The record for being underwater without oxygen. Scuba dive record
Just a few centuries ago, the ability to not breathe underwater for a long time could provide a person with food and resources for trade. Fish, pearls, algae - all this could be obtained by diving without scuba gear.
Now static sleep apnea is used in sports, meditation and even magic tricks. Our editors decided to describe this phenomenon in detail. In this article, we will analyze world records, and also try to understand what helps divers to overcome themselves.
Static sleep apnea: what is it?
From the ancient Greek word apnea is translated as "calm". And indeed: respiratory activity is completely stopped, complete “calm” reigns in the lungs. Static apnea is a sports discipline for the most daring and enduring, because awareness of oneself at depth without an air tank is very exciting and can be confusing. How do swimmers cope with this task? What is the human body really capable of? Top 10 records for holding your breath underwater. Which swimmers are not included in the Guinness Book of Records?
The average person can hold their breath for about one minute, and with light training, this figure increases to 4 minutes.
Now competitions are held on static apnea, special techniques to increase lung capacity. Such training helps not only athletes, but also people on whose shoulders lies a great responsibility: rescuers, policemen, firefighters. This skill can save lives in critical situations. , for example, when there is a high concentration of burning or toxic substances in the air.
The benefits and harms of not breathing for a long time
With the right approach to technology, sleep apnea can benefit the human body. Eg:
- Metabolism stimulation- holding the breath while exhaling fills the body with vital energy and stimulates regeneration processes.
- Stress relief– respiratory practices are actively used in the treatment of depressive disorders.
- Normalization of physiological processes– digestion, blood circulation, sweating.
- Increased stamina – a person can stay “on his feet” much longer if he trains his lungs. This is a great help for people whose profession involves physical activity.
“Everything is poison and all medicine” - this quote also applies to breathing practices. If you do not follow precautions, you may encounter negative consequences:
- Oxygen starvation– holding your breath for a long time has a detrimental effect on your well-being and overall health.
- Hyperventilation- may cause loss of consciousness and injury.
- Lung rupture– may occur due to improper buccal pumping.
Beginner freedivers should not practice alone due to the risk of fainting. By the way, we are having .
How to learn to hold your breath for a long time?
To navigate underwater without air, novice athletes practice on land. The main point in such exercises is the ability to hold your breath correctly - this should be done not by clamping the larynx, but by working the chest.
Exercises on dry land
The following static exercise will help you build endurance and reduce stress during a real dive:
- Take a deep breath and exhale slowly - feel how your lungs fill and empty.
- Don't breathe for 5 seconds.
- Repeat the first step.
- Increase the time you hold your breath by another 5 seconds.
- Exercise according to the following scheme - one minute as usual, 5 seconds delay, 1 minute as usual - 10 seconds delay, etc. Repeat the exercise 5 times.
The record for holding your breath on land belongs to Ricardo Baja and is 10 minutes. Remarkably, he survived underwater much longer without air. This phenomenon is explained by the natural instinct of self-preservation, which becomes aggravated in conditions of real danger.
Diving exercises at home
Once you feel confident in your own abilities, you can go into the water. And for this you do not need to go to the pool to the reservoir. It is enough to fill a deep basin or bathtub with water and use the following technique:
- Place a container of water in front of you or stand in front of the tub.
- Take a deep breath and slowly close your eyes.
- Start the timer. Immerse your face in water so that access to oxygen is completely blocked.
- Hold on as long as possible, raise your head and take a smooth breath, gradually restoring the rhythm of breathing.
Exercise in a pool or pond
The next stage is the transition to deep water. This is always exciting, so in order to avoid injury, it is permissible to use auxiliary means: hold on to the handrails or the edge of the pool. As you gain confidence, you can sink to the bottom on your own. The main thing is that someone from the outside monitors the exercises and in case of muscle spasm or loss of consciousness, he can get you out of the water. You need to increase the time spent in water gradually - adding 5-10 seconds with each session.
Regularity is the key to success. It is better to exercise a little every day than to load yourself with intensive exercise once a week. Otherwise, you will only overload your lungs and blood vessels without getting any benefit.
Restoring breathing after exercise
After a long stay without oxygen, it is very important to restore normal breathing rhythm, because blood circulation and brain activity depend on this. To do this, you need to take a smooth but deep breath “all the way” and exhale the same slowly, gradually returning to the usual, uncontrolled rhythm. If you find it difficult to perform the exercise while standing, sit or lie down to reduce intracranial pressure and calm your heart rate.
Auxiliary sports
Self-control, endurance, coordination - these are the qualities a diver must have in order to achieve high results in static apnea. The following sports will help improve physical performance:
- Body-building– strengthening the muscle corset.
- Fitness/Cross-Fit– develops endurance and strengthens the heart muscle.
- Swimming– teaches how to stay on and under water, develops coordination of movements.
- A ride on the bicycle– improves the functioning of the vestibular apparatus, strengthens the calf muscles.
- Skiing– develops coordination of movements, strengthens leg muscles, increases endurance.
- Yoga– teaches you to “hear” your body and breathe correctly.
What happens to the body during static apnea?
Holding your breath always implies oxygen deprivation - this is something worth remembering before you begin static apnea training. Necessarily undergo a full medical examination to understand how this may affect your health.
So, what does a diver’s body experience when diving without scuba gear?
- O2 deficiency (hypoxia). During a dive, the muscles begin to consume oxygen very quickly. The exact rate at which oxygen reserves are burned depends on the depth of the dive, water temperature, heart rate and volume of the freediver.
