Currently, the world’s deepest swimming pool is the Y-40 in Italy which opened in 2014. At 131 feet deep (40 meters), it contains 1,136,000 gallons of water kept at a constant temperature of 90°F.
Now a new pool being designed in England is taking it one step further – or 33 feet further to be exact. The new 50-meter deep (164 feet) Blue Abyss pool will be able to run a crane and put caves and wrecks in the pool, and they will be able to change the lighting to be dark during the day or brightly lit at night, as needed. It will be used to train commercial divers…and much more.
The pool is the dreamchild of John Vickers, the managing director of Blue Abyss. His plans for the pool include a partnership with European space agencies to train astronauts and to be a destination to host freediving competitions, as well as a vehicle to promote scuba and commercial diving. The Blue Abyss pool will also be used for Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) research and development.
But as if building a 50-meter deep pool wasn’t enough, there are also plans for a $6.5 million on-site 120-bed hotel to accommodate researchers, along with a state-of-the-art lecture theatre, six classrooms, and a mission control style video room for pool supervision and training feedback. In the process, the company expects the site will create 150 jobs.
But don’t buy your airfare yet – an opening date hasn’t yet been announced.
For more information, visit the Blue Abyss website here and check out their Facebook page here.
.