10 of 12 places fit
You can rent anything from a two-person zodiac to a yacht by the half hour, right off the Corniche.
You drive the electric boat yourself at a walking pace, no boat licence needed.
A quiet electric boat lets non-paddlers see the same mangrove channels the kayakers do.
See the Marina towers from water level for AED 7 a hop, a fraction of a yacht tour.
A 45-minute loop on the Dubai Water Canal past the waterfalls bridge and Business Bay, for AED 25.
A commuter ferry from Dubai Creek to the Sharjah Aquarium station in Al Khan, which skips the Al Ittihad Road traffic entirely.
Private yachts and shared yacht tours out of Dubai Marina and Dubai Harbour, the standard way residents do a birthday on the water.
A coastal ride past the Palm, Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah to the old Creek, the length of Dubai by sea for the price of a taxi.
A private abra for up to ten round Khalid Lagoon, past the Al Majaz fountain and mosque, priced per boat rather than per head.
A two-hour private sunset boat for up to ten people for AED 500 total, far cheaper than a Dubai yacht.