padi dive center muscat

When Is the Best Time to Spot Whale Sharks in Oman? They are big, beautiful, and gentle. They like warm water and a lot of plankton. And they are sharks – not Whales. The whale shark is the largest known fish species alive today, with an average length between 6 to 10 meters. The largest measured whale shark was 18.8 meter! And although it is the largest fish in the world, the whale shark eats some of the tiniest creatures in the ocean. Whale sharks have a lifespan of about 70 years and they are found in tropical and temperate oceans such as our Omani Ocean. The docile and harmless giants have a beautiful coloration pattern, bluish-gray to a brown back and a white underside. Each fish has their very own unique pattern of stripes and spot. Have you ever been dreaming of seeing and swimming with whale sharks? Oman is your place to go to! Whale Shark Season Is Between July and September As mentioned earlier, whale sharks like warm waters. They always visit our coastline during summer time – and they are only a few meters away from our marina on their way to Daymaniyat island. From July to late September is the annual whale shark season in Oman. During this period, we spot them regularly in big groups. So, if you plan to join us on a trip during summertime, there is a high chance of spotting whale sharks on our way to the dive site in Daymaniyat island! And what’s better to do during the hot Omani summer than a swim in the water with these gentle giants?  We usually stop our boat as soon as we see the whale sharks so you can enter the water and snorkel with them. While scuba Diving in Oman is great with the usual spotting of Turtle and rays, imagine seeing a whale shark while scuba diving? Although a bit rare, this is also possible too! It’s a lot easier to spot and snorkel with whale sharks rather than finding them during your dive. But while Scuba Diving in Oman, everything is possible – especially at our favorite dive site, Aquarium. How to Swim with Whale Sharks? Whale sharks are threatened by habitat loss, pollution and fishing. To promote their protection, it is very important to be very careful when you’re around them. Therefore, we always ask our customers to follow these guidelines to make sure that your behavior is safe for you, the environment, and the wildlife: Enter and get out of the water quietly. Splashing and noisy entrances can scare away whale sharks. Swim slowly with smooth movements. When approaching a whale shark, you must arrive from the side. Always maintain a safe distance of 3m from the head and 4m from the tail. Never touch a whale shark or try to climb on its back. If you are close to a group of feeding whale sharks, stay still and let the animal move around you. Whale sharks can be curious animals and could approach you. If this happens, do not move and watch! Do not feed whale sharks or throw objects into the water to try to get their attention. Whale sharks feed exclusively on plankton and are not interested in our food. So, what do you think? Are you ready to swim with Whale Sharks? Book your adventure with us now to enjoy the best Diving in Oman. Previous PostNext Post

Your Guide to Scuba Diving in Oman Do you call yourself a passionate Diver? Does the colorful life under water excite you? If yes, then Scuba Diving in Oman is a must-add on your bucket list. Wonder why? Keep on reading.  Crystal Clear Water Oman offers warm water with crystal clear visibility most of the times – especially during winter months when the water is a bit colder and contains less plankton. Anytime from October up to May can promise you visibility up to 30 meters. The diving around Muscat, where MolaMola Diving Center is located, is simple and calm. Water temperature ranges between 19 degrees Celsius in winter and up to 28 degrees in summer.  Accessible Year-Around Another good thing: Scuba Diving in Oman is possible every month of the year! MolaMola Diving Center takes you diving all year-round with April to May and September to October being the best combination of surface and sea temperatures. During the summer months – from June till the end of August – the temperature in Oman is very hot. That’s when diving without wetsuit is done. Summer is also the best time for Whale Shark encounters, which brings us to the next advantage: Blooming Marine Life The marine life around Muscat, especially at Daymaniyat Island and Fahal Island, is full of life and colors. We have many colorful, tropical fish and hard and soft corals to gaze at. There are many nudibranchs and reef fish in our area – and if you are into bigger fish, we got you covered with different types of turtles, rays such as Stingrays or Cowtail ray and Zebra and Black Reef Shark. As said before – during summer season we even spot Whale Sharks on our dives! Read more about Whaleshark season in oman here. Amazing Dive Sites Our dive sites are perfect for beginners, newly certified divers and for advanced divers as well! We usually visit Daymaniyat Island, a tiny archipelago of rocky islands with more than 20 dive sites and depths up to 30 meters. But even the best visibility, water temperature, dive sites and marine life will not make for a perfect trip if the dive school is bad. But hey, today’s your lucky day – you’ve found the perfect dive school for the best Diving in Oman! At MolaMola Diving Center we make sure you enjoy your trip to the fullest – with a BBQ lunch, soft drinks, full rental equipment and a spacious boat to sunbath during surface interval. And more importantly, great company! So, are you convinced that Scuba Diving in Oman is worth a try? Book a trip with MolaMola Diving Center to discover the best Diving in Oman! Previous PostNext Post

