Scuba diving and snorkelling in Dubai
Scuba diving around Dubai happens in three kinds of place: in a pool, such as the 60-metre-deep Deep Dive Dubai, from a Dubai beach, or on the reefs of the east coast at Dibba and Khor Fakkan. You can try diving for the first time with an instructor, take a full PADI course, join a boat trip as a certified diver, or snorkel from the surface. Most first-dive options start at age 10.
At a glance
- Prices
- From AED 210 to AED 1,750, across 8 tours listed here. Scuba Diving and Snorkelling price guide
- Price range
- Try dives from AED 210 (pool) to AED 1,800 (Deep Dive Dubai); snorkelling from AED 210 to AED 400; the PADI Open Water course AED 1,995, among the tours listed, checked 29 September 2026
- Minimum age
- 10 for try dives and courses; 6 for snorkelling at Deep Dive Dubai
- Where
- Pools in Dubai, a shore dive in Dubai, or boat trips from Dibba Al Fujairah and Khor Fakkan on the east coast
- Time needed
- About 1 hour for pool snorkelling, 2–3 hours for a pool try dive, 4–5 hours for an east-coast boat trip, 3–4 days for the Open Water course
- Transport
- Not included, except on Dive Campus's shore dive with Dubai pickup
We don’t sell tickets or tours. Prices and details come from the operators’ and venues’ own websites, with the date we checked them. How we work
Filters
Snorkelling over the sunken city (Deep Dive Dubai)
from AED 400
Diving and snorkelling options compared (prices checked on the operators' websites, 29 September 2026)
| Experience | Where | Who it is for | Minimum age | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Try scuba with a private instructor (Dive Campus) | DiveTank pool or Dubai shore dive | First-timers | 10 | AED 210 (pool) |
| PADI Discover Scuba Diving (Nemo Diving Center) | Palm Jumeirah, or Dibba Rock reef | First-timers | 10 | AED 350 (Dubai), AED 400 (Dibba) |
| Beginner dive in the 60 m pool (Deep Dive Dubai) | Nad Al Sheba, indoor fresh water | First-timers, to 12 m | 10 | AED 1,800 |
| PADI Open Water Diver course (Nemo Diving Center) | Palm Jumeirah, then four dives at Dibba | People who want a licence to 18 m | 10 | AED 1,995 |
| Two-dive boat trip (Nemo Diving Center) | Dibba Al Fujairah | Certified divers | 10 | AED 350 |
| Snorkelling | Deep Dive Dubai pool, Dibba reefs or Khor Fakkan | Swimmers and non-diving companions | 6 (Deep Dive Dubai), 10 (Dibba) | AED 210 (Khor Fakkan, own gear) |
What to expect
A first dive is an introduction, not a test. On Nemo Diving Center's Discover Scuba Diving, an instructor explains the regulator, mask and buoyancy jacket and the hand signals, then you practise breathing underwater and clearing your mask in calm, shallow water before a short dive. At Dibba the guided reef dive goes to 6–8 metres. Dive Campus runs its try dive one-to-one, with 30–45 minutes underwater and photos and videos in the price.
Deep Dive Dubai is different: an indoor pool 60.02 metres deep, set up as a sunken city, with fresh water at about 30°C. Beginners go down to a maximum of 12 metres. There is no marine life.
How to choose
- Lowest price for a first try: Dive Campus's pool session costs AED 210.
- Real reef and fish: head to the east coast. Nemo says Dubai has no natural reefs, which is why its sea dives are at Dibba Al Fujairah.
- A licence: the PADI Open Water course takes three to four days plus online study, with groups of up to four students per instructor. It lets you dive to 18 metres with a buddy.
- Already certified: the morning two-dive trip at Dibba visits sites such as Dibba Rock, Martini Rock or the Inchcape 1 wreck.
- Family with younger children: snorkelling at Deep Dive Dubai is open from age 6. Non-swimmers aged 10 and over can do the pool's 4-metre Sunken City Walk with a full-face mask.
- Divers and non-divers together: the Khor Fakkan boat trip and the Dibba snorkelling trip take snorkellers out to the reefs.
Safety and health
You fill in a medical questionnaire before any dive, and some answers mean you need a doctor's approval first. Deep Dive Dubai asks you to wait 12 hours after diving before you fly or go above 300 metres, such as the upper decks of Burj Khalifa. Skydive Dubai also asks jumpers not to scuba dive in the 24 hours before a skydive. Nemo recommends dive insurance for course students. Scuba at Deep Dive Dubai and Nemo's Open Water course both require you to be able to swim.
Practical tips
- Bring your passport or Emirates ID for east-coast boat trips; Dive Campus says the coast guard needs every passenger's details.
- Dibba and Khor Fakkan are a long drive from Dubai across the Hajar Mountains, and transport is extra or not offered.
- Refund rules are strict. Deep Dive Dubai bookings are non-refundable, with free rescheduling up to five days ahead. Nemo gives course refunds only as credit vouchers.
- Deep Dive Dubai's home page showed scuba "from AED 1,200" while its package page started at AED 1,800, so check the booking calendar.
Frequently asked questions
How much does scuba diving cost in Dubai?
Among the options listed here, a first try dive costs from AED 210 (Dive Campus pool session) to AED 1,800 (Deep Dive Dubai Standard package), checked on 29 September 2026. The PADI Open Water course with Nemo Diving Center costs AED 1,995.
Can I dive without a licence?
Yes. Discover Scuba sessions and Deep Dive Dubai's beginner dive are made for people with no experience, with an instructor beside you. They are introductions, not a qualification.
Is there coral and marine life near Dubai?
Nemo Diving Center says Dubai has no natural reefs, so it runs its sea dives at Dibba Al Fujairah on the east coast. There, Nemo's snorkellers often see turtles and schooling fish. Deep Dive Dubai's pool has no marine life.
What is the minimum age for scuba diving?
Ten for the try dives and the Open Water course listed here. Children aged 10–11 who complete the course qualify as Junior divers limited to 12 metres. Deep Dive Dubai's snorkelling is open from age 6.
How long after diving can I fly?
Deep Dive Dubai advises waiting 12 hours after diving before flying or going above 300 metres.