Under the sea, under the sea. Darling it’s better down where it’s wetter, take it from me. Up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away, while Sony is here to sell you Xperias under the sea.

That’s right — the Japanese company has opened up a store four meters under the sea in Dubai where it’s showing off its latest water-resistant smartphones. It’s called the Xperia Aquatech, and it could well be the only store in the world that requires shoppers to undertake scuba diving training before they can enter.

What better way to market water-resistant devices than with an underwater store. Unfortunately, the Xperia Aquatech will be open for just three days, and it’s strictly reserved for competition winners, members of the media, and VIPs. The lucky few who do get to visit must take scuba diving lessons in a swimming pool first and then be accompanied to the store by a diving instructor.

Once inside, visitors get to check out a number of Xperia devices demonstrated by a Sony rep, Xperia Blog reports — but it seems you have to wait until you’re back on dry land to make any purchases.

This is little more than a marketing stunt really, then, but it’s probably one of the coolest we’ve seen for a smartphone.

• ViaXperia Blog