Ras al Ya

The most promising breaks are on the east coast, which receives both wind and swell. Way up north by the diminutive airport there’s a powerful right at Gazebo Point. Around Ras Jazirat various bays catch good waves, the best at the point-break between the cape ('Ras’) and the islet of Jazirat. The waves peel for up to 300m with cross-off wind – nice, but don’t relax too much as there are shell-covered rocks near the water’s edge. The wind notches up further south towards Ras al Ya where it blows strong and gusty over the mountains, making the reef waves a little more challenging. There are loads of jellyfish and rocks too. There’s echoes of the North Sea at Westerland with cross-onshore wind making the waves messier and coastal fog sometimes clinging on the mountainous landscape. The biggest waves are further south. There’s a nice point-break in front of the fishermen’s huts in Haqal with gusty cross-off wind. In the bay, the waves are smaller and the wind perfectly cross-shore to a long sandy beach. The spot works best at high tide when there’s least risk of ending up on the rocks after a fall. Five kilometres beyond Haqal, at the Kazhit town sign is an expansive beach with similar wind and wave conditions – plenty of cliffs and rocks too, but a few little sandy bays for emergency recoveries. The conditions on the west coast are much calmer, and Marsis offers bathwater temperatures for relaxed freestyle sessions. Kaib 32km further south, near three lonely farmsteads, is another wonderfully warm flat-water bay. It’s standing-depth at low tide, and the seabed graduates from sand to stone after 200m. At both spots the wind generally fills in by the afternoon. Back on mainland Oman, the drive through the multi-hued Wahiba desert is a great experience – sometimes lit golden, orange or red by the sun – but only attempt it fully kitted out and with a guide until the road is tarred. The spots around Assilah have great wave potential and similar wind to Masirah. About 18 km south of Al-Ashkarah there's a clean wave with constant, cross-offshore winds in the bay in front of the small Moschee. Watch out for rocks at the far end of the bay. Al-Ashkarah has mainly cross-onshore wind and pretty messy conditions, while Assilah right in front of the city is a perfect point-break offering fantastic long waves – you could score 15 turns on a good day, but the gustier the wind the deeper in the bay you have to ride. The coast forms another point 10km north with similar conditions to Assilah but better suited to jumping with more constant wind. Various sand tracks lead off the tarred road towards Fishermen’s Bay, named after the fishing boats. The wind’s clean in the bay making it good for jumping, while the wave’s very long and breaks in various places. A fantastic spot with wonderful scenery, only marred by stones at the water’s edge towards low tide.