How realistic is building this?

[swimmer_spe]

When I was a teenager there was a show called "Ocean Girl" (from the 90s).

They lived in an underwater habitat that seemed to be at atmospheric pressure, where you do not need to decompress. Also they had a "moon pool", where they could easily enter the water from the habitat.

How realistic would the habitat be to build?

 

[Griffo]

Lol I remember that show. I wonder what happened to the star - she doesn't seem to have done anything else.

Building an underwater habitat has been done, but a moon pool would require it to be at the equivalent pressure or it would flood...

Underwater habitat - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[swimmer_spe]

I know of this:
Jules Underwater Hotel

I would love to go there.

My point was the whole living at depth, but not having to worry about Deco.

FYI, when they built the Brooklyn Bridge, inside the cofferdams at the bottom of the river, dry, the workers got bent.

 

[Griffo]

I know of this:
Jules Underwater Hotel

I would love to go there.

My point was the whole living at depth, but not having to worry about Deco.

From the link

Underwater habitats are designed to operate in two fundamental modes.

1. Open to ambient pressure via a moon pool, meaning the air pressure inside the habitat equals underwater pressure at the same level, such as SEALAB, and which makes entry and exit easy as there is no physical barrier other than the moon pool water surface
2. Closed to the sea by hatches, with internal air pressure less than ambient pressure and at or closer to atmospheric pressure; entry or exit to the sea requires passing through hatches and an airlock

A third or composite type has compartments of both types within the same habitat structure and connected via airlocks, such as Aquarius (laboratory).

The second type would not require deco, but couldn't have a moon pool. The two are incompatible.

FYI, when they built the Brooklyn Bridge, inside the cofferdams at the bottom of the river, dry, the workers got bent.

The term "Caissons Disease" came from exactly that - people getting bent working in Caissons while doing things like building bridges.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decompression_sickness#History

 

[Rich Keller]

This can be done if there is a way to close the moon pool entrance then bring the pressure in that room down to one atmosphere. The room that contains the moon pool could then be used like a lock out chamber in a sub.

 

[billblack]

Here ya go: Aquarius (laboratory) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[swimmer_spe]

But, see, it is so small, and it does not open to the surface.

 

[JT4]

I am fortunate enough to be involved a bit with the Aquarius lab billblack links to above. It was about to be yanked but Florida International University has taken the operation over on a trial basis. I work at FIU and have been fortunate enough to have dived it and will again tomorrow for work purposes. Welcome | Aquarius