape spins as the boat turns, which makes the ride less predictable than the banana and more popular with teenagers.
Wakeboarding puts both feet in bindings on a single board and tows you behind the boat on a rope. The rider crosses the boat’s wake, and the wake becomes a ramp once you can hold an edge.
Getting up is the hard part and most people manage it inside three or four attempts. The instructor coaches from the boat, and the driver starts slow.
Wakesurfing drops the rope. The boat runs slower than it does for wakeboarding and throws a bigger wake, and the rider surfs that wake without being towed once up and settled.
Wakesurfing is easier on the body than wakeboarding, since the speed is lower and falls come at surfing pace. It suits anyone who wants a board sport without the impact.
Deep sea fishing in Dubai runs offshore from the marina on a boat with rods, tackle and bait supplied, and a crew who know where the fish are holding. Gulf waters off Dubai carry kingfish, barracuda, queenfish, cobia and hamour, and what you catch depends on the season and the depth the crew works.
Fishing is the one activity on the list that is not a 2 hour session in practice, since boats need running time to reach the grounds. Confirm the trip length when you book. Beginners are welcome and the crew rigs the rods and handles anything caught.
Water sports in Dubai run from four stretches of coast, and each one offers a different view from the water. DXB Dune confirms your launch point with your booking.
| Beach or marina | Landmarks from the water | Water conditions | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| JBR | Ain Dubai, Marina skyline, Bluewaters Island | Sheltered, calmest in the morning | First-timers and families |
| Dubai Marina | Marina towers, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab on longer routes | Flat inside the marina, open water beyond | Jet ski tours and boat trips |
| Palm Jumeirah | Atlantis The Palm, Burj Al Arab, Dubai skyline | Open water, more chop in the afternoon | Photography and longer routes |
| Kite Beach | Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa in the distance | Breezier, waves build through the day | Board sports and wind conditions |
Atlantis The Palm comes up in searches for water sports, and it is worth separating the two things there: Aquaventure at Atlantis is a waterpark with slides and a lazy river, while sea sports off the Palm launch from the beaches rather than the resort. They are different bookings.
Water sports in Dubai start from AED 150 (about USD 41) with DXB Dune. Four things move the price from there:
DXB Dune quotes the exact price for your chosen activity when you book, since equipment rates move through the year. Tell the team which sport you want and how many people are coming, and the quote comes back with the launch point and pick up time.
Water sports in Dubai suit children from about 6 years old on towed rides, with a parent on board and a fitted life jacket. Banana boat, donut ride and Seabob are the three that work best for young families, because none of them need the child to steer, balance or hold a rope.
Powered activities carry higher minimum ages, since the rider controls the machine. Children ride as passengers on a jet ski with an adult driving, and the driver stays responsible for the whole session. Deep sea fishing works for any age old enough to sit on a boat for a few hours.
Booking is free for children up to 3 years old. Tell DXB Dune the ages in your group at booking and the team matches the activity to them.
Wear swimwear with a T-shirt or rash vest over it. Dubai sun is strong on the water even in winter, reflection off the surface doubles the exposure, and a shirt does more than sunscreen over a 2 hour session.
Bring a towel, a change of dry clothes, reef-safe sunscreen, and sandals you don’t mind getting wet. Leave watches, phones and jewellery at the hotel, or hand them to the team before you launch. Sunglasses need a retainer strap or they go in the water on the first turn.
October to April is the best time for water sports in Dubai, with air temperatures of 24°C to 32°C (75°F to 90°F) and water at 22°C to 26°C (72°F to 79°F). May to September runs 38°C to 45°C (100°F to 113°F) on land with water at 32°C to 34°C (90°F to 93°F), which is warm enough to feel like a bath rather than a cool-down.
Book the earliest session of the day whatever the month. The Gulf is flattest before 10:00 AM, the sea breeze builds through the afternoon, and a flat surface makes every one of these nine activities easier. Shamal winds blow in from the northwest a few days a month in winter and spring and can put chop on the water; the team calls you if conditions cancel a session.
No licence is needed for any water sport in the DXB Dune package. A guide rides with you on the jet ski and jet car, an instructor runs the eFoil and board sports, and a driver handles the boat on towed rides.
Strong swimming is not required. Life jackets come with every activity and stay on for the whole session. Tell the team at booking if anyone in your group cannot swim, is pregnant, has a heart condition, a back or neck injury, or recent surgery, since some activities are ruled out by each of those.
Minimum ages vary by activity, and DXB Dune confirms them for your chosen sport when you book.
Water sports and a desert safari cover the two sides of Dubai that visitors come for: the Gulf in the morning, red dunes and a desert camp in the evening. DXB Dune runs the evening desert safari from AED 89 per person, with pick up from the same address on the same day.
Water sports in Dubai cost from AED 150 (about USD 41) with DXB Dune, for a 2 hour session with the activity of your choice, safety equipment and hotel pick up. Price moves with the activity, the session length and whether the equipment is shared or yours alone. DXB Dune quotes your exact rate at booking.
There are 9 water sports available with DXB Dune: jet ski, jet car, Seabob diving, eFoil board, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, banana boat ride, donut ride and deep sea fishing. Pick one when you book.
Water sports in Dubai run from JBR, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah and Kite Beach. DXB Dune launches from JBR and Dubai Marina, both of which put Ain Dubai, the Marina skyline and Palm Jumeirah in view from the water. Your launch point is confirmed with your booking.
No, a licence is not needed for any water sport in the DXB Dune package. A guide rides with you on powered activities and an instructor runs the board sports.
No, strong swimming is not required. Life jackets come with every activity and stay on throughout. Tell the team at booking if anyone in your group cannot swim, and the activity gets matched to that.
Yes, water sports in Dubai suit children from about 6 years old on towed rides such as the banana boat and donut, with a parent on board. Powered activities carry higher minimum ages because the rider controls the machine. Booking is free for children up to 3 years old.
October to April is the best time, with air at 24°C to 32°C (75°F to 90°F) and water at 22°C to 26°C (72°F to 79°F). The sea is warm enough for water sports all year, and morning sessions get the flattest water in every month.
Towed rides are the cheapest water sports in Dubai, including the banana boat and donut ride, because several people share one piece of equipment and no instructor time is needed. Powered activities such as jet car and eFoil cost the most, since each rider needs a machine of their own.
A DXB Dune water sports session runs about 2 hours, including the briefing and equipment fitting. Deep sea fishing runs longer, because the boat needs running time to reach the fishing grounds.
Bring swimwear, a rash vest or T-shirt, a towel, dry clothes, reef-safe sunscreen and sandals. Life jackets and safety equipment are provided. Leave watches, phones and jewellery behind, and use a retainer strap on sunglasses.
Yes, beginners make up most riders on eight of the nine activities. Banana boat, donut ride and Seabob need no skill at all. Jet ski takes about five minutes to get used to, wakeboarding takes three or four attempts to stand, and the eFoil takes the longest at roughly twenty minutes.
Jet ski is the better first activity, because you are riding within five minutes. A flyboard or eFoil puts most of the session into learning to balance. Book the jet ski for sightseeing and photographs, and a board sport if learning something new is the point.
Book at least 24 to 48 hours ahead, and earlier for a jet car or a weekend morning slot. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before your session.
Optimized by Seraphinite Accelerator