Equalize Your Ears: Why and How! Most of you probably know this from flying an airplane: As soon as you ascend, you feel pressure in your ears. Same when we dive – just the pressure we feel is much stronger! The only way to solve longterm illness for ourself is to equalize our ears. Sadly many people struggle with equalizing… That often comes down to technique and practice. Keep on reading – we’ll share some tips and tricks on how to equalize your ears while Scuba Diving. Why Do We Have to Equalize? So many divers think they have an ear problem because they always face problems with equalizing. While some people do have a medical issue with their ears or sinuses, we mostly can attribute this failure to using the wrong techniques or improper execution of what they have learned. But why do we have to equalize at all?  As soon as you put your head below the surface, water flows into your ears. This puts pressure on your eardrums. For most people this isn’t painful in the first meter, but if you don’t equalize your ears, the pressure keeps building from discomfort even to pain. To solve this problem, we must equalize our ears by adding air into our sinuses and Eustachian tubes to counter the water pressure. The Best Techniques to Equalize: There are different ways how to equalize. The most common one is probably the Valsvalva Maneuver: We’re pinching our nostrils and we’re blowing through our nose. The resulting overpressure in your throat usually forces air up your Eustachian tubes. In an airplane or during a dive it can create the familiar pop in your ears and relieve pressure. Another option is Swallowing. Candy or gum help when you fly because chewing on them makes you swallow, which in most cases will equalize your ears. Some goes if you chew a bit (of course not too strong!) on your mouthpiece. Some people even prefer to swallowing over the Valsalva maneuver to equalize their ears while scuba diving. The third tip is to wiggle or move your jaw from side to side. This stretches the Eustachian tubes, which can equalize your ears. You can also try to move your head from side to side or even attempt all equalizing techniques at the same time or any combination you find helpful. Divers who experience difficulty equalizing may find it helpful to master several techniques. Practice even at home – in front of a mirror you can even watch your throat muscles. Make Equalizing Easier Now as you know the best techniques to equalize, this will already help you a lot. But check e few other things before the dive and you should be fine. First, always and every time before you are about to enter a Dive Shop or a Dive Boat – check your ears: Are your Eustachien tubes open? Can you hear the “pop” when you swallow?Then, right before the dive, start already on the surface: Equalize at the surface and then equalize every meter – even if you do not feel any pressure: equalize.Sometimes looking up might help as well, or even better: Use a descent line where you can hold on and where you can control your descent rate. Also – do not tight your mask to tight and of course: STOP DESCENDING IF IT HURTS! Do not push through pain. In case your ears begin to hurt, ascend a few meter and try again. Combined with some patience, equalizing techniques should work for most people, even those who think their ears are keeping them from enjoying the underwater world. Our instructors are very patience and helpful as well, don’t worry if you had problems equalizing before – togther we will solve it. Book your Trip for Scuba Diving in Muscat with us now! diving oman | DAYMANIYAT ISLAND | Snorkeling in Oman | Snorkeling in muscat | diving muscat | diving in oman | scuba diving oman | diving in muscat | divingcenter muscat Previous Post

