One of the most professional diving schools in the UAE

I took the RAID Advanced Wreck course here, which was taught by Darryl, the co-owner of Freestyle Divers. You’ll often hear people advise to pick the instructor, not the dive agency – and Darryl is superb. He has a huge amount of diving experience in wreck and cave environments that he was happy to weave in throughout the duration of the course, which as a result went above and beyond the comprehensive syllabus. I also appreciated Darryl’s strong emphasis on dive safety – there are no corners being cut here, class sizes are small and focused, and all of the training dives were carried out with redundant air supply (choice of twinset or pony bottle). 

The dive centre itself is one of my favourite in the UAE, very professional and all of the dive team are helpful and friendly. They are one of the few schools to offer a range of training agencies in addition to PADI, including RAID and UTD (and they can also arrange GUE training), and as a result are very accommodating to all equipment configurations and training backgrounds. You can also drive right up to the boat pontoon to drop your gear off which is very convenient. Special thanks to James and Brian for their assistance on the course. Looking forward to diving with Freestyle Divers more often in the future.

I have been diving with Neil Murphy for the past 10 years in the Musandam. Together we explored new dive sites along the coast and into the straight of Hormuz. From whale sharks, sharks, rays, large schools of fish to the little creatures of the sea like squids, turtles lobsters or seahorses, there is never a dive short of surprises. But moreover Neil is not just an ordinary dive buddy – he listens and watches his surroundings, suavely navigating the waters of the Musandam. He is one of those buddies I want to have with me if a dive gets turbulent ! 

Neil is, without question, the deity of diving in the UAE! A calm, confident and conscientious guide and instructor, who is also friendly and makes diving fun. 

He is great with people of all levels – from beginners to seasoned pros – enabling you to push your own personal boundaries, without compromising on safety. 

So, whether you’re a novice or a natural, you NEED to try diving with Neil; we wouldn’t dive with anyone else.