I found Nemo!

Southeastern Divers, Inc.

908-A Bob Wallace Ave. Huntsville Alabama 35801 - Phone: 256-536-8404

"Training the best divers in North Alabama since 1980."

Maria Collins - PADI IDC Staff Instructor

I Finally Found Nemo!

I finally found Nemo....NEMO 33 that is! Just like many divers, I am absolutely thrilled at any chance to go diving, so while in Brussels, I was delighted to learn about NEMO 33. NEMO 33 is a swimming pool in Brussels with a maximum depth of approximately 108 feet or 33 meters. At over 33 meters deep, this giant, solar-heated aquarium is not filled with fish but scuba divers! The facility was designed by diving expert John Beernaerts and opened in 2004. The facility has been creatively converted to appeal not only to divers but to clientele who wish to stay dry as well. The facility features a trendy restaurant and bar outfitted in scuba décor, which allows the restaurant and bar patrons to gaze at the divers enjoying their experience on the other side of the windows. Although the food and atmosphere are wonderful, we will mainly focus our attention on the diving experience.

The pool is filled with about 661 thousand gallons of fresh, ultra-filtered spring water and maintained at a heavenly temperature of 86-91° F. Divers are provided with AquaLung brand equipment (though you may bring your own mask and regulator if desired). The transition to the water is seamless and relaxed without waves, visibility perfect. There may be no wildlife to see, but for divers, such natural immersion is as close to being a fish as one can get.

Experienced scuba divers must present their certification cards upon entry and are then free to dive to the depth allowed by their training level. If equipped with an Advanced Open Water (AOW) or higher certification then the whole pool is yours to enjoy! They allow Open Water (OW) divers to a depth of 32 feet. Beginning, advanced, and instructor-level courses are taught in multiple languages and students earn certification through the internationally-recognized PADI diving organization.

Once in the water, divers can explore the multiple levels and cavernous rooms built into the pool. Floating calmly in their artificial sea, they drift like astronauts through space. Without the distraction of sharks or shipwrecks, diving in this pool is reflective, meditative, simply the peace of being submerged. The real reason to visit was the deep pit. From the 32ft ledge, I peered over the drop. It was completely irrational, but I actually gripped the sides as a brief moment of vertigo passed. We finned over the edge and started to descend. By 82ft the light level had dropped and by the time I kneeled on the bottom the sense of depth was unmistakable. The ceiling-mounted lights looked a very long way off. The bottom of the pit is not lit, for good reason - Nemo33 wants anyone at the bottom to be very aware of the depth and act accordingly. The pool tiles provide a convenient method of checking the ascent rate, and roughly three minutes after leaving the bottom we had reached the windows that overlook the restaurant and bar. When our session in the pool reached 45 minutes a bell sounded, reminding everyone to start their ascent to a safety stop.

Exactly one hour after entering the pool we walked up the entry steps to shed the gear and shower in the dressing rooms. The timing may seem a little military but Nemo33 has been designed to cope with 50 divers an hour, and with diving on the hour every hour at weekends, the turnaround needs to be slick to make sure everyone has a chance to enjoy this unique experience. After our dive, we relaxed in the restaurant to enjoy a post-dive meal while gazing at the next group of divers. We eagerly compared this diving experience to other diving experiences. We all agreed that this experience was the most unique and the first pool dive that would find its way into our dive logs!

This experience just goes to show that no matter where and for what reason you are traveling, with the proper training, it is always possible to find your next dive experience!

Monday-Friday: 12:30 (single lunchtime session) and then 19:00 to 22:00, with night dives on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Saturday: 11:00 to 20:00
Sunday: 11:00 to 19:00
More information is available at www.nemo33.com

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