As time comes to an end on my Winter 2022/2023 travels, my thoughts are steadily directing towards the exciting 2023 Scottish Summer season. Another season of glorious greenery. empty lochs, raging whitewater and lots of happy new and improver paddlers.

It seems like an ideal time to reflect on the wonderful winter I have spent working in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. The juxtaposition between life in the Middle East and the North of Europe is like night and day. The weather being the most obvious one, for nearly 6 months it has been a t-shirt and board shorts to protect me from the sun's rays, rather than the layers of thick neoprene I left behind in Scotland. The water temperatures have hovered around the 24-26 degrees Celsius mark all winter long.

The manic, adrenalin filled task of trying to drive out here is another huge difference. With undertaking perfectly legal, crazy road designs, 8 lane motorways and some of the most bafflingly dangerous driving maneuvers seen on every daily drive, it is some experience.  Despite this there are surprisingly few crashes, probably because everyone is driving on edge, expecting the unexpected all the time.

With its many different expat cultures from every corner of the globe dwarfing the Emirati native population, life here is truly exotic. At times you may feel like you are walking through downtown Karachi or Kabul, in a Manila shopping centre, or in a high class jewellers in Milan at other times. With food from all corners of the world always readily available, it is a true sensory overload at times. The local culture still comes through with the call to prayer being heard wherever you are, in the city, in the desert and mountains or even waking you up in your own bed.

Paddling wise, I was living in a new Emirate this winter, Ras Al Khaimah. With its mountain range, the Hajar Mountains, tumbling down to the water's edge this made it a spectacular place to explore. Saraya Island, a 6 mile long narrow sandy island became my stomping ground. With the Arabian Gulf on one side of it and the calm, always mirror flat waters of the Al Rams estuary on the other side, it never ceased to offer incredible paddling opportunities. With a pink lake to explore, Flamingoes occasionally popping in and being a hugely popular 4x4 off road destination, there is always plenty to see and experience, along with some magic sunsets.

Surf wise, the Arabian Gulf is surprisingly consistent. It is not a famous surf destination but, being a very shallow body of water, it only takes a little bit of swell or an afternoon with a strong onshore breeze to bring surf able conditions. The waves only last a short period of time in the Gulf, so, when it is on, drop everything and hit the beach. From tiny ankle ticklers, to 7 foot overhead, I managed to grab lots of sessions. Add in the fact of the warm water and zero neoprene needed, and it doesn't take much motivation to get out there and find a wave.

Work regularly brought me over the border, to work in the truly spectacular Oman enclave of Musandam. With mountains and cliffs hundreds of meters high crashing down into the azure blue waters of the Indian Ocean, it is a SUP dream. Some of the most stunning and awe inspiring views can be seen along its many fjords which jut into the land from the coast. The views are magnified by how small and insignificant you feel paddling there too. A personal highlight was spending 5 days living on board a boat, sleeping under the stars, while paddling, hiking and exploring this special place. Not a bad week at work really!.

So, as the sun sets on a wonderful winter, with some great work colleagues, I can look back at a fantastic time of surfing, exploration and surprisingly little sunburn!. Now, its time to dig out the neoprene and dive headfirst into the Scottish spring, summer and autumn, full of energy.