The weather in Dubai is often scorching – if you know anyone who has just come back from there, you’ll no doubt be envious of their sudden tan! But despite the weather being ideal for bronzing on the beach, there’s actually another option: sports in Dubai. Okay, running around in the incredibly hot weather may not be everyone’s idea of a good time but for those that would miss their exercise while taking a Dubai holiday there are plenty of things to do that won’t leave you melting in the sun. Here are the best of them…

Working out

For many, the last thing people want to think about when on holiday in Dubai is pumping iron and working the rowing machine, but with air conditioned fitness centres in all the luxury hotels this needn’t be as gruelling as you’d think. So far, so normal, but in some lodgings, a unique Dubai sports twist is taken on hotel fitness by the coaching by ex-Soviet Union Olympiads, attracted by the wealth of the country.

Elsewhere there are a number of privately owned leisure clubs aimed at the English speaking ex-patriot community, and these have the usual range of swimming pools, tennis courts, squash courts and health spas…

A leisurely round of golf

It’s surprising to see a number of well maintained grass golf courses in a desert city like Dubai, but there they are nonetheless. There are a number of good options for golf players of all abilities, from the ‘beginners need not apply’ courses at the Emirates Majils to the more forgiving Montgomerie. Al Badia is also worth a look, somewhere between the two on difficulty, but with a clubhouse that’s up there with the best in the world making it perfect for some leisurely sports in Dubai.

A refreshing swim

Nothing beats the Dubai sunshine like a refreshing swim, and most hotels will have their own pool to cool off in. If you want something a little more fun, there’s also the Wild Wadi Waterpark at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel complex, which is ideally suited both to kids and the young at heart. With a massive selection of 24 water slides (including the memorable “Jumeirh Sceirah” with speeds of up to 50mph) this is definitely the most fun way to get some exercise on a holiday in Dubai.

Take to the water

Of course you don’t need to just settle for a swimming pool or a water park – Dubai has a natural expanse of water at the Arabian Gulf, and with it a vast range of water sports to enjoy. Jet skiing, water-skiing and that old favourite Scuba Diving are all great ways of staying in shape and having a great time on your holiday in Dubai.

Skiing (!)

If the weather really gets too much for you and you want the opposite extreme, then why not go skiing? No, I’m not about to suggest heading off to another country – you can actually enjoy an amazing indoor ski slope made from real snow! It sounds like an urban legend, but Ski Dubai has made this possible by making ‘real snow’ and then blasting it out into the building which acts as a giant refrigerator – a massive 30 tones of fresh snow are added daily to ensure that the resort’s 5 slopes (covering 22,500m ²) are always fresh and Dubai’s sports enthusiasts are kept happy.

So if you were hoping for an excuse to relax your exercise programme for your trip to Dubai, I’m afraid this isn’t it! There’s plenty to do on holiday in Dubai that won’t leave you massively dehydrated, and it’s well worth checking out!

 

About the Author

Peter Vasilou is a Dubai expert for key2holidays, an online tour operator specialising in holidays in Dubai, Egypt, Cuba, the Caribbean, Europe, the Far East, the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles, Australia and Southern Africa. Key2holidays has a dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to plan and book your ideal holiday.

 

Inshore fishing on Virginia Beach charter boats may include trips for striped bass, sea bass, and both red and black drum while offshore fishing charters target tuna, sharks, dolphin, billfish and other species. The area is world famous for its saltwater fishing.

One well known fisherman is Captain Keith Harlan who fishes the Mega Bite out of Virginia Beach. He has fished local waters from the Eastern Shore, Chesapeake Bay, and Virginia Beach to Cape Hatteras for over 30 years. Captain Keith's vast fishing experience also includes the waters of Barbados, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Key West.

In the summer months, offshore fishing from Virginia Beach is excellent. Captain Keith described Virginia offshore fishing saying, "Nothing is etched in stone with fishing around here but chasing yellowfin tuna thru much of the summer is our main activity". These tuna like deeper water for the most part, often being caught in water from 30 to 100 fathoms. "We watch the satellite shots to get a general idea of how far north or south the tuna are" explained the Captain.

Fishing spots include the Norfolk Canyon, Cigar, Weather Buoy, Wayne's World and others. These hotspots range up to 75 miles out of Rudee Inlet. In addition to yellowfin tuna, anglers catch bluefin, bigeye, skipjack and longfin albacore tuna, dolphin fish, wahoo, billfish and sharks.

Of interest to many anglers are the trips that reach the Norfolk Canyon. Just before reaching the canyon walls are slopes that are often very productive areas. Near the canyon walls, the bottom becomes steeper and rockier. Fish congregate along the drop offs to catch food that is caught in the hard running current. Along the edges are lobster traps which are marked by orange buoys or "lobster balls". The buoys attract dolphin fish which in turn attract the larger marlin, swordfish and sharks which feed on them heavily. A trip by a buoy can be uneventful, or one or more lines might be attacked by mahi mahi, tuna, marlin or other fish.

Late August and September often feature the best fishing with anglers seeing larger numbers of tuna as well as an influx of wahoo and bull dolphin. Offshore fishing continues into October, when windy weather and falling water temperatures make fishing less productive.

After the offshore season winds down, Virginia anglers enjoy excellent striped bass fishing. Known locally as rockfish, these delicious fish migrate down the East Coast and congregate in the lower Chesapeake Bay and coastal waters from November thru March. Anglers sometimes catch monster rockfish, exceeding 50 lbs. The Virginia state record rockfish has been broken many times recently, with some of the biggest fish being caught out of Virginia Beach Virginia.

These beautiful gamefish love cold and windy weather and feed in immense schools along the coast. Local charter boat captains such as Captain Keith of the Mega Bite keep watch on local fishing and are usually able to find the fish reliably when a winter weather window of opportunity becomes available.

About the Author

For more information on Virginia charter fishing, visit www.sportfishingmegabitestyle.com