Riding in Dubai...

Hi there, got a few questions and wanted to share a few pix... we are a bunch of friends, living and working since a few years in Dubai and with that climate over here begging to indulge into any kind of watersports we got hooked to what our guys have been doing for a while now like most of you we got tired of borrowing boards with huge bindings and finally got our very own ANGEL board (thanx to your advice!) with minx bindings and are slowly but surely progressing... Weather is just purrfect with water temperature like a bath tub for most of the year... here a few pix:

http://dubaisunshine.smugmug.com/gallery/1824712

Now I got a few questions:
1) Does it really make a difference riding in the sea or lake??? We never tried a lake but with all these videos and dvds out there we just CRAVE a scenery with green around like so many in US... not in terms of scenery but more like riding in the water / crashes etc
3) whoever happens to always ride in the sea - any advice how to tackle the SALTWATER + SUNSCREEN combination in your eyes after a crash problem??? It takes my a while to actually SEE again which is wasting my time in a way...
4) In terms of photography, which cameras/lenses are you using, how do you get different angles
5) Any suggestions how to overcome mental blocks when progressing with any kind of challenging trick?
6) Do we need SPECIAL lubricant for the binding or would normal washing liquid be OK?

Ok that's too much for one thread I know but I'm happy with a reply to any of my questions. If you have any pix to share, feel free - we're always inspired!

Thanx a mil, Antje}}

no SPECIAL lube.

where is that place?

1) I ride on both and the main difference for me would be that it is always choppy in the sea, but it seems that yours is very calm! The other difference is that it feels nice crashing and having fresh water in your mouth instead of salt water.
2) Never had a problem with that... maybe you could just get off the sunscreen from the area around your eyes and hands before riding and reapplying afterwards?
4) I just use a normal camera that has some manual settings, so I dont have any special lenses or anything. But I do have a water proof case for it so I can take pics from the water. Different angles to try: from a chase boat, floating in the water and the rider passes by you, and have the rider and camera man riding behind the boat and you take pics.
5) Think to yourself (helps to do so for a week) I can do this, if others can, I can do so too. The worst that could happen is I will fall and it wont hurt, its just water. Also watching the Chick Flick Teaser (www.thechickflick.com) gets me so pumped up I want to try everything when Im on the water.
6) No, just make sure you dont use sunscreen or oils or stuff like that. Try using a very soft shampoo (like the ones for babies). You really dont need anything, just get your bindings and feet wet before putting em on.

Hope that helps! Those pics look great seems like you have a very nice riding spot... What boat do you ride behind?

Wow, those pictures are really cool. Looks like a fun place to ride. I can't believe that is a sea!

i dont know where that is but it looks tight

Cris, thanks a lot for your replies it really helped, especially No. 5 re overcoming these mental blocks... always a new challenge!!

Re the PLACE to Jess and George... At the Southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, UAE shares borders with Saudi Arabia, Sultanate of Oman and Qatar State. Dubai (capital of 1 of the 7 emirates/states of the same name, 1 Million people approx) is situated on the UAE’s west coast in the south western part of the Arabian Gulf. There is virtually no crime, the city is clean, and the climate is extremely pleasant for most of the year. The country is slightly smaller than Maine but has 1,318 km coastline!

Have a great weekend! Antje

whats it cost to live there im moving asap!

I can't believe I passed up heading your way just a couple months ago. If I knew people were riding over there, I would have thought otherwise. That place is amazing, the architecture is absolutely beautiful. I was actually going to be in Qatar, but I think I could have snuck off for a couple days. The last time I was in that area I would have never thought about riding I am so glad to see someone enjoying all of that sun.

Hi George & Anthony, sorry for the delay in replying - I am in Germany visiting my family at the moment!

1) Cost of living: cannot generalise - you can go big and spend all you got or live on a shoestring... but to give you an idea: petrol and cars are cheap of course, housing though got more expensive. Unless you get a super package you will end up sharing a villa or flat (but they are all really nice!). Plus people from all over the world. I never thought I wud get stuck there, plan was 2-3 years but lifestyle is too tempting - sunshine and great weather almost all year round, beach so close and nice people.

2) Anthony - best place to ride - in case you come back - is the JAZIRA HOTEL after the Jebel Ali Hotel direction Abu Dhabi... its like a river but in fact an inlet of the sea, and Jamal, the boat driver there is just tuned in with every rider, it is perfect! We still havent registered our boat, too much bureaucracy, so we go there these days...

Cheers & let me know when you visit!!

In Dubai is amazing! You will certainly enjoy your ride

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you know this guy?

http://www.thewakeboardschool.com/

this is the place, he has an 07 VLX

Look him up

Hi Antje!!! Nice to see u Dudai riders!!! Tom Ellis still in Dubai? Greeting for him! What about Oli? They must remember me - im Boris from Moscow. Tom & Oli visit us at summer 2006.

