KARSAD

Karamürsel Su Sporları ve Dalış Spor Kulübü (KARSAD) is a specialized water sports club and diving education center situated directly on the Marmara Sea coast in Karamürsel, Kocaeli. Established in 2008, the organization was founded with the mission to cultivate responsible, safety-minded divers grounded in maritime culture and marine conservation, rather than operating merely as a commercial training facility. Operations and educational leadership are spearheaded by Board Chairman and CMAS 2-Star Instructor Salih Zeki Şirinoğlu, alongside Reyhan Şirinoğlu, who manages organizational and financial processes. They are supported by a qualified instructional team including CMAS 2-Star instructors Mücet Zafer Tığlı and Emre Arslan, CMAS 1-Star instructors Ender Yılmaz, Özcan Sonkurt, Arif Mustafa Perçin, Şenol Özler, Mücahit Fırat, Muhammed Yunus Yazgı, Faris Yazıcı, and Onur Göksu, as well as CMAS 3-Star assistants Tayfun İşcan, Hüseyin Genç, Hüseyin Pehlivan, İsa Bedir, and Tuncay Fitöz. Beyond standard certifications, the club serves as an athletic training base; notably, endurance athlete Mazlum Kibar prepared here for Guinness World Record attempts for the longest open saltwater scuba dive in cold water, targeting continuous immersions of 30 hours 30 minutes and 36 hours. In addition to technical scuba instruction, the club has historically developed sporting branches such as underwater hockey, monofin swimming, and spearfishing target shooting, establishing a dedicated coastal center for amateur and technical divers across the region.

Activities and Facilities

KARSAD conducts all training operations in strict adherence to Turkish Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF) safety regulations and equipment standards. The club delivers authorized, internationally recognized certification programs across CMAS, NASDS, and PADI accreditation systems, ensuring credentials match global diving guidelines.

Instruction is structured around foundational diver certifications and modular technical specializations. Rather than a generic curriculum, representative certification programs include:

• CMAS 1-Star Diver Training: Entry-level fundamental course structured across 2 days and 2 dives, teaching basic open-water dive procedures.
• CMAS 2-Star Diver Training: Intermediate qualification conducted across 2 days and 4 dives, expanding open-water navigation and underwater autonomy.
• CMAS 3-Star Diver Training: Leadership-grade advanced course completed over 3 days and 6 dives, preparing dive leaders and group guides.
• CMAS Junior Diver Training: Dedicated youth education program completed over 4 days and 4 dives for young aspiring divers.

Advanced students can select from an extensive catalog of single-day CMAS technical specialty programs, such as:

• CMAS Wreck Diving Specialty: A 1-day course with 2 dives focusing on overhead environments and wreck structure safety.
• CMAS Cold Water Diving Specialty: A 1-day program with 2 dives covering thermal management and equipment performance in cold marine conditions.
• CMAS Deep Diving Specialty: A 1-day course with 1 dive addressing physiological factors and planning for deeper profiles.
• CMAS Night Diving Specialty: A 1-day curriculum with 1 dive covering nocturnal navigation and lighting protocols.
• Equipment and Safety Modules: Single-day classroom and practical courses including CMAS First Aid, CMAS Nitrox, CMAS Oxygen Administration, and CMAS Compressor Tank Filling.

The club complements coursework with civic and environmental dive events. On June 5 World Environment Day, KARSAD organizes an annual Marine Clean-Up Dive Event for certified 2-star and 3-star divers targeting marine litter, followed by a complimentary Wreck Dive for participating divers. On-shore facilities supporting these programs include a stepped training pier, diving platform for gradual water entry, designated underwater training area, changing rooms, warm showers, and an educational reference library.

The Experience and Who It Suits

The atmosphere at KARSAD is characterized by a tranquil, nature-centered coastal environment where rigorous safety protocols coexist with a comfortable, family-friendly seaside retreat. Because the clubhouse and activity grounds sit directly on the shoreline overlooking the Sea of Marmara, visitors experience an unhurried maritime ambiance far removed from industrial harbor congestion. A live stream camera setup monitors water and weather conditions, while indoor areas feature a traditional wood stove that provides warmth and comfort during cooler off-season training sessions and debriefing discussions.

