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todd2000

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 14, 2005
1,631
31
Danville, VA
This is awesome!

If you like doing laps in the swimming pool, you might want to stock up on energy drinks before diving into this one.

It is more than 1,000 yards long, covers 20 acres, has a 115ft deep end and holds 66 million gallons of water.

Yesterday the Guinness Book of Records named the vast pool beside the sea in Chile as the biggest in the world.

But if you fancy splashing out on one of your own - and you have the space to accommodate it - then beware: This one took five years to build, cost nearly 1billion and the annual maintenance bill will be 2million.

The man-made saltwater lagoon has been attracting huge crowds to the San Alf onso del Mar resort at Algarrobo, on Chile 's southern coast, since it opened last month.

Its turquoise waters are so crystal clear that you can see the bottom even in the deep end.

It dwarfs the world's second biggest pool, the Orthlieb - nicknamed the Big Splash - in Morocco , which is a mere 150 yards long and 100 yards wide. An Olympic size pool measures some 50 yards by 25 yards.

Chile's monster pool uses a computer- controlled suction and filtration system to keep fresh seawater in permanent circulation, drawing it in from the ocean at one end and pumping it out at the other.

The sun warms the water to 26c, nine degrees warmer than the adjoining sea.

Chilean biochemist Fernando Fischmann, whose Crystal Lagoons Corporation designed the pool, said advanced engineering meant his company could build 'an impressive artificial paradise' even in inhospitable areas.

'As long as we have access to unlimited seawater, we can make it work, and it causes no damage to the ocean.'

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Oh wow...

I'd love to go there once my stamina returns. Went swimming last night and only managed a length and a half before I was shattered. :eek:
 
$1b saltwater pool a stones throw from the ocean? Am I missing something? Sure it's warmer and presumably cleaner water (since they add that it's filtered), but is that really worth 5 years and $1b?
 
Crikey !! Imagine being called to find a crack in the pool,
That's a monster, Imagine the pain in the a$$ it is tiling a thing like that :eek:
 
That's just great... Is it just me? I would rather go for a swim in that nice ocean then that damn pool... Way to ruin my view...
The prevailing current for the coast of Chile comes up from the Southern Ocean, where the sea can get down to a rather "chilly" 8˚C. The surf forecasts show mean sea temperatures for Pichilemu (roughly half way up the country) hover between 16˚C in summer and 12˚C in winter, so the "nine degrees" quoted in the article can actually be thirteen at some points of the year.

Yeah, I'll take the pool thanks.
 
Is it saltwater though? Can't stand that stuff.

But other than that what if somebody poo's in it? Does the whole thing get shut down?
 
What is the ***** point of building a massive pool like that if you have the ocean 20m away?????:confused::eek::confused::mad: It just pisses me off seeing people waste money like that when it could all go to charity or something??!?!??!

Ams.
 
When I first saw this thread i thought it said 'World's larget poo' and I was like :eek:

:D

Seeing those photos of the pool made me go :eek: as well. I wonder what the maintenance is like for the pool's upkeep?
 
How long until the first sailboat-swimmer fatality? I can see it now, nice gust O' wind comes along, overly-zealous amateur Sunfish Skipper - oblivious child in path... :eek:
 
What is the ***** point of building a massive pool like that if you have the ocean 20m away?????:confused::eek::confused::mad: It just pisses me off seeing people waste money like that when it could all go to charity or something??!?!??!

Ams.

Some people don't like salt water, seeing a big pool like this but also being by the ocean (for the views and such) is win win for me.
 
But other than that what if somebody poo's in it? Does the whole thing get shut down?
In a body of water that size one poo wouldn't matter at all. Creatures poo in the sea all the time, and we quite happily swim in that, even rub it into our wounds as disinfectant :D
 
What is the ***** point of building a massive pool like that if you have the ocean 20m away?????:confused::eek::confused::mad: It just pisses me off seeing people waste money like that when it could all go to charity or something??!?!??!

Ams.

its not your money is it? considering the fact that you and i are better off than the majority of the world's population, the same could be said why we dont give all our resources to charity instead of obtaining material things......like apple products for instance
 
its not your money is it? considering the fact that you and i are better off than the majority of the world's population, the same could be said why we dont give all our resources to charity instead of obtaining material things......like apple products for instance

I know, I know... But They could have just made a smaller, less expensive pool...
 
Oh, BTW, an Olympic sized swimming pool doesn't measure 50yds by 25yds. Only Americans use yards any more :p
 
That's one big pool. From that first pic, the hotels kinda reminded me of the Cylon battleships. Maybe cylons don't like fresh water (-;
 
Yeah, um - It's pretty big all right. But I'd have been more impressed if this monstrosity was constructed a few miles somewhere inland, instead of right on top of where it gets and circulates all that seawater... the Ocean.

I think Crystal Lagoons Corporations "Bioengineer" Fernando Fischmann in saying his company "could build 'an impressive artificial paradise' even in inhospitable areas" is somewhat laughable - to quote: "As long as we have access to unlimited seawater, we can make it work, blah-blah."

Ummm... you built a big pool right next to the ocean in Chile - a part of the world that's fairly receptive to supporting a diversity of life all on its little lonesome. Hardly what I'd call "Inhospitable".
Now - Build us a tropical heaven right off the stormy coast of Greenland or Alaska sometime, I'll do my best to keep myself from high-fiving you.
 
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