Buying surfboards and surf gear in Dubai

Note that this page may not be up to date - check forum trading section for latest surfboards and other surf stuff for sale or wanted.

Surfboards

You've got several choices that I know of.

• Dubai surf shop - The SODs online shop is obsolete now as there are several surf shops in Dubai selling boards, wax, and other accessories. But if you're stuck for something, contact us. There's usually a few spare bits and pieces lying around.
• Second-hand - the website noticeboard is probably the best place - most surfers in Dubai know about it. You could try the supermarket noticeboards - I've seen ads at Spinneys and Choithrams. with prices ranging from about 500 to 1800 dhs (in about 1999-2000).
• Al Boom Marine behind the EPPCO service station along the Beach Road (near Wollongong University on the desert side) has water sports equipment including surfboards. There's other branches - the one in Garhoud is probably the best second option. They also have a big sale each year early in December, sometimes get a cheaper board.
• GECO Marine in Sharjah (or Dubai? - I saw it on the road running down to Hamriya from Al Mulla plaza which I thought was still Dubai). Anyway, they sell BIC boards (the pop-outs or whatever they're called - about 800 dhs I think. Excellent value for a beginner). Dunno what else, I've not been there. There may also be a shop on the main road through Sharjah, I'll update this page if I can confirm that.
• Go Sports - shop in Mall of the Emirates next to Ski Dubai but not open as of Dec 2005. Don't know if they'll have surfboards.
• Ibn Battuta Mall - further down Sheikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi after going past Ski Dubai. There's at least one sports shop there which has had surfboards but keep forgetting the name of it.
• Jumeirah Plaza - I think (it's the blue mall near Jumeirah Spinneys that I mean). Have seen one or two surfboards in the beach clothes shop downstairs.
• Oxbow - apparently there was a board for sale in a shop in one of the Jumeirah malls for about 10,000 dhs (in about 2004).
• Quicksilver - there's a shop just opened up in Mall of the Emirates opposite Ski Dubai. Boards are 2000-3000 dhs (as of Dec 2005).
• Ripcurl - there's a shop just opened up in Mall of the Emirates opposite Ski Dubai. Haven't seen any boards there though (as of Dec 2005).
• Palm Strip shopping center, Jumeirah There's a clothes shop upstairs where I saw a nice wooden longboard for about 3000 dhs once. But that was back in about 1998 and I haven't seen anything else there.

Wax, legropes and other accessories

• Dubai surf shop has mr zogs wax at 20 dhs each or 50 dhs for three, basecoat wax (same prices), legropes at 100 dhs each, boardbags 300 dhs each, FCS fins for 100 dhs each (fin, not set). Also noseguards for 100 dhs, spare FCS screws for 10 dhs and FCS keys for 20 dhs.
• The various surf shops usually have a small selection of wax (10 or 20 dhs a stick), bags, legropes, gorilla grip etc.

Repairs

Repairs you'll probably have to do yourself (or wait until you get to a country with repair shops - they did a good job in Bali on my boards and fairly cheaply), there's no repair shops here. Sometimes other SODs will offer to do repairs (for a fee) - check the forum trading section for more information. As of Dec 2005, Scott is doing repairs.

For repair supplies try

• Ace Hardware between 2nd and 3rd interchanges on Sheikh Zayed Road, they also have a small shop in the Bur Jaman center. Other branches in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
• Speedex - another hardware shop a bit further towards Jebel Ali on the same road as Ace Hardware (I saw a complete kit with fiberglass resin, cloth and mixing sticks there for 40 dhs in March 2003 - color pink!).
• The Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club has a marine supplies store where you can also get fiberglass etc. And you can have a game of golf or a drink at QDs while you're waiting for your board to dry.

Clothing

Because you're at the beach and it's hot and sunny, you'll find plenty of beachwear around the place. Also diving wetsuits since diving is a popular sport here - but they're not usually suitable for surfing. Anyway, you'll survive without one here. Al Boom Marine is the best place to try for surfing wetsuits although you'll be paying around 500 dhs for a good one.

What Else?

Jetskis for those big tow-in days down at Moscow beach? A 4wd so you can drive on to the beach with your 9 foot mal poking out the back? Check out the discussion forum for the latest on buying and selling stuff ...