Seasickness and What to Do About It You are all excited about your Scuba trip – but as soon as the boat hits the open waters, all the excitement is gone: Seasickness has kicked in. You are starting to feel headaches, dizzy, sick and maybe you even have to start vomiting. Seasickness is not fun at all. Let’s have a look how to prevent and stop seasickness so you can enjoy your Scuba trip to the fullest! Why Do We Get Seasick at All?   Motion sickness occurs when your brain can’t make sense of information sent from your eyes, ears and body. Lots of motion — in a car, airplane, boat, or even an amusement park ride — can make you feel queasy, clammy or sick to your stomach. An estimated one in three people get motion sickness at some point. Women, and children age two to 12 are most at risk. Still, the condition can affect anyone. How Can We Prevent Motion Sickness?   Many divers experience seasickness while spending time on boats in between the dives or on the wa to the dive site. You can lower the changes of getting seasick with some easy actions. First of all: Be well rested before the boat trip and drink plenty of water. Choose low-fat, bland and starchy foods before entering the boat as well so your stomach is light. During your time on the boat, sit up and look at the horizon. Of course there are a number of drugs available to help prevent or treat motion sickness. Typically these drugs come as a pill, which you should take before the symptoms of seasickness start to kick in. These pills can cause drowsiness as a side effect, so it’s a good idea to discuss which medication might be right for you with your doctor or pharmacist. And What to Do When You Are Sick?   As soon as you start feeling sick, make sure you sit in the middle of the boat and try to get some fresh air. It might seem surprisingly obvious, but fresh air does wonders for clearing your head. Also have a look at the horizon: Looking at the horizon can help give your brain a point of reference, allowing it to sense the motion of the ship and your body’s movement with it.Ginger helps a lot too: Raw, candied or brewed in a tea – Ginger has been used to treat seasickness for centuries. Just chew on some ginger or if you don’t like it, use some ginger capsules instead.Other option is our favorite one: DIVING HELPS! If you start to feel ill, enter the water. One submerged, the body no longer receives conflicting signals from the eyes and limbs – so you will start to feel better while diving.And if you must vomit, its best to let it happen. You will feel much better afterwards. Of course we can not regulate the weather: but we will only take the trip to Daymaniyat or Fahal Island for Scuba Diving or Snorkeling in Oman if we feel like the sea condition will be good enough to make the way there and the way back. Previous PostNext Post

Why Can I not Fly Directly After a Dive? You plan to book a dive just a few hours before you fly? Well, I’m afraid that’s not going to be possible. Wondering why? Keep on reading to know why flying after diving is very dangerous and how many hours you should wait on ground before boarding. A Higher Risk of Suffering Decompression Sickness Truthfully speaking, ascending to a high altitude immediately after diving increases a person’s risk of suffering from decompression sickness. Flying after diving increases this risk because of the decreasing atmospheric pressure as you ascend. You might only have a few tiny bubbles in your body when you reach the surface after a dive, which should cause no problems at all. However, if you go flying immediately without waiting a sufficient amount of time, these small bubbles could expand (due to the reduction in pressure with altitude) and could cause the onset of DCS symptoms. So, What Are the Basics You Need to Know? A good practice is to have a “down day” prior to flight after any diving. Space any planned flights (even at lower altitudes) with a day between the last dive and the flight departure. Two days might be a better plan, especially if there was deep or repetitive diving. The best course of action for any divers that are going to be flying is to use a dive computer for all of their dives. Modern dive computers will calculate a “time-to-fly” and recommend a wait time for a diver prior to a flight. To be accurate, divers must use the same computer for all their dives, and on every dive. Time-to-fly calculations are cumulative based on diving times, depths, and number of dives. How Much Time Should You Wait before Flying? The Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommends a 12-hour minimum surface interval before flying, and the PADI “Flying After Diving” guidelines say divers should not ascend to a high altitude within 12 hours of completing a single dive or 18 hours after doing multiple dives (whenever possible, wait 24 hours). As MolaMola Diving Center we recommend not to fly for as long as possible after your dives, the longer the better. Here are some basic rules to follow: After single no-decompression dives, a minimum pre-flight surface interval of 12 hoursis suggested. After multiple no-decompression dives per dayor multiple days of diving, a minimum pre-flight surface interval of 18 hours is suggested. Just Explore Beautiful Oman during the “Waiting-Time” To err on the side of safety, many divers plan a 24-hour surface interval and spend their time exploring topside attractions. Here are a few other activities divers should explore at the end of their diving holiday as there is a lot to see in Muscat, Oman: The great Mosque – really worth seeing from the inside as well as from the outside The Opera House – for people interested in culture and architecture Mutrah Souq – let the smells of the market inspire you Note: The above info is for sports diving and should not apply to commercial diving or nitrox diving. Because of the complex nature of decompression sickness (DCS), and because decompression schedules are based on unverifiable assumptions, there can never be fixed flying after diving rules that can guarantee prevention of bends completely. Whether you wait 12 hours or 18 hours (or more), there are no guarantees that you won’t get decompression sickness (DCS) when you fly. Of course, the longer your pre-flight surface interval time, the more nitrogen you expel from your system—which minimizes the risk of decompression sickness. Previous PostNext Post

