If you’re a scuba diver who’s always chasing the perfect dive spot, or someone who just wants to explore the depths in a safe, controlled environment, then the Diveheart Deep Pool Project is about to become your new obsession. Set to become the deepest pool in the United States at 130 feet, this marvel is designed not just for divers but for everyone, especially those with adaptive needs. It promises to offer an immersive, unique underwater experience unlike anything currently available.
So, what exactly is the Diveheart Deep Pool Project, who’s behind it, and how does it stand to revolutionize both scuba diving and therapy? We’re here to give you the full lowdown — quirks, humanity, and all.
About the Diveheart Deep Pool Project
The Diveheart Deep Pool Project is led by Diveheart. They’re a non-profit organization who help people with disabilities both physical and cognitive. Their aim is for children, veterans and others with disabilities to build confidence, self-esteem, and independence from help. To do so, Diveheart uses methods like zero gravity, adaptive scuba, and scuba therapy. Now, with this deep pool project, Diveheart is taking things to a whole new level.
The $300 million project, currently in the fundraising stage, aims to create a three-pool scuba facility in North Chicago. It’ll be 30 miles from downtown. Oh, and the best thing in this facility? A 130-foot-deep pool that will provide a unique controlled environment for deep-water diving, offering the sensation of diving far below the ocean’s surface, minus the cold water, strong currents, or shark photobombs.
Who is behind the Diveheart Deep Pool Project?
Diveheart was founded by Jim Elliott, who used to be a journalist but is now a scuba instructor, in the early 2000s. He realized scuba diving’s power as a transformative experience for people with disabilities. What started as a passion for helping people with disabilities later spread to more places, reaching more people across the globe.
He formulated programs around the idea that everyone deserves the chance to swim. To name a few, his foundation helped people with spinal cord injuries, amputations, blindness, and autism. With Diveheart, they can experience the freedom of weightlessness underwater. Isn’t that so heartwarming?
Through its deep pool project, he plans to make adaptive diving more accessible than ever. With it, he also wants to open up possibilities for scuba therapy. He dreams of it becoming a growing practice that uses the calming and therapeutic effects of underwater environments to aid in recovery and emotional healing.
How the Diveheart Deep Pool Project will benefit adaptive divers
This isn’t just a regular pool where someone can deep dive in. Remember, the Diveheart Deep Pool Project aims to make diving accessible for people with disabilities. So, the design of this pool reflects that mission. It’s filled with features specifically geared toward adaptive divers:
- Three-Pool Design: The facility will feature three pools, offering varying depths for different skill levels and therapeutic needs, including one that’s 130 feet deep. This allows everyone, from beginners to advanced divers, find the right fit.
- Scuba Therapy: It helps people cope with PTSD, physical rehabilitation, and cognitive challenges. The Diveheart pool will serve as a haven for those seeking physical and emotional healing through underwater therapy.
- Inspiration: Diveheart believes in pushing boundaries, and their pool will inspire people of all abilities to conquer their fears, explore new depths, and experience the transformative power of diving.
What makes a 130-feet pool so special?
I can’t be the only one who wondered by Diveheart chose this specific depth. Don’t worry, I’ve got the answers!
For one, it offers an experience that’s so close to real deep-water diving. It’s as close you can get without hopping on a boat.
At this depth, divers will be able to simulate the physical conditions of an open-ocean deep dive. The water pressure at 130 feet is intense, mimicking what you’d feel on a deep wreck or technical dive in the sea. It’s the perfect space to practice equalization techniques, manage buoyancy under pressure, and really get to grips with what diving at depth is like, all without the added risks of marine life or changing weather conditions.
Another key benefit? Temperature control. One of the big challenges with deep diving in open water is the sudden temperature drop as you descend into the depths. At 130 feet in the ocean, you’ll often hit thermoclines where water gets cold — fast. The Diveheart deep pool eliminates this problem entirely. You get to enjoy the experience of deep diving in consistently comfortable water, so you can stay focused on the dive and not on your chattering teeth.
And let’s not forget the year-round accessibility. Unlike the ocean, which might limit your dive plans due to weather, tides, or seasonal conditions, the Diveheart deep pool will always be open, ready, and waiting for your next dive.
Why is this so important for scuba divers?
No more worrying about unpredictable weather, currents, or the logistical headaches that come with planning an ocean dive.
In its place, you’ll have a consistent and safe deep pool where you can focus on improving your technique or just enjoying the sensation of a deep dive.
And for newer divers, the Diveheart pool is great for skill-building. You could be perfecting buoyancy control, practicing decompression stops, or simply getting used to deep-water conditions. No matter what it is, this facility gives you time and space to practice without the pressure (pun intended!) of other dangers. You’ll be able to gain real confidence in a controlled setting before taking on the vast open sea.
The pool will also be a hub for scuba therapy, where the weightlessness and serenity of diving are used to aid in physical and psychological healing.
FAQs: Everything you need to know about Diveheart’s Deep Pool Project
The pool will be accessible to everyone, including adaptive divers, therapy patients, and scuba divers of all levels.
The facility will be perfect for practicing deep dives, scuba therapy, and adaptive scuba diving.
Yes! Diveheart’s mission is to be inclusive, so expect the facility to have equipment and features designed for divers with disabilities.
While the facility is mainly focused on diving, non-divers might be able to observe or even snorkel in the shallower pools.
An Opportunity for Everyone
The Diveheart Deep Pool Project is both a collection of pools and an opportunity. There, people of all abilities can scuba dive in safe, controlled conditions. People don’t have to brave the ocean to experience the thrill of diving. And for the adaptive diving community, it’s a dream come true.
So, keep your eye on this project because once it’s completed, you’re going to want to head straight for North Chicago.
