Join this boat club in Dubai and get a free international boating license

Summer is finally relenting, which means being outside for prolonged periods of time will soon be bearable. There are many outdoor activities you can choose from here in Dubai, but one of the most popular is heading out into the sea on a boat – preferably your private one.

That’s exactly what the Marina-based Xclusive Yachts now lets you do through its new Xclusive Boat Club.

By signing up to become a member of this club, you are entitled to book any one of the brand-new boats they have in their fleet. These include top of the range fishing boats, wakeboarding boats, wake surfing boats and mini yachts. Most of the boats accommodate between eight-to twelve people.

With a member to boat ratio of 5:1, you’re guaranteed a boat to your disposal 365 days of the year. You can use Xclusive’s online portal to book the boat. Booking slots extend for five hours at a stretch across the morning, afternoon and evening. If there isn’t any other booking, you can extend your rental period by booking an additional slot at no extra fee.

The best part is that you can show up and captain the boat out to sea yourself without having to rely on any external crew. Don’t have a boating license? No problem. When you sign up, you get complimentary access to a two-day training course offered in-house by the Xclusive Sea School which will teach you to operate these boats. At the end of the training, you receive an internationally-recognised boating certificate issued by the Royal Yachting Association.

There’s a one-time joining fee of Dhs15,000. That includes you getting your internationally recognised boat license, insurance up to Dhs3 million and a raft of other freebies too like access to guided tours, private luxury yacht charters and dinner cruises that are open only to the club’s members valued at over Dhs 30000.

Apart from this, you pay Dhs2,000 membership fee per month – frankly, less than the EMI you pay for your SUV. There are no additional rental charges when you show up to take the boat out, though there is a fuel meter on each boat and you only pay for the amount you consume at the end of every trip.

Time then to hit the sea?