WOW, I love the places you ride.

For your camera question. the best camera is my 20D. Just fly me over there and ya can use it. :-)

Work your way up, get a good camera, and just sit in the middle back of the boat. I typically kneel on the back seat and shoot from there.

Once you develop your camera skills, get a waterproof housing and get on a tube behidn the boat but in front of the rider. (never ride the tube behind the rider unless you have an experience wakeboarder who knows what they are doing, and wear a helmet whenever you are on the tube)
For a cheap fix, get one of those waterproof disposeable cameras and do your tubeshots with that.

Also, chase boat shooting is also fun and you will get awesome shots.

Have fun!

Seeing those pics makes me wanna fly over there right now. :-)

-S

http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/developments/dubai/palm_islands.php

now that would be a premier wakeboarding destination! :-)

it's salt water, so no it wouldn't!

Hi Swami, thanks for the camera advise! Since Xmas I own a Nikon D80, before I used F80... first results are awesome, love it!! Check out first results... :

http://dubaisunshine.smugmug.com/gallery/1976496#121630987

a lil salt water never hurt nobody Joe. :-P

Nice shots Antje! LOVE the backgrounds in your shots, to me that's half the battle, getting a really good background in your photo. You're lucky!

Great pics!!! swami is right about the backgrounds!
In the pics of the woman rider (I assume its you!) It seems that either the boat is going too slow or its not evenly weighed because the wake is all washed out.
How do you like the Oneill Vapor vest?? I want to get one but Im a bit concerned on if it floats well...

Hi Cris, I love the Oneill vest because it fits perfectly and gives great shock protection in case you DO crash ... it floats okay, I mean if you can swim and the boat picks you up fast enough there's no worry... it's a bit strange to get in and out in the beginning coz it doesn't zip in the front but you'll get used to it in no time...

oh, I didn't want to sound like the foregrounds were bad either.. looks like everyone is having FUN! :-)

Also, with that many people you guys should go in together and get "The Book" instructional series.. it's like having your own instructor.

Antje - just curious, is there any marine life in those waters that you have to be particularly concerned with? I've heard sea snakes can be found in Mid East waters...any truth to that?
Mike

Abbie, those are urban legends to protect that middle eastern butter!

(I don't know one way or the other tho!)

Hi Mike, Even though a lot was and certainly still is damaged by all this construction of artificial land (like the Palms, The World etc - islands you'll be able to see from the moon they say...), there is still marine life to be found. Check out our snake at http://www.arabianwildlife.com/nature/marine/mrp09.html for example. Never seen one were we ride but I saw some in Oman on the surface...NOT nice for sure. BUT We also see turtles sometimes which I really love.

I would pass out if i saw a snake while riding!!! All we have are the ocassional iguana swimming around (which still makes me scream before I realize its not an alligator) and alligators, which I have only seen once while riding.

The sea in the Persian gulf is a good place to ski/wakeboard. Often you can find flat silky water to play on. Before the first Iraq/Kuwait war, I lived in Kuwait and would ski/trick/skurf(yea, old school) with a view of the Kuwaiti water towers from the wake. The water would have small lake type chop in the late morning and late afternoon with glass before the chop. Salt in general makes it easier to get up but landing doesn't really mater. The bummer about boarding in the Persian Gulf is that it's saltier than say the pacific and when you fall, yea the eyes feel the extra salty water.
I did get to ski with dolphins flanking me once, wanting to follow/play which was really cool! The worst thing was in the summer (Besides the 120 air and 90 degree water, was the small quarter size jelly fish, thousands of them. Fall along the shore or in where the schools were feeding and it wasn't pretty. That only happened 2 times in 2 years....but it sucked. Ant, lots of folks would trade the choppy/crowded/blown out lakes for a piece of the Persian gulf. Enjoy and allah walllkbar

does dan tolson ever come out and ride with you guys? he's the owner of liquid malisha in australia, and a good rider too... but his g/f is from dubai and i know he's been there a couple times. it sounds so amazing out there!!! we should organize a trip or something!

Hi Barrett, sorry for the late reply! Actually Dan will arrive this Sunday for 3-6 months and give some lessons too really cool. I wish I could join but I'm 7 months pregnant now so I am the one who will take the pictures of my husband & crew! Hopefully he can come back next year to teach our boy some decent riding! I will post some pix on my homepage (see profile) soon.

Hi everyone

Just found this note. I moved to dubai and looking for people I could go wakeboarding with. Doesnt matter on a privat boot or school, but would be great if its flat and during the week and weekends.

Let me know if people down here in Dubai out on the water. Jones

hey Jones. where do u wakeboard. cause im looking for some people to ride with as well.