Weather Conditions
The Surf in Dubai is seasonal from October-April with the best and most consistent months being December, January and February. The water temperature ranges between 25-30 degrees Celsius at the start and end of the season. Between December to February temperature range between 20-22 degrees celsius)
The average wave height recorded from the “Dubai Coastal zone monitoring” is 0.67 meters, which in feet is just above (2 feet). The highest ever recorded wave to hit the shores of Dubai was in 2007 reading at 3.49 Meters which is just over 11 feet. Not bad considering most people view Dubai as being a city in the desert with absolutely no surf at all!
The best swells arrive when strong low pressure systems develop at the top of the gulf (Kuwait) and the strong Northerly (NW) winds continue to blow through past Bahrain and Qatar. The fetch (distance of water over which the wind can blow) of the Arabian Gulf is 1000 kilometers. Whilst this technically doesn’t qualify us for any real ‘Ground Swell’ (requires fetch +2000km), on a good day it is sometimes hard to believe you’re in the Arabian Gulf. Solid head high days don't happen very often (about 4 times a season) but when they do its almost like the stoke is tripled!
The most common swells in Dubai are from local winds, or just a bit further north, near Qatar. This means a lot of wind and fairly messy surf. A small, onshore, choppy wave is better than no wave!
History
The first surfers actually living in Dubai date back to about 1990 where there was only a handful of full of guys foraging for waves along the Gulfs sandy beaches and rocky inlets. We could name them all for you but don’t want to bore you. Let’s just say there were no crowds and everyone knew each other! The best part was that you could surf any beach in Dubai you wanted. Depending on the tide and which sand banks were working you could literally pick any spot along the coast.
Since the construction of the World Islands and three different Palm Islands, there are now only two stretches of ‘surfable’ beaches in Dubai. Four of the largest man made offshore constructions in the world, there’s no wonder why the rest of the coastline doesn’t receive the same waves it used to. These constructions serve as a breakwater stopping waves in there tracks before they’re able to propagate to shore.
To date the surfing scene in the region has grown exponentially, particularly in the last 5 years (2005-2010). From no more than a dozen surfers in the mid-nineties, the Surf Dubai membership alone is now home to over 1000 surfers.
With the influx of many expatriates from Australia, South Africa, Brazil and USA the level of surfing has also risen significantly. Dubai is lucky to have had some great surfers (some ex-professional) move here and share their love for the sport. The U.A.E’s first surfing competition (Surf Dubai’s Sunset Open 2010) was a perfect reflection of the talent now growing amongst Dubai’s beach breaks.
In earlier days, the accessibility for surfing goods was very limited… almost none existent! With the inception of Surf Dubai, Surfers of Dubai and several other retail outlets, this has changed a great deal. World class surfboards and accessories are now readily available. Surf Dubai are now suppliers of Firewire, Lost and Global Surf Industry (Webber, 7S, Walden, Mctavish etc) surfboards. Also stocking Creatures of Leisure and Shapers Australia accessories.