The rush of adrenaline from riding wakes on a board while trailing a high-speed boat can be overwhelming, but it’s exactly what Sea Riders live for.

The Dubai-based group of watersport lovers are crazy about wakeboarding and wakesurfing – activities which are making a home in the UAE.

– #360win: Stick Cricket skills can secure Pakistan vs NZ T20 tickets
– The Sharjah Streetball Challenge brings fun to Dubai’s streets
– Drift Grand Finals: Ahmad Daham aiming to remain the ‘king of drift’

Fuelled by the passion of Egyptian Amr Gadalla, Sea Riders are eager to spread the joy they receive on the water to as many people in the region as possible.

Originally from Alexandria, a city surrounded by the sea, and growing up in Sharm El Sheikh, a global watersport hub, Gadalla thought it was a good idea to begin Sea Riders in 2013 and focus on sports behind the boat.

“I think there was quite a big kitesurfing community here before and there was not much focus on wakeboarding,” Gadalla said. 

“That’s really improved now and I think we’ve contributed to the development of wakeboarding in Dubai. We’ve raised the quality of the activity here.

“We have a large community that is growing every day. We started with one boat and now have four because of the demand, which was not expected but there is a lot of demand in Dubai for the activities we offer.”

Sea Riders originally had services for fishing and luxury yacht chartering, but have since discontinued them to focus on their bread-and-butter: wakeboarding and wakesurfing.

Located behind Dubai Marina Mall and at Dubai Creek Yacht & Golf Club, they offer lessons and coaching sessions for all, from beginners to more advanced riders.

While there are several clubs and companies in the nation that offer watersports, Sea Riders believe the quality of their boats and coaching is paving the way.

Their boats come with built-in balance tanks that make the boat heavier and sit deeper in the water, creating more and bigger wakes that allow riders to go all-out on tricks and improve.

“Most of the boats available here are at hotel-based watersport centres. These are not proper wakeboarding boats and not everyone knows what they are using,” Gadalla said.

“It was not professional before, but we’ve done it in a different way and other companies have followed. Definitely the quality of instructing and coaching has increased since then.”

This is the busiest time of the year for Sea Riders, but they’re open every day from sunrise to sunset, with the morning hours especially popular due to the water being more flat and having less outside activity.

Visit their website, www.searidersuae.com, or their Facebook page for more information and to join the watersport community.

If you’re ready for a rush, get on a board and give it a try with Sea Riders. You may just become a sea addict yourself. 

What: Sea Riders
Founded: 2013
Geared towards: Watersport enthusiasts
When & where: Daily from sunrise to sunset behind Dubai Marina Mall and at Dubai Creek Yacht & Golf Club
Contact & info: Visit www. searidersuae.com for more information