Diving in Kuwait

[mastakebob]

Going to be going to kuwait in a few months, am curious about the dive scene there. I've read a few posts on this board, but they're all from years ago. Is there a dive scene in kuwait? Should I bother bringing any gear with me?

 

[aboalreem]

I landed in Kuwait a year ago....diving here is not that great....you better go to Oman or the red sea.....

 

[kevinl4270]

The diving here is not that great. The viz is usually pretty bad. Occasionally it is nice though, and the water is usually 80 plus degrees. There is one small wreck here that is a pretty fun dive when conditions are good.
Diving is a bit expensive here as well. Expect about 80 dollars for a two tank dive if you have your own gear.
Even more troubling is the fact that the Kuwaiti government has been dumping millions of gallons of untreated raw sewage directly into the Gulf. The dive sites are pretty far away from where they are dumping, but I still worry about it.
The Red Sea is only about an hours flight away, and you can get there pretty cheaply. It is by far the best place I have dived (dove?).



Kuwait plant dumps raw sewage - The National Newspaper

 

[Adi]

There is a dive center at The Palms Beach Hotel & Spa in Kuwait city. The dive center is really well stocked and the instructors are PADI and Tech certified trainers.

The dive scene itself isnt really great as the Kuwait coast remains shallow (and sandy) for miles on end. Expect to be on a dive boat for an hour or so to reach the dive sites.

 

[dirtydave]

I've lived in Kuwait for five years and haven't bothered trying to dive here. The water is filthy and vis very low. Not much to see from what I have heard. It's only a short flight to Sharm al Shiek where the price is low, the diving is great and there is BEER! Oh, didn't mean diving at Sharm, usually go to Dahab (Blue Realm) where it is laid back and you are treated well.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I have been here for 7 years. Conditions are changable. From soup to beautiful clear water. You never can tell what it will be til you get out there. If you leave from the Fahaheel Sea Club, Arifjan Reef is 20 mins, Kubbar Island (where I found the whale shark) is 50 mins, Garu Island (always a good dive) is 1 1/2 hours. From Khiran Resort Marina, Um Al Miradim is 20 mins, and Donkey reef is less. Both are down south and good water.
Have a look at my pictures. They are from the local waters here. No, it is not the carribean. No, it is not the Red Sea. You have to have or develope real skills to dive here and it can be a challenge for those who are vacation divers and used to only super clear still waters.
ADI, did you live here or visit? I see you are from Dubai.

To the OP, if you are interested, please pm me, as I own a dive shop shop and am an SDI/TDI instructor here. I will be glad to help in any way I can. Then you can make up your own mind.

 

[TomNativeNewYorker]

I just recently relocated to Kuwait for work. Looking to get back into the diving scene as well while I am here. The quick flights to Sharm is out of the question for me so am checking out the local options available to me.

 

[MeanGuy]

well, i started diving more than a year ago, and i even got my license from sharm. cuz i knew the visibility here is bad and there isn't alot in our gulf. however, i recently came from miami, and i got couple of months left, i'd rather go visit Kubbar or Garoh or the other places. heck i might dive with a spear gun for fishing. the only problem is we're 2 people , currently have a boat but we're not planning on diving and leaving the boat unattended. we dont mind taking couple of people with us on the boat. but i have to check it out with my dive buddy who's the boat owner first. pm me if you're interested.

 

[Saucy Sailoress]

If you're here for a while, check out Poseidon Divers, who are a newly established training centre with great staff. They do lots of training, and charter Dive Caroline's boat.

If you only want to dive, go with AbdulRahman at Bubbles Diving. They go regularly at weekends, and have a trip most Sundays for Americans with weird days off work! Also great staff.

There is also Palms Dive centre - but you'll have to drop in to see them in Salwa, as I can't find a number, and links from website don't work!

Diving is sometimes amazing here - I've been doing it for 14 years, and have consistently seen better diving here than in Thailand with vis over 20m in Spring and early Summer. However, now the shrimping season has started, the silty bottom is being churned up, so vis is between 3m and 10m. There is amazing life here... especially considering water temperature is 37C at the moment (so don't worry about your wetsuit for another month or so)!

 

[Abdulrahman]

Thank you Kate Tea for putting a good word in for Bubble's