My Honest Review of the 2025 30-Minute Fly Board Session at La Mer

First Steps onto the Sand at La Mer

So, you just show up at La Mer, and honestly, the place has this really relaxed feeling, which is sort of surprising. The air, it’s just a little bit salty and warm, and it hits you right away, you know. I was frankly a bit early for my 2025 fly board slot, so I just took some time to walk around. It’s actually got this cool, rustic-chic appearance with lots of open spaces and some pretty interesting street art on the walls. The shoreline itself is just really clean and the water seems almost unbelievably blue against the white sand. You could arguably spend a whole day here just taking it all in, long before you even think about getting your feet wet, and for a detailed guide to Dubai’s top beaches, it’s an excellent resource. Basically, it’s a pretty good spot to just mentally prepare for being shot into the air by water jets.

Anyway, finding the actual spot for the flyboarding was really straightforward. I mean, it’s pretty hard to miss the tent and the setup right there by the water’s edge, you know. The staff I met were, as a matter of fact, extremely welcoming from the get-go. There was like zero of that intimidating, super-pro athlete vibe you sometimes get at these kinds of places. Instead, they were just friendly and seemed genuinely happy to see another person ready to try this crazy thing out. The check-in was, pretty much, a breeze; I just showed them my confirmation on my phone and they had me fill out a quick form. At the end of the day, it was a very smooth start, which definitely helped with the little bit of nervousness that was kind of starting to build up inside me. You can often find helpful tips for booking adventure activities online before you even arrive.

Still, while waiting for my turn, I got to watch a couple of other people out on the water, and honestly, that was a show in itself. You see one person who is seemingly a natural, soaring up and making these graceful turns. Then, you know, the next person is more or less just flopping around like a fish, which is sort of what I was expecting for myself. It’s actually a bit funny and also really human. The anticipation, it really does start to build when you are seeing it live. You’re sort of standing there thinking, “Okay, that’s going to be me in like ten minutes.” That mix of excitement and “what have I gotten myself into” is, you know, a very specific feeling. This kind of unique experience in Dubai is exactly what many travelers look for.

Gearing Up and The All-Important Safety Chat

Alright, so next came the part where you get all the gear on. It’s basically a life jacket, a helmet, and of course, the fly board boots themselves, which are attached to this massive hose. To be honest, the life vest and helmet are pretty standard stuff, you know. They fit well and felt quite secure. The boots, on the other hand, are a little strange. They’re sort of like snowboard boots but they feel much heavier and a bit clunkier when you are on dry land. The instructor helped me get them on nice and tight, which I was very thankful for. You definitely get the sense that this gear is some serious business. For more on what to expect from watersports equipment guides, there are many places to look online.

The safety briefing that followed was, frankly, very clear and to the point. The instructor didn’t use a lot of technical terms; he basically just broke it down for a complete beginner, which was me. He showed me the hand signals: thumbs up for more pressure, palm down for less, and the classic “cut it” signal across the throat if I was feeling overwhelmed. He also explained, you know, that the most common mistake is bending your knees too much, which makes you fall backward. He said, “Just keep your legs straight, like you are Iron Man.” This little piece of advice actually stuck with me the whole time. You know, these simple instructions are so important when you’re trying flyboarding for the first time.

I mean, the way the instructor handled the whole briefing really made a big difference. He had this very calm, confident attitude that was, sort of, contagious. You could tell he had seen hundreds of people, from the super-confident to the really scared, and he knew just how to talk to them. He made a couple of jokes, which sort of broke the tension, and by the end of his five-minute talk, I was actually feeling pretty ready to go. I wasn’t just nervous anymore; I was genuinely excited. Honestly, a great instructor is arguably half the experience, and finding a good teacher can really shape your entire day.

My First Few, Very Wet, Minutes in the Water

So, wading into the warm Gulf water was actually the easy part. The moment the instructor on the jet ski gives it a little gas is, well, pretty bizarre. You just feel this sudden, powerful push from the soles of your feet. It’s not a gentle lift; it’s more or less an immediate force that wants to propel you upward. My first try was, to be honest, a complete failure. I instantly bent my knees, just like he told me not to, and immediately tipped backward with a very ungraceful splash. You are just completely submerged for a second before the life jacket pops you right back up to the surface. It’s actually a pretty good idea to look into ways to overcome your initial fears before you go.

