CNN
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Visitors to Dubai tend to make time for the sights and the malls. But few pitch up with a wetsuit and surfboard.
This could be a missed opportunity, according to Daniel van Dooren, the Dutch-British co-founder of Surf House – a one-stop shop for all things wavy situated on Kite Beach, Dubai.
“People don’t realize you can surf here – they perceive Dubai as a desert destination,” says van Dooren. “But we have fantastic white sand beaches here.”
The surfing entrepreneur grew up in the Emirate and says the change has been dramatic.
Kite Beach was once a fishing port known for pearl diving. After intensive development of the waterfront – now full of restaurants and watersport facilities - it reminds van Dooren of Hawaii and California.
Surf House Dubai now claims to have more than 3,000 members - up from “no more than a dozen surfers” in the mid-1990s.
Handout/Getty Images Europe/Red Bull via Getty Images
Dubai has become an adrenaline junkie's playground. These are just some of the extreme sports on show in the emirate.
Cliff diving -- The Red Bull Cliff Diving series stopped off at the Dubai Marina in 2016, where athletes leaped off an 89 foot platform in front of huge crowds.
KARIM SAHIB/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Flyboarding -- Attach a wakeboard with two pipes to a powerful jet ski and you get flyboarding, one of Dubai's more surreal watersports. Daredevils can reach heights of up to 30 feet above the water's surface.
courtesy skydive dubai
Skydiving -- One of the best views of the Palm Jumeirah is from the air. Skydive Dubai offers jumps from 13,000 feet in tandem, meaning you can enjoy the views while someone else pulls the parachute cord. Two thumbs up, indeed.
courtesy Skydive Dubai
BASE jumping -- Dubai has seen some spectacular -- and legal -- stunts. Soul Flyers World Champions Fred Fugen and Vincent Reffet broke the world record for the highest BASE jump from a building in 2014 when they scaled the Burj Khalifa. The jump involved three years of planning and training in the Swiss Alps.
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Gyrocoptering -- One of the best ways to see Dubai's epic skyline is by gyrocopter. Reach dizzying heights and look on at the iconic Burj Al Arab hotel.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Urban Climbing -- Not all urban climbing is strictly legal, but it seems to be perennially popular. In 2016
The National reported a Russian model dangled over the edge of the Cayan Tower for a hair-raising -- and illegal -- selfie. But the king of the sport Alain Robert (pictured) climbed the Burj Khalifa with the Municipality's blessing in 2011. Incredibly, he scaled all 2,717 feet in just six hours.
Francois Nel/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
Skiing -- Escape the desert heat at Ski Dubai, the Middle East's first indoor ski resort. At 24 degrees Fahrenheit, glide down snow-laden slopes and attempt to jump a 10 feet ramp.
Ziplining -- In 2015 Dubai featured one of the world's only urban zip lines. Thrill seekers begin at 300 feet and reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, traversing through downtown Dubai.
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Jetskiing -- Speed along Dubai's coastline on a jet ski past the famous Palm Jumeirah archipelago and Sheikh Island. Pick the right weekend and you can watch competitors go full pelt in pursuit of glory.
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Dune-bashing -- Four Wheel Drives race through the desert as they partake in 'Dunebashing'. Dune bashing is one of the most popular pastimes for tourists when they visit the desert, and involves vehicles driving at high speed over the undulating landscape.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Rally biking -- British motorcyclist James West drives his 690 cc KTM Rally bike during the five-day UAE Desert Challenge Rally in Dubai. Less extreme options are available should you wish to take two wheels into the dunes.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Rally driving -- If you'd rather have four wheels when tearing through the desert, Dubai's got you covered too.
Warren Little/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images for Arena
Surfing -- We're not sure how good a surfer Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Chad Le Clos is, but he looks good in a pair of board shorts and ready to hang five near the Atlantis Hotel on The Palm.
MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Shark Diving -- Visit the Dubai Mall and guests have the option to dive with the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo's resident sharks. Divers have the option to hop on a "
Shark Scooter," so you can spend less time swimming and more time cruising in the deep.
In 2014, Dubai resident Mo Rahma became the first Emirati surfer to compete in professional international competition.
Dubai’s climate produces “surfable waves” on approximately 90-100 days of the year, says van Dooren. But even on the other days there are alternatives.
The hydrofoil - an electric surfboard that lifts the rider above the water - could be a game-changer.
“There’s so much you can do - jumps, airs, ride waves and on flat water - it’s really versatile,” he says.
This innovation also gives surfing a suitable twist for the setting.
“I think foiling is the perfect image for Dubai,” says van Dooren. “This is the future of watersports - and Dubai is all about the future.”