Freedive Abu Dhabi 2008

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Learn to dive in the richest city in the world
(ref: CNN )

The cartoon cat Garfield would often put the kitten Nermal in a box and ship him to Abu Dhabi. The phrase “Abu Dhabi is where all the cute kittens go” is sometimes used in the comic. In one episode of Garfield and Friends, Garfield himself is sent to Abu Dhabi and he finds it inhabited with dozens of cute kittens that people keep sending there. However, Abu Dhabi in reality is a mystical city of wealth, fortune and future. Abu Dhabi sports a wealth of natural islands and estuaries, with dolphins jumping through the canals and private boats cruising past super-luxury sea palaces.

Deeperblue.net’s Head of Freediving Education and AIDA Instructor Trainer Emma Farrell, and Sara-Lise Haith, AIDA Instructor, will be offering AIDA freediving courses from 2 star up to Instructor level in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah in March 2008, due to the success of the courses held in Dubai in March 2007.

Theory and pool sessions will be held at the Al Sahel Towers, on the Corniche of Abu Dhabi main island, close to the Emirates Palace Hotel and the Marina Mall. Open water sessions will be held in Abu Dhabi waters and also in Fujairah for the deeper depths. All logistics will be arranged, however it is advisable to rent a car in the United Arab Emirates as there is a lot to see in between course times.

The Emirate’s Gulf coastline is studded with more than 200 islands of various sizes, most of them flat, sandy and uninhabited. Island hopping is a popular activity, and visitors can hire a boat and explore at will.

Abu Dhabi is steeped in a vast terrain dominated by majestic sand dunes and mountainous rock formations, a perfect environment that has bred and attracted adventurous and highly skilled off-road drivers driven by passion about nature, the environment and the unknown. You can book a desert safari, which is a not to be missed experience . A visit to Rub Al Khali, and the Empty Quarter can be arranged in a 4×4 along with lessons (self-drive) you wish, through Off Road Emirates. During the day in this part of the desert its not uncommon to view the wildlife that survives in this harsh environment. Dhabi & Reem Gazelle have been spotted as well as Rueppells fox, Cape hare, Houbarra birds and the rare sightseeing of the White Arabian Oryx.

The waters of the UAE are teaming with fish life, particularly in Fujairah which is the Indian Ocean. Our dives during this time of year are in cool water, approximately 24-26degC, and the air temperatures range from 13degC early morning to 26degC late afternoon. A fleece is recommended for after the dives and a full wetsuit (5mm maximum) including hood and gloves is a must. Sea dives are arranged from Divers Down in Khor Fakkan, and accommodation is available at the Oceanic Hotel or the Khor Fakkan youth hostel at very reasonable rates. You can also charter a boat and sail up the Musandam into Oman for some of the most spectacular diving opportunities in the Middle east, particularly the fjords of the Musandam Peninsula, the region of high mountains and deep waters that span the Straits of Hormuz, where the Indian Ocean joins the Arabian Gulf. Musandam also contains a number of archaeological sites, which have been primary investigated and it is likely that there are other undiscovered sites, say environmentalists. Historical sites such as forts, watch towers, Islamic cemeteries and tombs, provide enough study for archaeologists, several stone cairn tombs of pre-Islamic age have been recently discovered, Rock engravings of similar age were also found. The towering cliffs, precipitous headlands and fjord-like inlets of the Musandam Peninsula are of surpassing beauty unique in all Arabia and well worth the visit.

A complete itinerary for course timings and schedule is being arranged and will be published on Welcome to DeeperBlue.net Courses - Learn FreeDiving with the experts! during the coming week. Course prices and bookings will be available through the Deeperblue link. A list of do’s and dont’s for the UAE will also be published and a list of hotels, car rental agencies, tour operators and other points of interest to fill your stay with 7-14 interesting Arabian nights.

To travel to Abu Dhabi from the UK, it is recommended you fly Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi airport. Alternatively, you can fly Emirates or British Airways to Dubai and arrange transportation to Abu Dhabi, which is 1 1/2 hours away. Travel from Europe is fairly easy as Emirates Airlines flies to most major cities and a host of international airlines fly to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

For more information on Abu Dhabi, hotels and tourist information, and course logistics and bookings, contact sara@sandspirations.com and for information on AIDA courses, contact emma.farrell@deeperblue.net