Dubai’s deepest pool is located on the outskirts of Dubai. Scuba diving in Dubai will never be the same as divers can explore an underwater city at Deep Dive Dubai. A Guinness World Record Deep Dive Dubai has the deepest pool for diving. I share my experience, Deep Dive Dubai’s price, location, and everything you need to know about the world’s deepest diving pool.
Scuba diving in Dubai’s deepest pool
Captivated, I read about a surreal experience – scuba diving in Dubai, UAE. A post-apocalyptic sunken city concealed in the world’s deepest diving pool. Abandoned apartments and streetscapes, an underwater city waiting to be discovered and explored by divers. This is a unique dive – a dive like no other. For this reason alone, I pull out my list of incredible dives and add Deep Dive Dubai to my ever-growing best dive wish list. Thanks to spur-of-the-moment travel to Tajikistan, I achieved my goal sooner than I expected when I had a 36-hour layover (what a coincidence) in Dubai.
Dubai Deepest Pool
Deep Dive Dubai is an engineering marvel, only recently opening on July 7th, 2021. The world’s deepest swimming pool is 60.02 meters (196ft10in) deep and filled with 14 million liters of fresh water. Deep Dive Dubai holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s deepest diving pool, with a state-of-the-art filtration system circulating and cleaning each freshwater molecule six hourly.
Deep Dive Dubai location
Deep Dive Dubai is located in the Nas Sports Complex in Nad Al Sheba, 25 minutes from Dubai International Airport and 15 minutes from downtown Dubai. Dubai’s deepest pool is currently open from noon – 8 pm Wednesday through to Sunday, and they are closed Monday and Tuesday.
Deep Dive Dubai Price
Excited to complete this iconic dive, I visit deepdivedubai.com and book online. The process is painless and straightforward even for me (though eye-watering expensive). At the time of my booking, April 2022, it was 1200 AED for a guided scuba dive to 30 meters (approximately 45 minutes). As it is a unique once-in-a-lifetime dive, I justify the expense without hesitation and pay the extra 300 AED for a 3-minute edited video. I am very keen to see if the experience is worth it. I complete a waiver and medical declaration online in advance and take my booking confirmation and PADI certification to Dubai’s deepest pool.
Dubai’s deepest pool – my dive experience
I have heard Deep Dive Dubai is in the middle of nowhere and difficult to find. As the dive is non-refundable, I am concerned about getting lost and missing my dive. Leaving directly from the airport, I have a screenshot of the address and show the taxi. The driver types the address into Google Maps and happily accepts my credit card on arrival.
Deep Dive Dubai is not open to the public; a reservation is required to enter the facility. Register any guests coming to watch your dive experience to give them access to the center. Register guests at the time of booking; you may also update your booking and add friends. Up to four guests are free of charge with a 30-meter dive. It is an excellent opportunity for scuba divers to share their passion with non-diving friends and family. My dive buddy has his family with him, and I can see their excitement as they interact and connect through the enormous windows. Guests can observe divers to a depth of 12metres (39ft).
I receive a warm greeting at the security gate, where my booking is confirmed, and I am ushered through to the main building. A futuristic structure stands before me like a mirage in the desert, water fountains dancing on either side. Its’ soft curves and sleek glass frontage embody the shape of an oyster shell. The building pays homage to Dubai’s pearl diving history. As the welcoming doors slide open, a large observation window draws my eye to a seating area looking directly into Dubai’s deepest pool. This record-breaking pool holds the equivalent of 6 Olympic-sized swimming pools. I watch as two divers play chess, posing for photographs. The reception staff greet me warmly, and I immediately feel at ease and in good hands.
Surrounding the pool are several viewing windows. I watch in awe as freedivers sinuously make their way up and down a fixed lanyard in the pool’s center. I could watch them all day. Small clusters of scuba divers are scattered throughout.
Diving deep – Dubai’s deepest diving pool facts
Suitable for divers at all levels, Deep Dive Dubai has safety foremost in mind with 56 cameras, a state-of-the-art filtration system with NASA technology, a fully staffed hyperbaric chamber, and two dive bells (dry chambers) at 6 meters (21feet) and 21meters (69ft). We didn’t get to enter the dry chambers; they are there for training and aid decompression. I am certain you could, on request and have fun with your helium-sounding vocals. Medical staff and lifeguards are on hand in the unlikely event of an emergency.
I always know when a dive center cares about safety and diver experience. From the moment I step through the doors, I realize providing me with a safe and enjoyable experience is the priority of all staff members. The staff consists of a multinational team of dive professionals, including record-breaking free divers and technical divers.
With perfect conditions and good quality dive gear, Deep Dive Dubai is the ideal place to learn to dive or upskill. Classrooms are located in the building, with a window into the pool. Training at Deep Dive Dubai is world-class. They even have a mirror in the pool, enabling divers to check their trim.
If you feel peckish or need a coffee, find the lovely Equalize restaurant downstairs. The 80-seat restaurant feels clean, light, and spacious, with viewing windows into the pool, providing a meal and show as divers glide past.
