Adventure sports in Qatar!

There are several activities keep you wondered outdoors in Qatar. These activities include windsurfing, sand boarding, kitesurfing, blokarting, diving, desert-driving and fishing. These activities continue throughout the year because of the warm and subtropical climate. Details are given covering Water Sports, Sand Sports and Nature Reserves as below:

Qatar has spectacular beaches and therefore, water sports are part of Qatri life because of the warmth of the water and long coastline. Qatar has good water sports infrastructure and pertinent lessons are usually available.

Sailing, Kitesurfing and Windsurfing

Kitesurfing and Windsurfing are both quite popular in Qatar besides the country does not have many windy days. As and when shamal wind blows, which is basically northwesterly wind that blows over Iraq and the Arabian Gulf states, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. This wind is often strong all the day but intensity decreases at night because summer conditions may be supportive for windsurfing. This way Kitesurfing is usually a better option as it can be enjoyed in lighter winds and that is quite easy to learn, especially for experienced windsurfers. The warm waters of Qatar make water sports a great fun. Fuwairit Beach is situated towards 80 Km north of Doha and the beautiful lagoon at Zeekret is especially good for starters. Both spots are good for kitesurfing and windsurfing.

Sailing is quite popular in the Arabian Gulf whereas Qatar International Regatta is an event held annually attracting sailing lovers worldwide. The Doha Sailing Club encourages the sport in the Gulf for coaching at all levels holding contests and a social gathering for rowing and sailing throughout the area. Qatar offers facilities for various grades of boats including Lasers and Optimists. Doha Sailing Club also offers learning facilities for windsurfing. Doha Sailing Club website has information on weather and the upcoming tides in the area too. The Association also holds monthly and weekly competitions for laser class boats.

Diving

The inviting warm and clear Gulf waters are great for diving and a breeding place for marine wildlife. Expert divers can see various kinds of fish, sea snakes dolphins, turtles and rays as they dive in sea.

Usually the diving activity is confined near the shores while there are various wrecks to be explored away from shores too. Popular diving spots are the Old Club Reef situated in Messaid, close to Sealine Beach Resort. The place has an artificial reef and a good spot to watch blue angel fish followed by grouper and barracuda. New Club Reef is close to the place is also good for diving though the divers do not see much of fish at this place. Abundant fish is available at The Inland Sea situated at Udaid as the place is all sheltered with reefs. Some people who could be interested in exploring wrecks in sea should visit Al-Sharqi close to Halool Island. One can see clown fish and other species around the metal wreck found submerged there.

Diving starters can use expertise provided by many training centers along Qatar coasts where equipment is available on hire too. Sea in general is calm and that makes Qatar a special spot for diving. A number of diving clubs in the vicinity encourage like-minded people to get together and provide regularly organize diving events.

Fishing

Fishing in Qatar is a very popular sport. The waters in open seas have several hundred fish species like Anglefish, Dorado, Puffers, Mackerel and Hammour in deep waters. Many hotels in Doha book charter boats for fishing too.

Sand Sports

Qatar being a desert country, there are number of desert sports few of them are very popular among folks.

Blokarting

The blokart is a go-kart which is wind powered and invented in New Zealand in year 2000. This is now a rapidly growing sailing sport. People experience sailing on land as they do at sea and enjoy racing as the karts go very fast. This was introduced in Qatar in year 2006 in its deserts and on Qatri beaches. Doha Sailing Club is the place for various options and information about the events.

Sand skiing and sand boarding

Sand skiing is popular for skidding and running over sand dunes as people do skiing in general. Khor Al Adaid or The Inland Sea has several large sand dunes which are good for sand skiing and boarding. The area is far away in desert and reachable using a 4x4 vehicle preferable with a guide or a tour operator. Sand boarding is like doing snowboarding except it is done on sand dunes instead of mountains. Qatri beaches and deserts offer endless sports opportunities. Its Sealine Beach resort is one of the popular places for enjoying sand boarding. Doha has number of desert touring agents who organize trips deep into deserts.

QatarDesert safari camping and off-roading

Exploring deserts using a four-wheel drive auto vehicle or a quad bike or even a dune buggy and then camping deep in deserts has been popular since long. Several tour operators offer guided tours to watch an evening passing or even spending a night there. Some operators offer desert driving lessons for the starter off-roaders, and also there are a few of off-road driving clubs using 4x4 vehicles. Some enthusiast expats also connect through online forums for teaming up with other desert goers as going alone can be highly dangerous at times. There has to be at least another vehicle to rescue if needed be.

Nature Reserves

More than 25% of Qatari land is declared to be a natural reserve. These reserves have a unique view of landscape, Qatri history and the wildlife. Some of the major reserves are:

Al Thakhira is a strip along the coast at the northern end of famous Al Khor Corniche. Most of the coastline has salt flats locally called “sabkha”. This is like quicksand, and becomes very treacherous as it gets wet. Bird watchers love this area and there is a large part covered with mangroves.


Umm Tais is an area which is protected islets having mangrove forests with beaches and sand bars. This area attracts lot of birds and the marine life and where several turtles breed and do nesting. Close to this part is famous village Al Mafjar with its historical remains.

Khor Al Adaid or The Inland Sea is 80 Km towards south of Doha. It is unique to have a shore in Saudi Arabia and other in Qatar. This is Qatar’s major tourist attractions and is famous for its beauty having large sized crescent-shaped sand dunes. This is a shallow tidal lake that connects with the sea through a narrow outlet. This is a unique lagoon system having several archaeological sites portraying history.

Al Reem covers most of the north-west of Qatar. This is the place where wild life has an impact and travellers enjoy seeing Arabian gazelle too.

Ras Abrouq is also locally known as Bir Zekreet situated at the tip of a peninsula towards northeast of Dukhan. The place is reachable using 4 x 4 vehicle and several campers love to be there. This place has several bays, rocky outcrops and coves.