Musandam Exploration

Background
The mystic Musandam is largely unexplored and boasts a wild and uncharted coastline full of undiscovered mysteries. 

The Musandam is rugged, it challenges you every time you dive there. The stark surface beauty of the Hajar Mountains transform into exceptional diving when you submerge. The incredible variety of soft corals and an abundance of marine life, coupled with some amazing underwater topography truly makes the Musandam the foremost place to dive if you reside in the UAE or Oman.   You can dive the same site three times in a row and every dive will serve up something different. The currents in the Musandam can be unforgiving and dangerous but at the same time there is always the chance of seeing the big pelagics, Mola-Mola or Whalesharks.    There are documented known and suspected locations for ships that have been wrecked in the Straits of Hormuz, some of them in depths that only technical divers can reach, but others in recreational diving depths.   Objectives

We are running an ongoing Exploration project to broaden and document our knowledge of the Musandam Eastern and Northern coastlines. Our goal is to discover new reefs and wrecks as well as documenting the sites we already know using mapping techniques, fish survey techniques, photography and videography.

  Project Leader Neil Murphy will lead and coordinate this project. His knowledge of Musandam is unquestionable, after nearly a decade of exploration in the area. He knows all the commonly dived sites, many sites that are rarely dived and understands the best way to meet the challenges that the Musandam waters can bring.    Project Roles There will be a variety of roles for this project, each is important to its success. These are listed below together with the training prerequisites and the opportunity to sign on to the exploration team. If you have not yet reached the training level required for a role, contact us and we will build a plan to get you there.

Non-Diving Role

Researcher and Surface Support

This role is vital to ensuring our Exploration teams are diving in the right place. It involves researching archives and other sources to locate wrecks, creating maps for new sites and piloting Remote Operated Vehicles (ROV) to confirm locations. Marine Archeologists are particularly welcome.

JOIN NOW 18 Metre Depth Limitation

Recreational Explorer

You will need to have an Open Water qualification, 30 logged dives, a drift diver speciality and be trained to use an SMB.

JOIN NOW 30 Metre Depth Limitation

Advanced Recreational Explorer

You will need to have an Advanced Open Water qualification, 30 logged dives, a drift diver speciality and be trained to use an SMB.

JOIN NOW 50 Metre Depth Limitation

Technical Explorer

You will need to be certified as Tech 1, Deco 50 or equivalent, with 10 logged deco dives on trimix, plus a DPV certification. You will need experience of mapping and surveying.

JOIN NOW No Depth Limitation

Advanced Technical Explorer

You will need to be certified as Tech 2, Deco 100 or equivalent. CCR is a big plus and DPV certification is a must. You will need to be proficient in mapping and surveying techniques.

JOIN NOW