The Arabian Gulf - especially just off the coast of Dubai - is a wreck divers paradise, with wrecks dating back to the early sixties. The wrecks are the only interesting places to dive in the Gulf, as Dubai has no natural reef environment. The wreck sites are only accessible by boat, and The Pavilion Dive Centre charters to most of the popular sites. Please contact our Dive Centre team for weekly schedules and events.
The Arabian Gulf offers a flat sandy, almost featureless seabed, with only a few rocky outcrops with signs of coral life. The tidal movement is slight causing only mild currents. During spring tides however, the currents can pick up around the full moon.
The general visibility in the Gulf ranges between 5 and 15 metres, although on rare occasions there are days when it can exceed 20 metres. The better visibility is generally found on the deeper wrecks in 20 metres plus, which are usually no more than a 30-minute boat ride away.
Here is a brief overview to some of the sites we visit:
| Wreck name |
Description |
Distance |
Depth |
| Cement Barge |
Barge in upright position, sank with its full cargo of cement bags, which are still intact. |
5 mins |
12m |
| Rashid Wrecks |
A collection of wrecks alongside the main breakwater off Dubai dry-docks. |
15 mins |
14m |
| MV Dara |
A British passenger liner that sank off Sharjah following an explosion on board. 238 passengers lost their lives, totalling the greatest number of fatalities after the Titanic disaster. |
60 mins |
18m |
| Sarraf 3 |
A coastal barge sunk by a local fisherman to create an artificial reef. |
25 mins |
22m |
| Car Barge |
Open-hold barge, with old cars and vehicle parts alongside its tugboat. |
25 mins |
22m |
| Neptune 6 |
A drill rig tender accidentally collided in bad weather and sank in 1973. |
45 mins |
22m |
| Lion City |
A coastal tanker that was used by the UAE armed forces for target practice. |
60 mins |
23m |
| SMB |
Towing barge including 3 decks and a helipad! |
40 mins |
24m |
| Zainab |
Iraqi oil tanker sunk off Jebel Ali in 2001. |
40 mins |
30m |
All West Coast dives depart our marina at 9.00am daily. Divers wishing to book a dive should do so before the day they wish to dive and then register at the centre on the morning of the dive no later than 8.30am.
We have full equipment hire available if you decided not to bring all your own, details on the rates of hire can be found on our price list.
The Dive boat will stay at sea for the duration of two dives, which should see a return to the marina between 1.30pm and 3.00pm depending on the sites visited. Fresh fruit, soft drinks and coffee are supplied onboard as well as plenty of towels to dry off in the cooler months.