Nemo 33 — Attraction in Uccle - Ukkel

TL;DR: Nemo33 botched technical service of Aqualung regulator sets TWICE in a row, literally endangering divers. Overdue review of the worst - repeated! - experience with servicing scuba gear we've ever had in years of diving. Without making the story too long, the first time we left 2 regulators to be serviced, it was chaos; they weren't ready on time, we couldn't get through on the phone or email, and when we finally went in person, we were first given someone else's regulator; when we got ours in the end, it turned out they had not been serviced at all; there was uncleaned grease blocking the first stage and inflator hose, monthpieces weren't changed, there were O-rings missing. We had to get the regs fixed abroad on a trip. When we complained to Nemo, and after months of back and forth, they refunded us and gave us a free service as apology. Surprise surprise, the next service was botched as well. They returned the regs partially cleaned and again missing o-rings (replaced them ourselves), and disregulated second stage, forcing us - once again - to do urgent servicing abroad during a trip. The Nemo staff ignored our complaint this time, and it's impossible to get through to them on the phone. We will never use their services again, despite them being the only conveniently located scuba equipment service place in our area. The stress and time they costs us, not to mention the very real danger they put us by screwing with our life-support gear, is just inexcusable. I strongly advise against using them for...

I planned to take one of my students to Nemo33 for a freediving training. I started driving, aiming at arrival 45 minutes before the set dive time. Yet we got stuck on the highway between Luxembourg and Brussels due to an accident. To inform them we may be late and to ask whether we can still enter if we are, I gave them a call 90 minutes before the dive time. No one answered. We continued and arrived 20 minutes late. All we could do was have dinner. Sigh... I wrote an email to describe the situation and this is what I received.

"Bonjour, Comme toutes activités, le créneau débute au bord de la piscine et fini à la sortie de l’eau ( 20h00 – 21h30 ). Nous faisons donc monter les apnéistes, - et il en va de même avec les plongeurs -, 15 min avant le début de la séance, au pire 10 min avant s’ils y a beaucoup de plongeurs au créneau précédent. La raison est simple, il est obligatoire d’assister au briefing de sécurité débutant à 20h00 pile. Nous ne dérogeons sûrement pas à cette règle. Par conséquent, une fois l’heure d’entrée passée, vous ne rentrez plus. Et de fait, la réception ferme à 20h00 ( ou 21h00, suivant le jour ). Nous comprenons les cas exceptionnels mais dans votre cas, la réception n’a pas été avertie, et téléphoner ne sert à rien, à cette heure-là, la réceptionniste  court entre les apnéistes, les personnes inscrites à l’aquafitness, tout en réglant les petits soucis d’inscriptions d’autres clients. Un petit mail aurait suffit ou encore un petit mot d’un autre apnéiste prévenant votre retard. Enfin, l’entrée est personnelle, chaque inscrit doit donc créer son propre profil sur le site d’inscription.  Nous devons avoir le nom de toute personne participant à une activité, pour une raison de sécurité encore une fois. Bien à vous, Christian"

To which, I replied.

"Just to confirm before sharing what you wrote: You are expecting me to write an email and cancel while I am driving from Lux to Brussells in traffic insteading calling you to inform you and obtain further information? I certainly understand the rules of the game, briefing, timing etc, but the way you run the reception is exceptional. I am going to share this with my fellow instructors and freedivers if you dont mind."

And I received the following

"Hello, C’est une bonne idée de partager cela, ainsi vos collègues savent comment cela fonctionne et partiront plus tôt que vous de la maison. Cela éviterait ces désagréments dont nous ne sommes aucunement responsable. Bien à vous, Christian DIVING ACADEMY"

I may also comment on other aspects, such as the lack of equipment such as freediving fins (which are essential if one is a beginner to the sport and available in other deep pools, e.g., Y40 and Deepspot), or murkiness of the pool (to which I cannot make up an excuse). Being the deepest pool in the world until 2014 should not be the selling point but providing good services.

In short, if you need to reach their reception, you may not, and you will probably get the blame for your scheduling. Keep in mind while choosing it as a diving spot so that you save yourselves from 8...

Nemo 33 is an indoor swimming pool facility in Brussels, Belgium. It held the record as the deepest indoor swimming pool in the world since its opening on May 1, 2004, until the completion of Y-40 in Montegrotto Terme, Padua, Italy on June 5, 2014.1[3]

The pool's maximum depth is 34.5 metres (113 ft). It contains 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal; 660,000 US gal) of non-chlorinated, highly filtered spring water maintained at 30 °C (86 °F) by a solar heater and holds several simulated underwater caves at the 10 metres (33 ft) depth level. Due to the warm temperature in the pool, divers can dive for extended periods without a wet suit. The complex was designed by Belgian diving expert John Nuttyheart as a multi-purpose diving instruction, recreational, and film production facility in 2004.[1] Popular Mechanics rates Nemo 33 as one of the top 18 strangest pools in...