I'm an Experienced Scuba Diver With Over 130 Dives Logged — and Diving Indoors in the World's Deepest Pool Was Surprisingly Fun

"As I descended from the surface with my guide, I felt as if I had entered another world — almost as if I was in a dream. A seasoned scuba diver with an Advanced Open Water Diver certification and over 130 open-water dives logged, the writer arrived skeptical about diving in an indoor pool but was quickly won over. Housed in the world's deepest pool, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the facility plunges to 197 feet (roughly the height of a 20-story building) and contains 3.7 million gallons of sanitized freshwater; its exterior resembles a giant oyster as a nod to the United Arab Emirates' pearl diving heritage. The site functions as a tourist attraction and occasional special-event space, but it's also a state-of-the-art training and recreational facility for free diving and scuba diving, offering divers of all skill levels a climate-controlled space to hone skills that are often hard to practice in the nearby Persian Gulf — "Visibility in the Gulf is frequently compromised due to currents and sediment, resulting in unpredictable conditions influenced by tides, boat traffic, and fluctuating water temperatures," Jesper Kjøller, the senior marketing supervisor, told Travel + Leisure. "If I had to describe the experience in one word, it would definitely be 'controlled.'" The water is crystal-clear thanks to NASA-developed volcanic rock filters and UV sanitation, is fully recirculated every six hours, and is kept at a constant 86 degrees Fahrenheit; 27 underwater speakers and 164 dimmable lights help set a calm, soothing ambiance. Beneath the surface is a theatrical "sunken city" — props, sets, and fully furnished rooms designed for underwater photo and video opportunities, from the trunks and roots of an imitation banyan tree draping several levels to a park bench (where I read a magazine), a bed (where I pretended to sleep), a motorcycle I rode in scuba regalia, pinball, chess, pool, foosball (my favorite because my guide and I were legitimately playing to win), and a submerged baby grand piano on which I performed "Chopsticks." I even got to indulge in my basketball fantasies and "soared up to a hoop in slow motion à la Michael Jordan for a dunk ... only to miss, grab the rebound, and quickly slam it down the basket." There's a voyeuristic element too: a subterranean cafe and main conference room have large observation windows (think aquarium with humans swimming instead of sea life), and underwater cameras both broadcast the action to spectators and function as a safety precaution — a controlled environment that still manages to feel adventurous because most props are accessible only by physically entering the rooms of each underwater level. Gimmicky? Yes. But could I experience something like this anywhere else outside of Dubai? No." - Erik Trinidad