SUP Abu Dhabi

A paddle in the mangroves opposite Kite Beach.

A paddle in the mangroves opposite Kite Beach.

When we moved to Abu Dhabi we were pretty keen on trying out some of the local paddle boarding.  Our first trip out was to the Mangroves and we quite liked it.  It sort of ignited a little spark and we’ve contemplated getting our own paddle boards ever since. But then we had all of this uncertainty to deal with, like were we staying in Abu Dhabi or moving to Dubai or even somewhere else?  All convenient excuses to not buy our own boards.

We had the whole place to ourselves.

We had the whole place to ourselves.

As the drama continued Shani kept with her research and knew what we should buy but the timing still wasn’t right.  Eventually, though, you just have to live your life and we finally pulled the trigger and bought 2 new Red Paddle Co 10’6″ inflatable boards. (Our trip to Vietnam kind of sealed the deal for the inflatables for us)

One of several jellyfish we saw in the canal.

One of several jellyfish we saw in the canal.

The first day we went over to one of the access points of Yas canal and got familiar with the boards. We saw some incredible jelly fish and lots of crabs that may or may not have been ‘sleeping’.

A 'sleeping' crab.

A ‘sleeping’ crab.

Our second trip out was in some of the channels and mangroves on the opposite side of Kite Beach. We saw a ton of fish and birds but it doesn’t come across very well in video, something we need to work on.  

A selfie in the mangroves opposite Kite Beach.

A selfie in the mangroves opposite Kite Beach.

For our third trip out we went a little north of Saadiyat to Al Rahba beach to launch our boards and do a little exploring. Here’s a little video about that adventure.

 

If you would like to know more about our decision to go with the Red Paddle boards or pick our brains about the SUP locations we’ve tried in Abu Dhabi just leave a comment or drop us a line and we’ll get back to you.

 

4 comments on “SUP Abu Dhabi”

  1. Stephanie says:

    Hi! New to SUP and I live in AD near Al Reef. Looking for some mellow places outside of the eastern mangroves. What are your favorite spots? I saw the Al Rahba in your video and I want to try it out.

    1. Todd says:

      Hi Stephanie, we left the U.A.E. a year ago so things may have changed a bit (access issues possibly). One of the spots was just opposite Kite Beach, go under the bridge and then paddle towards Yas. There are a ton of channels to follow. If you use Google Maps you will see them and can navigate the waterways. We did a lot of SUP leaving from the beach across from Saadiyat Beach Residences (we were living there at the time). You can head either direction but mostly we went north towards Nourai Island. There is boat traffic but it’s generally not too bad. When we lived there there were some small herds of Arabian gazelle that we could see while SUPing and there are a bunch of needle fish which are always fun to see. Sometimes rays and even dolphins as well! Enjoy!

  2. AJ says:

    Hi! I’m a beginner and just bought my first board. I live near the Corniche/Emirates Palace. Where can I launch my board from?
    Can you launch from the public/family beach area or Al Bahr? What about by Heritage Village near the big flag? Thanks so much.

  3. AJ says:

    Never mind. I just read you have left UAE.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *