Monday 7 December 2009

Diving at Nemo 33

A week ago, I was travelling to Brussel to attend a research meeting, and I managed to put in a few extra days. The plan was very simple: see the city and go diving! Now most people think of a little peeing boy or chocolate when talking about Brussel, but the city also has a special pool, that is worth a visit.

Nemo 33 is the name of the worlds deepest diving pool, built especially to attract scubadives with a 35m deep pitch and several caves. It is also a perfect spot to practice skills or just enjoy, with 33 degree water and endless visibility. Unfortunatly, they are not allowing freedivers in the deep part, which sort of spoil the fun. Without a tank, you're only allowed in the 5 and 10m deep parts, and there's an instructor watching closely if you follow the rules :(

So, I had to sign up for a scuba dive, as I did want to touch bottom in this special pool. Luckily I found a group of friendly british divers which let me join then. The scubadive also included 10min of "snorkling" before gearing up, which I enjoyed!



Next time, I think I have to bring a freediving buddy, my own mask and fins, and try to bribe those guards. It would be a wonderful place to train during the winter!