The venue accommodates a well-defined spectrum of visitors:

• Beginner and Experienced Divers: With graded CMAS 1, 2, and 3-star pathways alongside specialized technical certifications in navigation, search and rescue, and nitrox, the club serves novices taking their first saltwater breaths as well as veteran divers refining technical competencies.
• Young Divers and Teenagers: The dedicated CMAS Junior Diver curriculum creates a structured, safe introduction to scuba equipment for youth looking to build oceanic confidence.
• Ocean Conservation Advocates: Divers committed to marine ecology can participate directly in ecological diving activities and environmental awareness training.
• Accompanying Families: Non-diving family members and children are catered to by the surrounding public shoreline infrastructure, which features seating benches, a landscaped seaside walking path, a cafe, and an adjacent children’s playground within plain view of the training waters.

The unobstructed sea views across the Marmara horizon make the outdoor grounds pleasant for waiting family members, who can relax on coastal benches or walk the promenade while divers train beneath the surface. This balance between technical aquatic sport and accessible seaside leisure makes KARSAD practical for family day trips where only one or two members are active underwater trainees.

Location and Practical Details

KARSAD is located along the Kayacık coastal promenade at Kayacık Mah., İnönü Cd. No:60, 41500 Karamürsel/Kocaeli. The facility sits directly at the water's edge, bordered by a public walking trail, shoreline seating benches, and a playground. Directly opposite the club facility in the offshore waters lies the sunken İnönü passenger ferry. Purposely submerged in the gulf as an artificial reef to foster marine biodiversity and stimulate local dive tourism, this historic vessel serves as the club’s primary open-water wreck diving training destination.

Operational details for planning a visit include:

• Operating Season: The center operates actively through the 2026 season.
• Address and Branch: Kayacık Mah., İnönü Cd. No:60, 41500 Karamürsel/Kocaeli.
• Stepped Water Access: A purpose-built stepped training pier and diving platform provide direct, gradual descents into the sea, allowing trainees to enter and exit without navigating rough shoreline terrain.
• Parking Facilities: Limited on-site parking is available immediately adjacent to the premises.
• Registration and Booking: Participation in all diving activities, certifications, and organized events requires mandatory advance registration. The club manages scheduling through its online portal at karsad.mavikayit.com, which allows participants to register and track dive records digitally.
• Contact Channels: Inquiries, event notices, and reservations can be coordinated directly by calling or messaging the club’s telephone and WhatsApp line at 0535 020 96 41, or by emailing [email protected].

Because dive sessions, equipment logistics, and boat exercises depend on sea conditions and capacity thresholds, visitors should always complete registration through the online system or WhatsApp before traveling to the facility.

The Mio Angle: As an Activity Spot

On Mio Social, where community members exchange real recommendations on where to spend purposeful time, KARSAD stands out as a serious sports destination rather than a casual social lounge. It offers a tangible learning experience right on the Kocaeli coast, catering to people who want to replace sedentary weekend routines with structured oceanic certifications or marine conservation efforts.

From an activity perspective, KARSAD serves several distinct visit dynamics:

• Skill-Building Weekend Outings: Instead of traveling hours south to Mediterranean dive hubs, regional adventure seekers can pursue globally recognized CMAS, NASDS, or PADI credentials right in Karamürsel across compact 1- to 4-day programs.
• Community Conservation Projects: For divers motivated by environmental stewardship, participating in coordinated events such as the June 5 World Environment Day clean-up dives connects technical sport with direct ecological impact.
• Inclusive Group Gatherings: Mixed groups comprising both active divers and non-diving companions can visit comfortably, as the adjacent park benches, cafe, and shoreline promenade ensure family members remain entertained while trainees complete water drills.

In terms of budget, standard course fees follow official certification and equipment guidelines, while community initiatives—such as the complimentary wreck dive offered to participants following the annual coastal clean-up—provide rewarding opportunities for engaged divers. For photography and visual updates on Mio, the facility provides distinctive backdrops: the stepped diving pier stretching into Marmara waters, divers gearing up along the training platform, dramatic views toward the offshore İnönü wreck site, and candid gatherings around the clubhouse wood stove after cold-water sessions.