Underwater Hotel

[ToriZ]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Jules Verne Underwater Lodge in Florida? Yeah, the two-room hotel is actually 21 feet underwater. If you have been there, what were your impressions (please pull no punches or praise, I'm researching for an article).

Also, can any tech divers give me a briefer on saturation diving; so says the hotel's website: "Jules’ Undersea Lodge is a dream come true for dive enthusiasts who are looking to log a seemingly limitless dive. Guests who complete one of the luxury packages can log 22 hours in one night, and there is no limit to the number of nights they can stay. Even at 21 feet, dive times like these are not covered by the dive tables. Guests actually complete a “saturation” dive, which permits divers to spend extended time underwater as long as proper surfacing intervals are followed. For the shallow water saturation dives of Jules’ Undersea Lodge, guests are required to abstain from flying and must adhere to restrictions on further diving for 24 hours after they surface." Anyone have something to add to that oh-so-clear explaination

 

[kalidor's8]

A SAT dive is where you stay under pressure. It is like living in a deco chamber.
Your tissues are saturated with nitrogen meaning they can not take any more in. That is why they say you can stay under an unlimited amount of time.

Sat diving is used in Commercial diving where the divers live under pressure for extended periods of time since so much time would have to be spent on deco that it comes out cheaper and safer for the divers only to have to "come up" once. Of course this means the divers spend a very long time in deco when the job is done. This is also considered one of the most dangerous forms of commercial diving since the diver much stay under pressure no matter what.

Hope that helps

 

[ronbeau]

Has anyone ever stayed at the Jules Verne Underwater Lodge in Florida? Yeah, the two-room hotel is actually 21 feet underwater. If you have been there, what were your impressions (please pull no punches or praise, I'm researching for an article).

Also, can any tech divers give me a briefer on saturation diving; so says the hotel's website: "Jules’ Undersea Lodge is a dream come true for dive enthusiasts who are looking to log a seemingly limitless dive. Guests who complete one of the luxury packages can log 22 hours in one night, and there is no limit to the number of nights they can stay. Even at 21 feet, dive times like these are not covered by the dive tables. Guests actually complete a “saturation” dive, which permits divers to spend extended time underwater as long as proper surfacing intervals are followed. For the shallow water saturation dives of Jules’ Undersea Lodge, guests are required to abstain from flying and must adhere to restrictions on further diving for 24 hours after they surface." Anyone have something to add to that oh-so-clear explanation

I have never stayed there but one look at the price told me that I never would.

The cost when I looked was something like $400/night/person.

There is no way I am paying $ 800 - $1200 for my family (3 divers) to stay there for one night.

 

[captndale]

I have not actually stayed there for a night but I have visited the underwater rooms. The accommodations are spartan by normal hotel standards, but the setting is certainly unique. The "hotel" is situated in a fenced-off portion of an inlet in the key. The lodge is suspended on legs a couple of feet above the bottom. You have to swim down to the structure. Entrance is through an opening in the bottom. Anything that needs to be kept dry, like clothes or meals, must be transported in waterproof containers such as Pelican cases. I can't say whether or not the price is worth it, but there is certainly no other hotel in the world like it.

 

[Thalassamania]

I'm very familiar with it. I am the plankholder Director of the Scott Carpenter Man in the Sea Program and Jules was one the facilities that we used.

The Jules Underwater Hotel is the latest incarnation of the Perry Oceanographic built La Chalupa habitat that was used for the PRINUL project. It was designed to be towed to it's site and then winched and ballasted to the bottom.

Since 1986 the habitat has been operated by the Marine Resources Development Foundation headed by Ian Koblick. It is on the bottom in a small cove in Key Largo. The diving's not the best, but the experience is singular. There are less than a thousand people in the world who can claim the title "Aquanaut" and hokey as paying for the privilege is, you can do that with as much correctness as the guys who pay to go up the the International Space Station and thus have the right to call themselves Astronauts and wear a gold shuttle in their lapel.

 

[Scubakevdm]

Well Aquanaut or aquaNOT!, it smells funny, looks kinda gross and it's expensive. PLus you'll wake up to 25 dive students peeping in at you. My advice would be to pay the 30 bucks, or whatever it is to get in these days, stick your head in the moon room and then go dive the Duane.

 

[Thalassamania]

... you'll wake up to 25 dive students peeping in at you. My advice would be to pay the 30 bucks, or whatever it is to get in these days, stick your head in the moon room and then go dive the Duane.

Only if you sleep very late.

It's not a great diving experience per se, but it will give you a feel for what its like to live in and work out of a facility like Aquarius.

 

[coldsmoke]

I have never stayed there but one look at the price told me that I never would.

The cost when I looked was something like $400/night/person.

There is no way I am paying $ 800 - $1200 for my family (3 divers) to stay there for one night.

But at least you get another useful "c" card.

From Jules Vern Undersea Lodge Web Site-
"While you're visiting Jules' Undersea Lodge earn yourself a PADI or NAUI certification by taking our Habitat Specialty Program. Jules' Undersea Lodge is the only place you will ever earn this particular specialty. Our Habitat Specialty Certification"

 

[ToriZ]

And that's why I love this site! Thanks y'all.

 

[Kwbyron]

PLus you'll wake up to 25 dive students peeping in at you.

well then, it's settled, off to the lodge, to sleep in the buff! That'll make for a memorable open water dive!!! Maybe sleep with the wetsuit half-on...even better if you can get yourself tangled up in seagrass...give yourself that monster-of-the deep look.