KARACHI SCUBA DIVING CENTER

Karachi Scuba Diving Center (KSDC)

Karachi Scuba Diving Center was established in the year 1989, By Yousuf Ali a PADI Master Instructor and Mechanical Engineer from Karachi Pakistan, The KSDC Non-Profitable-Organization (NPO) to organize and promote Swimming, lifesaving, Skin Diving and Scuba Diving, through training programs to provide a complete range of instructions for all people of Pakistan.

The aim was to increase Awareness, Responsibility and Education among the people who in the course of time will understand the importance of protecting our beaches, marine life and environment, by providing training programs and important data to, Universities, Schools, Social Clubs and NGO’s.

Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving is a healthy sport, and not only sports but also it is of its own science. It enlightens people to respect and protect our fragile environment, educate people on, water-safety, beach rescue, oceans, and its currents, beautiful fauna and flora.

This sport also edify us about the under water world, eye catching coral reefs, colorful tropical fishes and chunky underwater-forest beyond our imagination.

Scuba Diving is a remarkable Sport

It teaches self-confidence to the meek and humility to the bold, initiative to the withdrawn and philosophy to all

• It teaches us to take infinite pains and build characters, determination and cool judgment

• Mention should be made of the camaraderie in the diving sorority. Diving provides an adventure that binds its devotee together by a common sense of responsibility for each other’s safety.

• It brings out the finest qualities in person and results in the most enduring friendship.

• Scuba Diving is Fun Diving, thanks to the technology in today’s world a child of 8 years of age Girl/Boy can learn to Scuba dive and have fun, The positive thing in this sport is, that it is a family sport, even grand mama can join the class and enjoy as much as her grand daughter.

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)

PADI_USA based in Santa Ana California, is the largest Professional Association maintained the highest standards for the safety and professionalism around the world. KSDC conduct all the scuba courses under the auspice of PADI.

(The American council on education (ACE) has determined that PADI’s OPEN WATER DIVER COURSE meets the educational standards and requirements for credit at the college level, even when taught away from a college or University. See you’re local KARACHI SCUBA DIVING CENTER)

Yousuf Ali (PADI Master Instructor)

Being a marine engineer working for Ministry of Electricity and Water Dubai UAE, as a Power Station Superintendent I decided to take up a new water sports “Scuba Diving” as a hobby, the first breath underwater and I was hooked for life having qualified as a “PADI Open Water diver” in 1979.

1972 PADI Open Water diver

Carried on Scuba Education and

1982, Graduated as a Professional “Scuba Diving Instructor” with ten (10) Specialties.

Rescue Diving Instructor, trained by Coast Guard San Diego California.

1992 Achieved the prestigious level of “Master Instructor” (MI) from PADI 5 SRAR Facility, Tampa Florida.

Become a member of “PADI Master Instructor Review Committee” Santa Ana, California, USA.

Being Rescue Diver Instructor privilege to trained Dubai Police, the first “Frogman team” in the gulf.

SCUBA DIVER

Divers as a community are ambassador to the marine world; in increasing number scuba enthusiasts around the world are involving themselves in underwater conservation projects such as supporting the national marine sanctuary and other marine park program. “Some one once said that you care for what you understand, and you protect what you care for” this is one reason why diver’s efforts on behalves of the environment continue to grow.

Karachi has not been on world map as far as Scuba Diving is concerned, even though this port city and Ex. Capital of Pakistan offers various type of scuba diving, which was one of the reasons that KSDC decided to go in collaboration with “National Sailing Center” establishing Scuba Diving Club at NSC Boat-Basin in April 2003.

The members had then taken on the challenge of exploring the coast of Pakistan. Although this wasn’t going to be an easy task, the coast of Pakistan was treacherous drive and some places were very hard to reach. The caravan has taking on the challenges of exploring the inaccessible terrain and was determined to achieve this difficult venture for the people of Pakistan. This documentary was going to be a pioneering effort to bring awareness and sensitivity about our environment particularly the life beneath the sea among the people in general.

OUT-LINE OF DOCUMENTARY

T he documentary was to cover the entire coastline and the marine life starting from Karachi to Jiwani. The caravan traveled twice during this period from Karachi to Jiwani and back, exploring most of the underwater train including the Astola Island which is 25 km South East of Pasni harbor documented the fauna and flora in natural habitat.

