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Fishing: There are fish of every conceivable
shape and size in the waters off Kuwait, including six
different sorts of shark, two types of barracuda,
stinging and non-stinging ray fish, four sorts of
mackerel and tuna, and an array of soles, breams,
snappers, rock and cat fish, flounders, cobias, puffers
and needlefish. Fishing can be done from the beaches
using sophisticated long casting rods, from prominent
rocks and the ends of piers using simple poles, lines
and hooks or wire baskets to catch fry, from the water
off the beaches using nets held by several persons, from
boats using trawls and multi-hooked lines. Tackle, from
the simple to the ultra-sophisticated, is available, and
the fishing boats can be hired
either from dhow harbours or private companies operating
in TEC's sea clubs.
Pearl Diving: To preserve Kuwait's pre-oil
heritage, pearl diving using traditional boats and
equipment is being revived. The boats are prepared in April, training
in diving techniques takes place in June and July, and
there are diving competitions in late August.
Raft Race: Raft Race is a unique sport that was
introduced to Kuwait in 1987. With time, it has become
an annual event that Kuwait proudly presents to its
people. The Race is normally conducted during the month
of May. The competition attracts many people from
different cultures to participate & watch.
Scuba Diving:
The
seas of Kuwait are comparatively clear, and scuba
diving is popular. The best locations are off-shore
around Qit'at (Donkey's Reef), Umm al-Maradim and Qaruh
islands in the south and so most trips leave from
Fahaheel or the Khiran Resort area. There are several
diving schools offering training courses, from complete
beginners to assistant instructors. Equipment can be hired from diving centres and commercial establishments, which also
organize diving trips on weekends and public holidays.
Diving trips are about KD15 a person per day and full
cylinders can be hired for KD2 each.
Swimming:
Tourist Enterprise Company handles most of
the swimming events. The Swimming Complex (Tel: 562
2600) in Shaab on Arabian Gulf Street contains an
Olympic-size pool and a diving pool for youth and adult
use only. There is a family section with a beginners'
pool and two pools for the under-fives. TEC runs three
sea clubs, Shaab Sea Club (Tel: 564 1953), Ras al-Ardh
(Tel: 574 0977) in Ras Salmiyah, and Fahaheel Marine
Club (Tel: 372 4073).
Yachting: Kuwait is a sailor's paradise.
Off-shore there is nearly always a moderate breeze and
it is not often that sailors are becalmed or driven to
land by rough seas. Boats range from small sailing
dinghies to large yachts. The Yachting Club, on Arabian
Gulf Street next to Shaab Sea Club, has a marina with
390 fully-serviced berths for craft with a minimum
length of 25 feet. The club has a marine survey centre
and also runs the nearby Shaab Anchorage where it costs
KD 1 a day to moor a small boat. Sailing and racing
takes place on weekends from TEC's marina at Shaab.
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