Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Recreational sailing is a popular outdoor activity any time of year in Oman on account of the country’s perfect weather conditions and excellent sailing options. When Oman Sail launched its activities in 2008, it was touted as the beginning of the resurrection of the country’s ancient maritime tradition. A sailing school was opened in Marina Bandhar Al Rowdha along with the project launch in 2008, and since then, three more centres have been added at Almouj Muscat, Millennium Resort Mussanah, and at the Sur Marina.
Recently Oman has witnessed a boom of enthusiasm among youth for recreational sailing as residents take advantage of the opportunity to witness regattas like Extreme Sailing Series and Sailing Arabia the Tour (SATT), as well as the emergence of some home-grown internationally competitive sailors, like Mohsin Al Busaidi , who became the first Arab to sail around the world nonstop in 2009.
Sailing isn’t just for pros; it is a natural sport of freedom powered by wind and water, and Oman has the perfect conditions in which to pick up the sport on tropical waters that are warm and clear with winds that are light and steady. It is an adaptive sport appropriate for anyone who loves to be in water, you don’t even need to know how to swim. Even differently-abled people can get into sailing. At Sea Oman, anyone age 8 and above can try sailing.
Go Learn to Sail
Sea Oman, the commercial wing of Oman Sail, offers an array of sailing courses following the Oman Sail national sailing scheme, recognised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), at their four sailing schools.Open seven-days-a-week, you can head to any of the centres to learn from a team of qualified coaches in both English and in Arabic.
The training is split into taster session, Level-1, Level-2 and Level-3. The taster session is a two-hour introductory class and can be booked upon request at any of the sailing schools, and each level will take two days to complete. These two-day courses are normally scheduled on weekends however they can be run mid-week upon request.
Courses are run separately for adults and children and have a maximum of three-to-four students per instructor. So, one could complete the entire course over six consecutive days, or they take breaks in between and complete them on weekends at their leisure.
There are sailing programmes designed for school children at discounted rates. Many private schools send in students on a regular basis. These school sailing sessions are held on weekday afternoons between 2pm and 5pm and the prices are based on a minimum of four sessions with a minimum of eight students. This children’s course can also be arranged over two full days.
For kids between 8 and 16-years-old who finished the Level-1 sailing course the ‘Thursday Kids After School Club’ runs on Thursday afternoons from 3.30 to 5.30pm each week, offering recreational sailing, fun games, and activities at the sailing school at Almouj for a fee of OMR45 for a block of 6 sessions.
Private tuition and specially designed courses for individuals, private groups, schools and corporate groups are also on offer. You can learn sailing on your own preferred timings with your family or friends during a session of tuition or a full-course with private tuition. The fee for one student for a half-day is OMR45, one day for OMR80, and two-days for OMR160.
Once a student has successfully completed the Level-3 course he or she will be able to hire dinghies from Oman Sail and sail independently. The dinghy hire rates start at OMR15 for two hours and OMR40 for one day, depending on the boat.
Level-3 trained sailors can also join the Friday Sailing Club for a yearly membership fee of OMR50 for an individual membership or OMR120 for a family of two adults and two children, to enjoy social sailing sessions from 9.30am till 12 noon and afternoon racing from 2pm to 4.30pm each week.
—[email protected]
Sea Oman Activities:
Try Sailing at Al mouj, Bandar al
Rowdha, Mussanah: OMR5 for 1 -hour session
In Sur: Free for 1-hour session
Children’s Session at Al mouj, Bandar al Rowdha, Mussanah:
OMR12.5 for 2 hour session
IN Sur: OMR5 for 2-hour session
Adult Taster Session
Al mouj, Bandar al Rowdha, Mussanah: OMR15 for 2-hour session
IN Sur: OMR10 for 2-hour session
Children’s Courses (Level 1, 2 & 3) at
Al mouj, Bandar al Rowdha, Mussanah: OMR75 for 2-day course
IN Sur: OMR42 for a 2-day course
Adult Courses (Level 1, 2 & 3) at
Al mouj, Bandar al Rowdha, Mussanah: OMR90 for 2-day course
IN Sur: OMR60 for a 2-day course
Sea Oman provides:
Sailing equipment, buoyancy aids, and bottled drinking water
You need to bring: Shoes (old trainers are ideal) and clothes that you are willing to get wet, a towel, and a change of clothes for afterwards. A long sleeved shirt, sun cream, sunglasses, and a hat for protection against the sun are also advisable.
Timings: 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm on weekdays.
Weekend courses: 9.30am to 12 noon and 2pm to 5pm on Fridays and 9.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 5pm on Saturdays.
contact: +968 2418 1400,
[email protected], seaoman.com
