Adel Babkair Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Diving in the Kingdom has largely been a male dominated hobby and rarely have we heard about female divers who are interested in exploring the depth of the sea. Over the past few years, however, more and more women in Jeddah are taking diving courses so they can enjoy the experience of discovering pristine waters of the Red Sea. Amal Balsoroor is one of these adventurous women. A certified diver trainer, Balsoroor said anyone who wants to try the hobby should anticipate two things — divers will enjoy exploring the sea and at the same time face several risks. "I started as an amateur diver and later became a professional trainer. When I started, I was scared to death but I shook off my fears, grasped the main rules of diving and eventually mastered it. If the diver knows the rules well, takes the necessary safety precautions and is fit, he or she will not encounter any dangers,” Balsoroor said. Amateur divers can dive at depths of 18 meters (60 feet) while professional divers can dive up to 40 meters (130 feet). Balsoroor advised anyone wanting to become a diver to undergo a medical checkup to rule out the presence of any heart or chest diseases or hypertension. She also called for diving training centers for women to open and meet growing demand for the hobby. "In the past, men and women alike did not like diving and were scared of it. But things have changed today and we have started to see more divers from both genders. Women are drawn to diving due to the lack of other sporting activities in the country,” noted Balsoroor. When Amal Abu Homoud finished college and could not find job, she took up diving as a hobby. She is licensed from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and is also working as a diving trainer. One of the difficulties she encountered was convincing her family to let her practice the water sport. "It was hard for me in the beginning to talk my parents into letting me learn dive but over time they got convinced and they even encouraged me to do it,” said Abu Humoud who is currently trying to learn gliding with the aim of becoming a trainer in the future. She hopes Saudi society will accept the fact that there are female divers because diving is a sport and nothing in the Shariah says it is impermissible for women to practice it. “On the contrary, the Prophet, peace be upon him, encouraged male and female Muslims to practice sport. Caliph Omar Bin Al-Khattab, one of Prophet's most notable companions, asked Muslims to teach their children swimming, archery and horse riding.”
