Depending on where you live, you are likely to hear dive sites described as "cool," "hot," "radical,"
"stellar" or "awesome." Deep in the heart of Texas sits the world's largest indoor deep-diving
training sites called Valhalla, which gets its name from the Norse mythology. This could easily be
described as "nuclear." Constructed with about 7,847 cubic yards of concrete and 1,288 tons of
steel reinforcements, this 60’ foot wide cylindrical "pool" drops to a depth of 127 feet with nearly
2 million gallons of crystal clear water in which to dive. And, by the way, the facility used to house a
nuclear-tipped Atlas missile back in the cold war era here in the US.
For the past 10 years, divers have been completing advanced training in this flooded former missile
silo with the majority of the certifications covering deep, night, altitude, rescue, nitrox, mixed-gas
and re-breather specialties. This site makes it easy for instructors to monitor students without
losing sight of anybody," and the water is nice and clear, so it's less intimidating than being in a lake
where you may have trouble seeing the surface light at depth."
This is a one of a kind dive adventure twenty miles southwest of Abilene, Texas. "It's a unique
experience and something that you might not have a chance to do on a regular basis.
The constant air and water temperatures, 68-degree-Fahrenheit air and 60-degree water in the
silo allow for controlled diving, while on the outside, Texas' summer temperatures can average over
100 F and winter months can easily be below freezing. The constant environmental conditions and
clear water are the main factors to conduct technical training and pleasure diving at 2,420 feet
above sea level. The site has the distinction of being a place where you can dive underground to get
an altitude certification and guaranteed to make you “glow” is the motto of NUCLEAR DIVE!!!