Daymaniyat – Jewel of the Middle East Welcome to Daymaniyat Island Nature Reserve, our favorite escape and a gem of Oman’s natural beauty. This breathtaking sanctuary is more than just a destination; it’s where you can immerse ourselves in the serene embrace of nature, dive into crystal-clear waters, and experience the vibrant marine life that makes this place truly an extraordinarily protected Nature Reserve. Location & Access Daymaniyat Island is situated about 18 kilometers off the coast of Barka, just north of Muscat. Conveniently, MolaMola Diving Center operates from Al Mouj Marina, allowing us to transport you to this pristine haven much quicker and in season often spot whale sharks on the way to the Island!  What to Expect Daymaniyat Islands is a group of 9 small Islands surrounded by turquoise waters and stunning coral reefs, home to endangered sea turtles, untouched coral reefs, and exotic fish. Daymaniyat Islands offers great dive sites to all level divers, beginners to advanced.  Understandably this is one of Oman’s leading dive spots – with an underwater tapestry of colorful corals, playful fish, and serene sea turtles, here you can find a true paradise for marine life lovers. Among its habitants are Zebra sharks, gant stingrays, Morray eels and 5 of the world’s 7 sea turtles species. And of course, the whale sharks! Onshore, the island’s unspoiled beauty and tranquil environment provide a perfect backdrop.  A Protected Paradise Designated a Nature Reserve by the Omani government in 1996, Daymaniyat Island is a haven for conservation. The reserve is home to and an important nesting site for many sea turtle species. From May through October, Daymaniyat Island is closed to visitors to safeguard the nesting turtles and migratory birds that use the island as a crucial stopover. This period of protection ensures that these incredible creatures can thrive without disturbance, contributing to the island’s rich biodiversity. Check out our daily snorkeling and scuba-diving tours and come explore Daymaniyat Islands with us! Previous PostNext Post

Don’t do this after a Dive! s divers, we usually focus a lot on the time before and during the dive. We check our equipment, we make sure our insurance is in order and we have our certification cards and logbook ready to go. On the trip we listen to briefings, follow the rules and make sure to dive safely within the limits of our training and experience. But what about after the dive? At MolaMola Diving Center we operate to the highest PADI Diving Standards and we are happy to advise you on how to dive safe around Muscat, Oman. Therefore we don’t recommend you to do these 7 things after a dive: FlyFlying after scuba diving is one of the more widely known risks to divers. The pressure in a plane’s cabin is comparable to a fast ascension while diving. This increases the chance of decompression sickness. The general rule is to wait 24 hours to fly after diving. Read here more about this topic   Travel to AltitudeYou may be surprised to discover that driving or hiking to high mountains puts you at the same risk for Decompression Sickness (DCS) as flying in an airplane. Mountain climbing should be avoided in the first 24 hours after a dive. If you are planning to also go mountain climbing and scuba diving, go mountain climbing first to avoid any potential DCS risk. It is perfectly safe to go climbing before a dive and this is an easy solution to stay safe.   ExerciseCurrently, no study has established any links between exercising after diving and an increased risk of decompression sickness. However the general recommendation is to avoid strenuous exercise immediately after diving regardless.   Take a hot bathIt is recommended to stay away from hot tubbing for at least 12 hours after scuba diving. As the body warms up and circulation improves, there is an increased chance of bubble formation.   Drink AlcoholThere might be nothing better than an ice-cold beer after diving, but drinking alcohol after diving is not recommended. Alcohol may affect the way the body eliminates excess nitrogen in the blood. Dehydration is also one of the main causes of decompression sickness, and we all know alcohol is the best way to get dehydrated fast. Try to wait at least a few hours after diving to have a drink, and save your heavy drinking for a time when you’re not diving.   Freediving after Scuba DivingThere is still nitrogen in your body from the scuba dive and going to depth again and ascending quickly could affect the off-gassing and trigger DCS. As a general rule it is recommended to wait 24 hours before freediving after doing any type of diving. This rule covers all types of dives and adds extra time as a safeguard for peace of mind.   Not to rinse your gearAs tempting as it may be to leave your equipment care until later, don’t do it! Even if you forget for a minute how much of your hard earned cash you invested in your beloved gear, if left without rinsing, salt water can cause crystal build up on vital pieces of gear and potentially can affect its safe operation. Just 5 minutes of after care can extend the life of your gear as well as reducing the frequency of equipment servicing you need.   But hey, don’t worry – there are plenty of things that you can still do after a dive. Have your logbook signed, talk about what you saw during the dive, interact with the locals and get to know the Omani culture and lifestyle. Go to explore Muscat or just enjoy a nice dinner after the dive to share your experiences with family and friends. Previous PostNext Post