Dubai recently made a splash with the debut of the incredible new Deep Dive Dubai. The record-breaking attraction is the deepest swimming pool in the world, holding 14-million litres of water and an entire sunken city(!). Here, adventure seekers are invited to dive into a whole new world filled with perpetual discovery.
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The Hype Around Diving Pools
Diving pools – incredibly deep swimming pools that often feature fun finds to discover at the bottom for the scuba divers they house – have increased in popularity in recent years. Each new pool is deeper and more adventure-filled than the last. Shaped like a pearl, as a nod to the region’s pearl diving history, the brand-new Deep Dive Dubai is the only diving facility in the world where you can dive to depths of 60m. To clarify, the pool is metres deeper, and four times bigger, than any other diving pool found throughout the globe.
Housing 14 million litres of freshwater – the equivalent of six Olympic-size swimming pools – the magical pool’s crown jewel is the intricate sunken city. Divers are invited to explore abandoned apartments, discover desolate streetscapes, and play pool or foosball in an underwater arcade. Adding to the experience is a top-of-the-line lighting and sound system to create a variety of underwater moods.
Benefits to Diving in a Pool
Though nothing can quite replicate the real deal on the diving front, the diving pool offers advantages not found in the sea. The water is kept at balmy 30 degrees Celsius to create the perfect conditions for diving (eliminating the need for thick wetsuits). Dives will never be cancelled due to weather conditions, and all dangers of diving in rough seas are avoided. Not to mention, the fear of encountering sharks is removed from the equation.
Adding further reassurance in the safety department, the pool is equipped with 56 underwater cameras and the region’s most advanced hyperbaric chamber. It also features a state-of-the-art filtration system.
Visiting Deep Dive Dubai
You don’t have to be a seasoned diver to visit Deep Dive Dubai; the pool offers courses for both beginners and certified divers, as well as the option to snorkel instead. Divers can explore the pool and its offerings alone after a tour with one of the on-site dive guides. Those who’d rather stay dry and watch from the sidelines can do so from a restaurant complete with large windows and TV screens.
Deep Dive Pools Around the World
Deep Dive Dubai takes the (short-lived) title of world’s deepest swimming pool from Poland’s Deepspot, which opened for business December 2020. With a depth of over 45 metres, the $10.6 million-dollar establishment offers a training practice site for divers of all levels. The venue features a stimulated “blue hole” that runs down to its deepest point, a shipwreck, artificial underwater caves, and Mayan ruins for divers to discover.
Meanwhile, in Brussels, Belgium, Nemo 33 was ahead of the game, opening its doors to divers in 2004. This facility is 33 metres deep and kept at 33 degrees Celsius, thanks to solar panels that keep the water toasty. At the bottom, divers will discover underwater tunnels, passageways, and rooms. Nemo 33 isn’t the only dive pool in Belgium. The TODI snorkelling and diving facility in Beringen adds colourful freshwater fish and ocean scenery to the diving experience.
Fear of the ocean’s unpredictability undoubtedly prevents many would-be scuba divers from ever taking the plunge. The intricate diving pools offer more comfortability to those looking to dip their toes into the fascinating world of scuba diving. And we have a feeling we’ll only see more of them.