Twenty minutes before I am due to dive, I meet my dive buddy Simon at reception, and we are both escorted to the dive shop. Staff greet us and size our dive gear, giving us a light wetsuit each. The dive equipment is top-rate. I choose to dive with a backplate on their recommendation, though Scuba Pro jacket BCDs are available. I haven’t dived with a backplate before, so I am happy to try it in such controlled conditions. Next, we are ushered into a futuristic locker room. So futuristic and seamless I have trouble locating the toilet door! The locker easily holds all of my hand luggage. Once in my cozy wetsuit, it is back to the dive shop to be escorted to the pool deck.
The world’s deepest diving pool
The pool is not the vast round hole I imagined but rather an ordinary-looking swimming pool. There is a hustle of activity around the pool, with small dive groups coming and going. Our dive gear is waiting for us as we meet our friendly and knowledgeable instructor Paul, who steps us through our gear setup. Using a backplate is new to both Simon and me, as is a din connection, which is perfectly straightforward. Nothing is too much trouble as we ensure everything is comfortable and complete our safety checks. We are given torches for when the dive gets deeper and darker. All the tanks are nitrox; I am nitrox certified; as you are with an instructor, it won’t matter if you are not. Other than checking the percentage, it will not affect your dive. I always dive nitrox when doing multiple dives as I find it less fatiguing, so nitrox is a bonus for me.
Sipping a cool cup of water, we complete a dive briefing, gear up, and walk to the edge of the pool, following its gentle slope into the water. It couldn’t be easier, and the advantage of the backplate is neither of us needs weights. Putting on our fins and completing a buoyancy check, we begin our descent into a sunken underwater city.
Underwater city Dubai
The pool is pristine, with not a whiff of chlorine (because there is none). Mood lighting and music underwater enhance the atmosphere; the water is a comfortable 30° Celsius (86°F). Deep Dive Dubai does everything meticulously, and I am diving into the perfect movie set.
Our first stop is for “coffee.” I understand life in an aquarium as I watch in reverse through the observation windows. The staff at Equalize restaurant are delivering meals to a window table. Exploring an abandoned apartment, I recline in a bath as you do on a dive!
Descending deeper, we pass an enormous tree with roots stretching down into the depths of the swimming pool. I feel as if nature is reclaiming this underwater city. We squeeze through openings and swim past graffiti walls and buildings with an urban edge; exploring the underwater city is cool. Our group is two divers and an instructor. Groups are no bigger than three divers; the experience is very personal. The dive is choreographed well; we never infringe on other divers and respect the space the freedivers need to follow their lines gracefully.
Sunken City
Surrounded by walls lined with books, we continue to descend to 30 meters. Leaving the library, we hover above the dark symmetrical hole that leads down to 60 meters, only accessible by qualified technical divers. It feels like an abyss. We discover a games arcade where we play foosball and pool, and they even have a mini workout area with hefty weights I can barely lift. Dynamically designed, the chambers may be updated and transformed, keeping the dive exciting and changing. The landscapes make an ideal film set; with its large editing room, the world’s deepest pool will be a producer’s dream.
I am reluctant to finish the dive; a quick chess game and a bike ride help ease me to the surface. On exiting the pool, we are given a fluffy white robe to keep us warm as we are escorted back to the locker rooms and a hot shower. Toiletries, towels, and hairdryers are provided.
Deep Dive Dubai is suitable for all diving levels, from professionals to complete novices. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, skilled, and service orientated. This is meant to be an experience to remember for all the right reasons. The dive instructors are with you every step of the way; nothing is too much trouble.
Dubai’s deepest pool summary
In summary, it was an all-inclusive experience. All you need to bring are your bathers and qualifications. It was nice not having to worry about my dive gear. Everything supplied was of good quality and in good condition. You may take your own mask, regulator, fins, and computer. It is expensive for a 45/50 minute dive, but I came away from the experience not begrudging the money. Would I do it again? Yes, I believe I would.
The dive groups are small, with two to three divers plus an instructor. It is a little gimmicky, especially if you buy the video package, as you are constantly posing for photos, but it’s fun. I received a 3-minute video professionally edited a few days after my dive. It was good quality; I can take photos from it, and again, I am not sorry I purchased it. I did take my GoPro with me, and it also captured good footage (just the videographer isn’t great). Lots of footage of me headless!
It would be easy to personalize the dive if you went with a buddy by talking with your instructor/guide. I made an afternoon of it, utilizing the facilities, chatting with the staff, and watching all that was happening in the world’s deepest pool, Dubai. The dive equipment is first-rate and comfortable. No leaking mask, and I enjoyed diving with a backplate though I still prefer my Cressi R1 jacket BCD. It was an excellent opportunity to try different equipment, and I am annoyed I didn’t go back to the dive shop and buy a pair of their booties.
Is Deep Dive Dubai worth diving? Yes. There was nothing I could fault; the staff are a credit to the facility, the building beautiful, and the dive was surreal, enjoyable, and easy. The dive was a delight.
For non-divers, there is a snorkeling option though I would seize the opportunity and do a discovery dive. A perfect environment to try scuba for the first time.
The facility has free Wi-Fi, and the staff calls me a taxi as I farewell them and head to the souks to put an even more significant dent in my credit card.
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