What’s an Indoor Diver?

You may have heard about indoor diving facilities and wondered what they are all about. We’re here to share what we’ve learned and tell you how you can get certified to dive in them! If you are already certified to scuba dive, there’s no additional training required, but keep reading to learn about the benefits of diving in these unique facilities!

What is an Indoor Pool?

When you think of indoor pools, you may be thinking of your local indoor pool, used for activities like swimming, water aerobics, and polo… but that’s not the kind of pool we are talking about. The kind of indoor pools this article references are much bigger and deeper, sometimes called “purpose built”. These pools are nearly always 6M/20 ft deep or deeper, and some reach depths of 40M/132ft. They also tend to have cool names like “Nemo33”, “Y40” and “Deep Dive Dubai”, just to name a few. They aren’t just big bathtubs, either. They can contain a variety of underwater features and attractions!

Why would I want to dive them?

The advantages to scuba diving in these pools include:

• Climate control – you do not have to get dressed for the cold or worry about sunburn.
• Water temperature – you know what to expect year-round.
• The weather outside does not matter, because it’s always beautiful inside.
• Reliable visibility – the water is always clean and clear.

If you’re still not convinced, consider the chance to leave behind logistical concerns surrounding boat schedules or tricky shore entries. Yup, pretty much all the logistics have been taken care of.

How do I qualify to dive them?

The question now is, how do you get to scuba dive in one of these locations? SDI has taken care of that for you too with our new Indoor Diver certification course! See…the effects of pressure are the same whether you are diving in the ocean or in a deep pool, but there are some major differences between the two environments. So, SDI has tailored the skills required in this new course to the large indoor pool environments.

And don’t worry; if you decide later you want to be able to dive in the ocean or your local lake, you won’t have to repeat all the skills you performed to earn your SDI Indoor Diver certification. While learning to dive indoors covers a lot, it does not cover everything you need to be a proficient diver in bodies of water that are subject to natural influences, such as weather and currents.

So, what are you waiting for? Contact your local SDI Dive Center, sign up for the Indoor Diver Course, and enjoy these amazing facilities year-round!

Read the full course description here!