Whether you choose to be on, in or under the sea, there’s an aquatic activity to suit everyone – but with the wildlife-rich Gulf right on your doorstep, you’d be foolish not to take advantage of the great dive opportunities Abu Dhabi has to offer. Indeed, aside from the novelty factor of being able to breathe underwater, the fitness aspect and the sheer joy of being out of the blazing sun for a couple of hours, diving is probably one of the only activities where you are absolutely guaranteed to see some of the local wildlife in its natural habitat.
So, more than a little excited about getting a taste of diving (not to mention a morning off work), we headed to the Ocean Dive Centre for a lesson in the basics of not drowning. Operating out of the Beach Rotana hotel, this well-established company offers everything from taster sessions to full PADI training, as well as open water dives for both new and more experienced divers. We went along for the Discover Scuba Diving course – a short session that gives an introduction to using scuba equipment, and helps those who are new to the sport find out if it’s something they’d like to pursue.
It wasn’t straight into the water, though. First up there was the classroom session, where the friendly dive instructor Susanne Krismann talked us through all the necessary paperwork. Once that was out of the way, it was time for a video showing – those who are interested in the course would do well to ignore the questionable acting, and focus on the instructions – it is as informative as it is hilarious, giving the basics of what to expect when you get into the water, and afterwards there’s a brief quiz. We must admit, the ‘problems you might encounter’ section, where lung expansion and drowning were cheerfully listed by the chirpy narrator, did have us feeling a little nervous, but we were assured this was a rare occurrence.
Once the basics had been covered, Susanne showed us how to put the equipment together, and then let us have a go at assembling it – under her watchful eye, of course. And there was quite a lot to remember – with air tanks, weight belts, scuba regulators, buoyancy compensating jackets and a monitor for depth and air supply all to be pieced together, then checked and checked again. As daunting as it sounds, however, there was a certain satisfaction to be had from being responsible for our own equipment, and everything was explained to us very clearly and carefully.
Then it was finally into the pool. The course takes place in the Beach Rotana’s beach club pool, so equipped with tank, weight belt, inflatable jacket, wetsuit boots and flippers, we lumbered in alongside the bikini crowd (one of whom was wearing a full face of make-up and dropper earrings). However, any self-consciousness we might have felt was quickly forgotten once we were in the water. We started by practising a few of the basics, such as filling our mask with water and emptying it while submerged, and learning how to reclaim our air pipe quickly when dropped (an essential skill). Once we’d managed to get the basics down, we were given the opportunity to swim around the pool, and practise using our buoyancy jacket. We felt more than a little graceful as we whizzed up and down the length of the pool.
If you’re interested in learning to dive, the short course is a great starting point – letting you know exactly what it entails in a safe environment. The Ocean Dive Centre is run by friendly and professional staff who seem to have a genuine love for diving and a real desire to pass on the joys of the sport. There’s a lot to learn, but it is fascinating stuff, and if you put in the time and the effort you’ll soon have a fun new skill.
Dhs400 for the Discover Scuba Diving course, or Dhs700 for Introduction to Scuba Diving course (includes classroom, pool session and two open water dives). For information on all courses/dives offered, contact Ocean Dive Centre on 02 644 1696, email info@oceandivecenter.ae or visit www.oceandivecentre.ae.
