The scuba diving institute opened by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) recently in Tarkarli, Sindhudurg district, is already making a splash among diving enthusiasts and professionals.
The scuba diving institute opened by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) recently in Tarkarli, Sindhudurg district, is already making a splash among diving enthusiasts and professionals.
The fire department of the Kerala state government recently approached the Indian Institute of Scuba Diving and Aquatic Sports (IISDA) for training of its personnel for rescue and medical emergencies. The institute is expected to earn around Rs 3 crore out of this deal.
What other deals has the institute struck?
Similarly, in December last year, over a dozen officials from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Germany based GIZ were given training about the marine ecosystem. Nearer home, civic authorities from Navi Mumbai, Pune and others are also queuing up with proposals to train their staff in ocean conservation and saving training at IISDA. Further, a well known oceanography school which wants to teach its students the art and skills of repairing an under-water vessel, too, is in talks with the institute for the same.
This has led MTDC to claim that IISDA is the premier scuba diving training institute in the country, and probably the best in Asia after the one in Ko Tao- a small island in Thailand, which depends almost entirely upon scuba diving for its economy.
What facilities does the institute offer?
MTDC officials said IISDA was first mooted in 2008 and finally opened late last year. The property measuring roughly five acres has a 25m by 10m swimming pool with depth of around 25 feet, in which divers are given training, before they are taken to sea. To make their experience luxurious, the training institute has other recreational facilities like a tennis court, a restaurant, a bar, with wi-fi facilities and resort-like rooms in picturesque settings. There is also a restaurant.
Professional scuba divers claim that though the water in Tarkarli is not as clean and clear as that in the Andamans, the facilities here make up for it. The water in Tarkarli, though arguably clearer than in other parts of the western coast, contains some silt from the mining activities taking place in the nearby region.
Is the institute certified?
According to Sanjay Dhekane, manager (publicity) for MTDC, the facilities at IISDA have been certified by Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). PADI is the world's leading privately-held certifying body for the profession.
What are the diving spots near the site?
Diving spots near the institute include the submerged rocks at Vengurla (because rocks are good habitats for marine life), and the fort area. The experts attached with the institute are going through historical records to see whether any ancient shipwrecks occurred in the area, as this acts as a great tourist attraction. “We have found an anchor, so there is a possibility of finding some wreckage nearby in the ocean,” adds Hardik Datanwala, a scuba trainer with IISDA.
The scuba diving centre in the crystal-clear blue water of the Andamans is considered to be among the best in India. But it has some competition in the form of the scuba diving centre off Vijaydurg in the Konkan, which has diving spots that are claimed, by some, to rival those in the Andamans. A scuba diving centre near Naitrani island in Karnataka, which was considered among the best on the western coast, has been closed recently, after protests by the local fishing community about its effect on local marine life. The one in Goa is also quite popular.
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