Oman / Extra Divers Qantab
WRECK DIVING, DOLPHIN TOURS AND A LUXURIOUS HOTEL COMPLEX!
The Extra Divers dive centre at Qantab is located directly in the marina of the luxury hotel, Shangri-La Barr al Jissah Resort & Spa, in the middle of Muscat Bay, surrounded by spectacular cliff formations. From here the most beautiful dive sites of Bandar Al Khairan and Fahal Island can be explored on daily boat trips. An abundance of fish, various species of moray eel, rays, brightly coloured nudibranchs, turtles and a large wreck are just a few of the region’s diving highlights
Contact: qantab@extradivers.org or by phone (+968) 96 31 90 81 or (+968) 2477 6042
Diving/Dive spots
Many dive sites are close to the centre; for example, Fahal Island, which delights visitors with its beautiful coral gardens and its abundance of fish. Besides shrimps, anemones and a myriad of fish, there are often various rays, turtles and even reef sharks at the dive sites. Bandar Al Khairan’s variety of dive sites is impressive – from steep walls to gently sloping coral gardens, there’s something for everyone here. Another highlight is the 3,000-tonne, 84-metre-long Al Munassir wreck, sunk in 2003 by the Royal Navy of Oman in Bandar Al Khairan. This marvellous wreck, overgrown with soft coral, lies at a depth of 30m and is home to a large variety of fish species. The dive sites of Bandar Al Khairan and Fahal Island can be reached in 15 to 30 minutes by speedboat.
Altogether there are about 20 different dive sites, with visibility ranging from 5 to 20 metres. Diving is exclusively by boat and in small groups with a maximum of 4-5 divers per guide (depending on experience and level of training). In the mornings there’s usually a two-tank dive, consisting of two dives, and in the afternoons there’s a trip with one dive. Night dives are available on request. The use of a dive computer is compulsory (computer hire available). Dive training is offered in various languages (booking courses in advance is recommended).
A special experience for the whole family – including non-divers – is the daily dolphin watching tours, with a very high probability of encountering the playful marine mammals. As well as dolphin watching, there are snorkelling tours to Turtle Bay, sunset cruises and private boat trips.
Team & Education
The centre is open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and provides all the professional support that the diver’s heart could desire. Besides detailed briefings, a great deal of importance is placed on safety. At the same time, though, the experienced international team makes sure that there’s no shortage of fun.
The dive center is managed by Barbara and Damiano, plus a great diving Team is waiting for you! It is a real ‘meltin’ pot’: omani, german, french, italian… One guests’ quote that we’ve really appreciated, as it’s well describing our Centre : “german organization and italian friendly staff”;
The focus is on safety – from the check-in time with an accurate control of divers’ certifications and levels (in order to organize dive groups at best!) and medical certs, to the offer of refresh dives and courses to improve divers’ skills; safety is improved by the several detailed briefings (that our Staff give to guests BEFORE EACH DIVE: Boat instructions and safety procedures in case of emergencies) and the equipment on board; for the same reason, at our Centre is compulsory the use of a dive computer for each participant, and if the guest hasn’t got one we provide it!
The fun and friendly part then is also the Team!! Imagine to mix omani hospitality with french professionalism and german efficiency but all with a funny italian accent - plus finally add all individual personalities: that’s explosive!! Most of the team have more than 10 year experience in diving!
Contact: +968 90189311 / qantab@extradivers.org
Facilities
The dive center of the Extra Divers Qantab, offers of course new equipment and high quality diving!
The boutique offers everything the diving heart desires from souvenirs to equipment and also a workshop in which our friendly and accustomed competent team will be happy to assist you with the maintenance of your equipment.
• 140 aluminium tanks (DIN connection, INT adapter available)
• 30 sets of high-quality Aqua Lung equipment for hire
• 3 dive boats
• digital UW cameras
• boutique and on-site workshop
• 2 compressors
• 1 nitrox filling station / nitrox for certified divers for a surcharge of approx. 2 OMR per dive
• oxygen first aid kit
Payment on-site
Please note that Oman generally does not accept US dollar bills older than 2007!
Highlights & Specials
Dolphins!!!!
Spinner, Common and Bottlenose: we organize daily 2 boat trips, with beautiful navigation in open sea to reach the shoal – 90% of chance to spot dolphins! most of the time you can encounter lots of this beautiful creatures, and - few times a year- also the majestic ones can be spotted during their migration – you’d like to know what we are talking about? Surprise! Come and see with your eyes! :)
Snorkeling in Turtle bay: a massive reef formed by pocilloporas (pinky, orange, purple, brown..) hosts colorful fishes and TURTLES in shallow waters. What else better than this? : ) You can join us, during our afternoon trips at Turtle Bay!
For divers, Al Munassir wreck is rated as one of the best dive sites in the whole area, so just come and discover it!
Sometimes, in the evening, the bank of plankton makes the water glow on the sandy shore: this and other very little simple things - that are giving emotions - are worth an entire holiday here in Oman.
