Hi:
My New Year got off to a great start with a shark dive at The Kuwait Scientific Center this morning.
It's a bit steep at 30KD (I had my own gear except tanks and weights but I think they will loan you for the same price if you are lacking equipment) for a half hour dive in an aquarium but you get great turtles, guitar ray and 3 meter long sand tiger shark photos which will make it seem that you have been swimming with Jaws!
A diver goes down with you with a stick to fend off the sharks and turtles (used to being fed so they get VERY close) and another diver watches from the top to make sure nothing happens so this is a very safe and well run operation.
You can dive 7 days a week, usually three times a day at 9:30, 14:30 and 18:00 except on Friday when TSCK is closed and on monday night when TSCK is open but there is no night dive. You need to book 24 hours in advance and fax or e-mail them a scanned copy of your passport and cert. card. As some new divers can get a bit apprehensive being so close to large sharks and have not made it past the platform, they like folks to have done at least 60 dives. Water is a constant 23C.Raed Al-Laho is the Group Sales Supervisor and very efficient at responding to e-mails. His e-mail is:
rallahow@tsck.org.kw. Tel. +965-224-0309. Check out the website:
www.tsck.org.kw.
It's really cold and blustery in the Gulf right now (water in Kuwait about 16C) so this option means you won't get blown out.
If you want to try ocean dives, try the following but note that Thursday and Friday are the usual weekend dive dates in Kuwait.
Dive Caroline. Need minimum of 2/3 people to go out but will usually find some die hard divers for you to go out with. Very accomodating. Expat run. At Fahaheel Sea Club, End 212. E-mail:
divecaroline@horn3.com. Tel. +965-371-9289.
www.horn3.com/dive caroline.
Kuwait Mantas is a BSAC club based in Kuwait who are friendly and eager for visiting divers to join them. They dive on Friday and have a social evening at different members flats on Tue
sday nights. Contact Michael Dalton, the Training Officer at
ccitmdalton@eim.ae.
Finally, KIM Center is at the Hilton Kuwait Resort, Chalet 365. E-mail:
info@kimcenter.com. Tel. +965-371-6002. They respond to e-mails sporadically so allow time to contact them.
Happy diving in Kuwait.
