Alright, I think by now we can stop the whole “There’s nothing to do in Kuwait” discussion. We’re even going to prove you wrong with this specific edition of bazaar tries. We take a break from our sofas to entertain the idea of diving. Since it’s summer, and hitting the beach is simply the best kind of activity (there’s just so much to do!) we decided to go ahead and give life under the sea a try with Bubbles Diving Center.
Bubbles is a scuba diving center that was established back in 2009 with a collective group of professional instructors who are there to provide diving courses. Bubbles is a full service center, and offers diving trips both locally and internationally. Their diving destinations include three islands in Kuwait, Kubbar, Qaruh, and Umm Al Maradim. You can also enjoy discovering other diving spots in Kuwait, like Taylor’s Rock near Qaruh, and even join them on a seasonal trip to the Red Sea.
For several decades, if not centuries, diving was the main source of livelihood for many in Kuwait. We’ve read the stories in literature and have seen theatrical reenactments. Most memorably, the musical Memoirs of a Sailor featured an epic diving journey that is still experienced to this day. Written by the poet Mohammed Al-Fayez, composed by musician Ghannam Al-Daikan, and most recently dramatized and scripted by novelist Saud Al-Sanousi, the story immortalizes the lives of sailors and divers and their risky existence. In searching for pearls and other bounties found in the sea, they endangered their lives on a daily basis before journeying back inland to provide for themselves and their families.
But, diving has changed throughout the years, it is now a passion clearly seen within every instructor at Bubbles, who are also part of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). Abdulrahman Al- Sarheed showed us that there’s a huge diving community in Kuwait, and we saw it once we arrived at our destination just by Qaruh island where everyone was greeting each other. Every boat was there for one reason, and that is to scuba dive!
Joining one of their weekend trips was an absolute joy. We headed out at 10 AM from the Fahaheel Sea Club where the boat that was built and designed for carrying all of our diving gear, safety and overall comfort was waiting for us. After one hour, we arrived and stopped the boat by Qaruh island for the divers to get their outfits on, strap on their tanks, masks, fins, have a final check on everything. They then proceeded to divide themselves into groups with their instructors to take a dive.
The water was still and calm, and we instantly knew that it was going to be a perfect dive as we waited for our turn to dip. Since this is a complete beginners experience, we were allowed to do a “Discover Scuba Dive” known in PADI as DSD. Typically, you’re not supposed to go on a proper dive until you’ve taken the proper classes and courses beforehand to gradually build up your confidence and expertise in diving.
Yet, when our turn came around, and we started strapping on the diving gear that was kindly provided to us by Bubbles, the excitement along with the fear, began to kick in. But our instructors, Tharwat Alarabi, Abdulrahman Al-Onaizi, Mohammad Khaja, and Muna Furani were extremely patient, and guided us step by step the whole time.
First, it was undeniably claustrophobic, and the fear of completely immersing yourself underwater, trying to equalize the pressure and giving in took a few minutes of adjusting. But once you let go and follow the instructor’s guidance, going deeper only got better and more beautiful. We were supposed to dive till 5 or 6 meters down, but we managed to go almost 12 meters below the surface. Watching the coral reef, and swimming with different types of sea creatures made everything worthwhile and the entire experience was incredibly freeing!
We stayed under for almost 30 minutes, exploring everything we could see. After that it was time to simply relax, enjoy the sun and the beauty of the vast waters in front of us before heading back to land while having emmawash (with shrimp) for lunch that was heavenly made by one of the divers, Mariam. If you’re feeling adventurous as we are this season, then diving should definitely be one of those activities to try and cross out of your bucket list.
For more information, and to sign up for diving courses and trips, follow @bubblesdiving on Instagram, or check out their website at www.bubblesdivingcenter.com.