Okay, so the next five minutes were basically just a cycle of this. I’d listen to his instructions from the jet ski—”Keep your legs straight! Look at the beach, not down at your feet!”—and I would try. Then, pretty much, splash. Again. And again. You do feel a little silly, but you know, the water is warm, and you are just laughing about it. It honestly isn’t painful at all when you fall; it’s more just surprising. You have to get used to the idea that your feet are now the things controlling your balance in this totally new way. It’s a bit like learning to walk all over again, except you’re being pushed by a firehose. This initial learning curve is part of the fun you can find in many of Dubai’s water attractions.

Then, after what felt like the tenth try, something just clicked. I mean, for a split second, I managed to keep my legs straight and my core tight. And just like that, I was up. I actually lifted out of the water about three or four feet. That feeling, oh my, it’s really something else. It was only for about five seconds before I wobbled and went down again, but those five seconds were a huge victory. You just get this sudden, amazing feeling of lightness. You can hear the instructor cheering you on, and you know, you feel like you’ve just unlocked a new skill. That “aha” moment is what makes you want to keep trying, you know, which is a great way to spend a vacation.

Flying High Above the Water: The Main Event

Alright, so once I had that balancing thing more or less figured out, the real fun started. The instructor gradually gave me more and more pressure, and I started rising higher out of the water. Honestly, being ten, then fifteen, then almost twenty feet in the air is an absolutely wild sensation. You literally feel like a superhero for a little bit. The view from up there is just completely different. You can see the entire sweep of La Mer beach, all the people looking like tiny ants, and then, in the distance, the famous Dubai skyline with the Burj Khalifa. You get this panoramic view that you just can’t get any other way. You know, these are the kinds of unforgettable views of the city people talk about.

Steering is actually more intuitive than you might think. It’s really all in your feet. If you want to go left, you just press down a little with your right toes, and the board sort of glides in that direction. The instructor was shouting instructions, like “Now try to do a little turn! Just lean into it!” My first few turns were very wide and clumsy, you know. But after a few minutes, I was making some half-decent carves in the air. I even tried a couple of dolphin dives, where you steer yourself down into the water and then shoot straight back up. Honestly, I mostly just belly-flopped, but the one time I kind of got it right felt amazing. Trying these simple tricks for the first time is a big part of the thrill.

Throughout the whole flight, you’re pretty much in constant communication with the guy on the jet ski. He’s basically your engine. He watches you constantly, adjusting the water pressure based on your balance and what you are trying to do. If you start to look a bit wobbly, he’ll ease off a little. If you look confident and give him a thumbs up, he’ll send you higher. That teamwork, even though you’re separated by a huge hose, is kind of what makes the whole thing feel so safe. You really feel like you have a safety net, which allows you to relax and just enjoy the experience. This operator-client connection is a really important feature of well-run adventure activities.

Is 30 Minutes Enough? My Final Thoughts and Tips

So, the big question is, you know, is a 30-minute session long enough? To be honest, I think it is, especially for a first-timer. The first 5 to 10 minutes are pretty much just you falling down a lot. Then you get maybe a solid 15 minutes of actual flying time, and the last 5 minutes you are starting to get really tired. It’s an incredibly physical activity. It may not seem like it, but you are basically doing a 30-minute core and leg workout. My legs were genuinely shaking a little when I finally got back on the beach. So, at the end of the day, 30 minutes feels like a really good amount of time to get the full experience without completely exhausting yourself. Checking out reviews of other short-duration activities can help you plan your day.

Basically, you should know that flyboarding is a proper workout. You are constantly using your leg muscles to stay straight and your core to stay balanced. It’s not just a passive ride; you are actively involved the entire time. By the end, I felt that good kind of tired, like after a really great session at the gym. I would definitely recommend being well-hydrated before you go and maybe not having a huge meal right before. A little bit of physical fitness definitely helps, but honestly, as long as you can stand and have a go-getter attitude, you will probably be fine. You can often find fitness advice for specific adventure sports to get prepared.

Here are a few little tips that might help you. Definitely wear a comfortable swimsuit under the wetsuit they give you. And if you have a waterproof action camera like a GoPro with a head or wrist strap, absolutely bring it. The footage you can get from up there is just incredible. Listen very carefully to your instructor, as their advice is gold. Try to relax your body; if you’re too stiff, you will find it much harder to balance. Most of all, just accept that you’re going to fall and just laugh about it. It’s just part of the learning process. These tips can help you capture amazing memories of your experience.

“At the end of the day, the fly board experience at La Mer is for anyone with a little bit of an adventurous spirit. It’s for the person who wants that incredible, unique photo for their social media, for sure. But it’s also for the person who just wants to try something new and feel what it’s like to, you know, fly. If you get a kick out of a good challenge and want a story to tell, this is absolutely for you. It’s a quick, high-energy shot of pure fun. I mean, it is a seriously good time.”