You’re a great swimmer
but halfway down
this seemingly bottomless pool,
you feel funny.
A little disoriented.
Getting to the surface means
you have to navigate
around cars and buildings.
Are you going to be able
to the surface of this cavernous abyss
before the pressure takes you out?
At 60 m (196 ft),
Deep Dive Dubai holds
the Guinness World Record
of the deepest
man-made dive pool on Earth.
It has underwater habitats
that resemble a sunken city,
but the further down you go
the darker it gets.
While trained divers and freedivers
are the only ones able to use the facility,
there are still risks
that can escalate quickly
no matter the skill level.
The deepest dive in the world
has a bunch of sections
and levels to explore,
but you'll only be allowed to dive
as deep as your certification allows you.
Beginners can go down
to 20 m (66 ft) deep
and advanced divers
can go to 30 m (98 ft).
Only those with
extensive technical training
can dive to the bottom of the pool.
You’re excited to get in the pool,
but try to descend slowly
or you might develop nitrogen narcosis.
Underwater your body experiences
a lot more pressure
than at ground level
and the oxygen and nitrogen
in your blood increase.
It's referred to as depth intoxication
for a reason,
and can make you lose consciousness
and drown.
You can start to feel its effects
at depths of 30 m (98 ft).
This exhilarating attraction
is the vertical equivalent
of six Olympic-sized swimming pools,
but chances are you’re not
an Olympic athlete
so you’ll need a lot of prep.
Make sure to attend the guide class
before the swim.
It can take up to two hours
but it can just save your life.
As part of this, they’ll show you
where you can find
strategically-placed air chambers.
This is especially important
to ensure that you are descending
and ascending in a controlled manner
without risking your life.
You finished your dive
and you’re ready to go up,
but not so fast.
Ascending rapidly comes with
its own share of hazards.
Remember, you’re under
a lot more pressure.
When you ascend too quickly,
the sudden pressure drop
can cause the nitrogen
in your bloodstream to form bubbles.
This condition is called
decompression sickness
and you want to avoid it at all costs.
Those bubbles in your joints
would have you in excruciating pain.
Just take your time.
You’re done with your vacation
and planning to go home.
Careful.
Think twice before getting on that plane.
You can’t fly immediately
after your Deep Dive Dubai adventure.
Wait at least a day to go any higher
than 300 m (984 ft ) into the air.
Going from the depths of the pool
directly into a pressurized airplane
flying at more than 9,000 m (30,000 ft)
can create potentially life-threatening
levels of nitrogen in your blood.
That was definitely
a lifetime experience.
Now you feel like
you can swim anywhere,
but have you heard of the Devil's Pool?
Here's a tip.
Watch out for hippos and crocodiles.
But that's just the beginning.
We can tell you all about it here,
on How to Survive.