Flying into Muscat is the most popular way to come to Oman. Once you have arrived at Muscat airport, we can come and pick you up at the airport if you arrange the transfer with us. It is just a 45 minute ride by car to the Oman Dive Center.

The diving is mostly reef diving with a maximum depth of 22 to 30 meters. The reef is notable for its soft and hard coral formations, for its walls and swim-throughs. The reef starts from the shoreline, drops down to around 5m, then plateaus before gently sloping down to around 22m. Most dive sites are suitable for both beginners and experienced divers. Visibility ranges from 5m to 20m during most of the year, and can get up to 30 m in the early summer months. The water temperature varies from 22ºC in the winter to 30ºC in the summer with a thermocline at around 15 m that cools you down during the summer months.

Common marine life found in the area includes turtles, lobsters, moray eels, king crabs, various stingrays, the occasional nurse shark, barracuda, as well as most varieties of tropical reef fish such as damsel fish, butterfly fish, angel fish, parrot fish and groupers. Night dives are particularly spectacular. Nocturnal marine animals to be spotted include the odd octopus, juvenile cuttlefish, honeycomb moray eels, lobsters, crabs and stingrays.

There are so many types of hard and soft corals to be found in such vast numbers that you may wish to bring your identification charts down with you! Expect to see healthy plate corals and ancient boulder corals.

Avid divers will be familiar with species of nudibranchs and mollusks such as the Phyllidia Arabica and many of the Chromodoris. These species are frequently spotted here, feeding on sponges which create the backdrop of this gigantic aquarium.

The reef itself are very healthy as diving in the area has been infrequent up to now.

As tourism in Oman grows, the government has shown increasing concern for the protection of the environment- notably its underwater heritage. Local authorities have focused on ensuring that positive fishing habits are adopted in the area, restricting net-fishing over the reef to prevent it from being damaged. Mooring buoys have been put in place in over ten different dive sites around Muscat in order to further preserve the health of the coral reefs. Safe and environmentally sound diving practices are encouraged.

We offer a two tank dive every morning. Divers are taken to two different dive sites for a one hour dive in each with a surface interval of about one hour in between. Most dive sites are a 20 minute boat ride away from the dive center.

In the afternoon we go out to a local dive site for a single dive. Night dives are every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - weather conditions permitting.

Our check in times are 08:00 for the morning dives, 14:00 for the afternoon dive. Depending on seasonal daylight, the night dive is scheduled between 5:30PM and 07:00PM. We require divers to arrive 30 minutes before departure time.

We will come and pick you up. Just ask! We offer an early morning pick up service from all major hotels in Muscat. A free shuttle will drop you back to your hotel at 03:00PM. If you want to enjoy our beach for a bit longer, we will arrange a taxi for you at the regular taxi rates.

If you have your own car, we are located in the area of Bandar Jussa near Qantab. To get here simply follow signs to Ruwi, then to Wadi al Kabir and Al Bustan. Drive straight through the Wadi al Kabir roundabout -a giant incense burner which lights up at night- onto the main road to al Bustan. Keep going straight. After a few kilometers you will drive through two rearing horses then up a hill. Shortly afterwards you will see a turn off to your right for the Qantab Road. Turn right onto the Qantab Road. After a few kilometers, do not turn left into Qantab village but continue straight towards the Shangri-la. You will get to a small roundabout shortly before the Shangri-la. This is it! Turn left. You can see the Oman Dive Center from here.

There are some non-divers in my group who may wish to go snorkeling. Can they come on the same boat?

The morning dives are typically reserved for divers but, if we still have spaces on the boat, snorkelers are welcome to join the trip. Snorkeling trips are also offered in the afternoons.

Contact us either by email or by phone (+968) 248 242 40 to arrange a booking. We require the credit card details to secure your booking.

We offer refresher courses in our swimming pool. A refresher course includes theory revision, help with equipment assembly and disassembly and the review of all major Open Water skills with one of our Instructors or Dive Masters in the pool. Once refreshed, you can join other divers on the boat for as many guided dives in the sea as you like!

Our dive resort’s beach is beautiful, clean and open to non-diving members of your group. There are plenty of palm trees under which to sit and gaze out into our azure bay. Deckchairs and parasols are readily available. We have restrooms and freshwater showers with hot water for our guests’ use. Our terrace restaurant and Safety Stop Bar are but a few steps away for drinks, snacks and even shisha!

I am coming to Oman soon and would love to complete the SSI / PADI Open Water Diver course while I am there. Is that possible with ODC? What if I take the theory sessions back home before I leave?

You may certainly complete part or all of the SSI / PADI Open Water Diver course while you are here in Muscat. Just let us know in advance so that we can make a good plan for your diving appetites.

If you wish to get started before you come out on holiday, contact your nearest SSI / PADI dive center, resort or instructor. They will be able to help you complete the classroom work and confined water exercises (shallow bay or pool) before you come out. With the theory and confined water sessions out the way, you will then only have four open water dives (to a maximum depth of 18m) left to complete the course. These can then be done with one of our Instructors here in Muscat, leaving you certified and ready for more underwater adventures after only two days of your holiday!

If you are just completing the final two days of your Open Water Diver course with us, you will need to make sure the first part of your course is taken with a reputable SSI or PADI dive centre, and that they give you all of the necessary referral papers to bring out with you when you come.

If you prefer to complete the whole course here with us (most of the people do), it will take four days - two days of classroom and confined water sessions followed by two days of four open water dives in the sea. The cost of taking the Open Water Diver course with us includes all materials and equipment necessary for the course.

Our dive center is fully equipped with rental gears of a very high quality. We use Aqualung and Mares BCD's, regulators and wetsuits, Technisub masks and fins as well as Suunto computers.

Yes. The Dimaniyat trip requires a minimum of 8 divers.

Please contact us by email or by phone (+968) 248 24 240 to put your name down on the list. When we have 8 divers, we will organize the trip.

Muscat has something for everyone. There is snorkeling or kayaking in our bay, bartering at the fish souq, visiting the Grand Mosque, home to the world’s largest Persian carpet, admiring traditional Omani clothes in Bait al Zubair museum, smoking shisha in our Safety Stop Bar, buying souvenirs in Mutrah souq and even ice skating if you miss the European weather.

Muscat is also the ideal starting point for trips to the Wahiba sands, the fort in the old town of Nizwa, the Hootta caves, the cool pools of Wadi Bani Khalid, the sea frontier at Wadi Shab, the beaches of Ras al-Hadd, the heights of Jabal Akhdar and Jabal Shams, the Snake Gorge in Wadi Bani Awf, the hot springs in Rustaq, the pottery souq in Bakhla and the dhows in Sur.