The first step of this project was to organize a conference on 23 Dec. 2003 in Merjan Motel at Gwadar city. The subject of the seminar was “Threat of pollution in Gwadar Bay” after completion of the new deep sea port inviting the prominent scientists from the reputable educational, research and conservation institutions (i.e. Karachi University, NIO, PCSIR, Sindh Wildlife, WWF-Pakistan, IUCN)

The objective of this documentary was to cover various subjects and then they will be divided into 13 episodes to be televised through TV Channels. . One subject may spread over more than one episode depending on its own span. Very little was known about the Marine life of Makran coast and it would be a first venture to explore that part of the sea. The documentary will unveil the following mysteries.

The underwater world of Arabian sea;

Beautiful dive sites Coral Reefs, Underwater forests, caves, tunnels, and the flora and fauna

The beaches with fine sand, crystal clear water, mangroves, islands and cliff islands

Ship wrecks with their history – now used as dive sites

The documentary will be made with the following objectives:

• Inculcate a sensitivity towards marine life protection among the people in general

• Build awareness of local expertise available for marine research and not utilized

• Create awareness for the need of Aquatic Academy in the country

• Emphasize the need for Life guarding Post along crowded beaches, lakes & rivers

• Promote the sport of Scuba diving and eliminate peoples’ misconceptions about the sport

• Share the gorgeous underwater world of the Arabian Sea with rest of the country

• The subjects covered by the documentary are listed below and each subject is briefly outlined in a manner it will be filmed.

Diving around Karachi waters

There are many dive sites around Karachi that are just a daylong trip and a wonderful day out with plenty of flora and fauna for the divers to see and non divers along enjoy the tales of the underwater world. Some of the dive sites are:

• Churna Island

• Chota Churna

• Buchum Reef

• Bit-Coli

• Cape Monze

• Caves in Somiani

In addition to covering the above dive sites the Clifton beach and the sea bottom will also be covered to show what damage the oil spill has caused and what it is like at the bottom after the Tasmin oil spill disaster. The objective of showing the destruction caused by pollution is to create sensitivity among the people in general towards our environment and marine life.

Wreck diving fantasy

Exploring shipwrecks has always been divers dream around the world, which requires special training. Several ships, which sank during the last 50 years and are still lying in 10ft to 80 ft of waters beyond the Manora, break water within a radius of six miles. Following are the wrecks that will be covered by the documentary.

• MV ABASIN

• MV Dynamic Venture

• MV Munir

• MV Nanda Davi

• MV Regal Sun

• MV Dia Hatim

• MV Amir

• MV Aqua Marine

• MV East Bell 505

Mangroves and their biodiversity

Mangroves are tropical inshore ecosystems dominated by several species of trees or shrubs that grow in salt water. These trees have shallow, widely spread roots that extend from their trunks and branches to anchor them to the bottom. Some species send up snorkel roots, or pneumatophores, to the surface for oxygen from above the anoxic mud. Their extensive root system traps and filters plant matter. This material is broken down into detritus, which forms the base of the food change.

Sindh coastline 160,000 ha of mangrove forests mainly located in the creeks. Mangrove ecosystem is of great economic and ecological significance. It is a pool of biodiversity and is the habitat for diverse community of organisms ranging from bacteria and fungi to fish, shrimp, birds, reptiles and mammals. The mangroves provide shelter and nurseries for shrimp and other fish species and protect coastline wind and tidal action, reduces siltation and strength of storm surges.

The root system also provide habitat for invertebrates, such as mussels, sponges, tunicates, hydroids and oysters, as well as many juvenile fish species.

The mangroves bring lots of livelihood. Not enough has been done to protect the mangroves. The documentary will cover few helping hands that are trying to make a difference like Ministry of environment, Sindh Wild life, IUCN, WWF, KPT and Pak. Navy. The video will cover the thriving life of the remaining mangroves and the ecosystem. And sadly some is diminishing mangrove forests.

Diving around Makran coast

The unblemished part of our sea is still the Balochistan Coast. The emerald green water of Arabian Sea, full of beautiful coral reefs, colorful tropical fishes, sponges, ferns, fauna and flora, still to be discovered. The gorgeous sandy beaches along coast of Makran and the high rising cliffs are wonderful sightseeing that the country is unacquainted with.

Gwadar under a potential threat of pollution

KSDC is organizing a seminar in Gwadar when it reaches Gwadar city. The KSDC caravan will bring a message to the people and the concerned authorities that enough harm has been caused to our marine life, building of a port might bring an economic boom but it should not come at the cost of environmental disaster.

The experts of marine since and other proponents of environment protection will address the seminar. Number of people and members of press who wants to raise their voice with KSDC to protect the environment will attend the seminar. They will fly or drive in to Gwadar for the seminar and those, who would like to dive with KSDC, will have life time opportunity to do so in waters of Gwadar with KSDC Caravan.