- Slow heart rate. Remarkably, but the heart begins to beat slower, even if only the face is immersed in water. The blood flow is redistributed and oxygen primarily supplies the vital organs - the brain and heart.
- Risk of loss of consciousness. The lungs compensate for the lack of oxygen by extracting it from tissues and organs, thereby increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the body. It is toxic and dangerous because it can abruptly turn off consciousness.
The third point is worth talking about separately. First, the swimmer feels an unprecedented lightness and euphoria, and warmth in the body (as after a cup of hot tea), then vision becomes cloudy, weakness appears, and the swimmer anticipates a loss of consciousness. The last stage is convulsions and immediate fainting.
The above symptoms develop more dynamically if a person swims too fast or panics. A trained pearl hunter knows that you should not stay underwater for more than 8 minutes.
Records for holding your breath underwater
These swimmers know firsthand what it means to overcome their own strengths and capabilities. Thanks to dedication and perseverance, they managed to get into the Guinness Book of Records.
10th place - Martin Stepanek (2001)
For the first time, the world was shocked by Czech freediver Martin Stepanek, who stayed underwater for 8 minutes and 6 seconds. His record remained in the leadership position for 8 years, until the next swimmer replaced him.
9th place - Stefan Misfud (2009)
The French diver proved that he could survive without oxygen for even longer, namely: 11 minutes and 35 seconds.
8th place – Robert Foster (1959)
“How long can a person not breathe underwater?” — this was the question asked by a simple electronics technician, Robert Foster, and decided to answer it himself. He was able to survive without an oxygen tank for a full 13 minutes and 40 seconds.
7th place - Arvydas Gaiciunas (2007)
Another world achievement that does not belong to a swimmer. Arvydas Gaiciunas is a magician from Latvia who decided to amaze the audience with sleight of hand in an extreme situation. The trick was as follows: the illusionist and his charming assistant (the trickster’s sister) were chained and sent into a glass, transparent aquarium filled with water. Arvydas lasted without air for 15 minutes and 54 seconds. The maximum assistant time is 13 minutes.
6th place – David Blaine White (2008)
Less than a year later, another illusionist, David Blaine, announced himself. The American did not want to be in the shadow of the Latvians and promised his viewers that he would break all existing records. And the promise was fulfilled - he stayed in a glass aquarium for 17 minutes and 4 seconds! In an interview, the magician stated that it took him 4 months to train his lungs and learn to “turn off” his mind to save oxygen.
Each of David Blaine's tricks is a break in patterns and ideas about the capabilities of the human body. The list of his accomplishments also includes being buried alive, being frozen in ice, standing for 35 hours on top of a high column, and being imprisoned in a box for 44 days without food.
5th place - Niccolo Putignano (2010)
Unlike the two previous participants, the Italian Niccolo Putignano did not pursue fame and outrageousness - he only wanted to prove to himself that he was capable of more. For many years, he did not miss a single freediving competition, time after time leaving his competitors behind him. In 2010, his efforts were noticed thanks to a new world record - 19 minutes and 3 seconds.
4th place - Peter Kola (2010)
Peter Kola overtook his predecessor only slightly - when he emerged from the water, the timer showed 19 minutes and 20 seconds. Nevertheless, he for a long time secured the title of the person capable of holding his breath for the longest time.
3rd place - Tom Sitas (2015)
Thomas grew up on the sea coast and therefore water is his second element. Since childhood, he has honed his skills in static apnea and his efforts were rewarded - with a time of 22 minutes and 22 seconds he set a new world record. Thomas literally became a treasure of his country - his face constantly flashed on blue screens, he gave many interviews and advice on proper nutrition and training.
His story can be called truly amazing, because he became a celebrity thanks to a gap of just one second. A few months earlier, Brazilian two-time champion Ricardo Baja set a record of 22 minutes and 21 seconds.
2nd place - Goran Kolak (2016)
Diver from Croatia Goran Kolak is an example of determination and dynamic growth above oneself. He tirelessly felt in freediving competitions, winning gold medals every time (at the moment Goran is a ten-time champion) and walked towards his cherished goal of setting a world record. In 2016 he succeeded - he did not breathe for 22 minutes and 30 seconds.
1st place - Alex Segura (2016)
The mark of 24 minutes and 3 seconds is the maximum breath hold recorded by the Guinness Book of Records.. Alex Segura is the toughest freediver in the world. Will anyone be able to beat his record? We can only follow events.
Beyond common sense: unique cases of static apnea
For many, advanced age is a time of passive rest and creation. But not for these two men. They proved that pensioner status is not at all a reason to exchange morning exercises for gossip with neighbors next door.
Zabelin V. M.
In 1990, a 70-year-old Russian pensioner interested the best experts at the Leningrad Research Institute of Physiology. The man showed that using a special technique he can hold his breath for 22 minutes. The specialists were amazed at this result and physical endurance.
Ravindra Mishra
The Indian yogi adheres to ascetic views - he believes that all a person needs to live is to taste the gifts of nature and breathe pure oxygen. And you can completely abandon the second one for a while with the help of meditation. So, in 1991, he dived to the bottom of the lake and plunged himself into a long, meditative sleep lasting 6 days. Amazingly, such an act did not affect his vital signs in any way - he simply floated to the surface, as if only a few minutes had passed.
There are many more places on earth about which we know less than about the vast expanses of space. We are talking primarily about unconquerable water depths. According to scientists, science has not yet actually begun to study the mysterious life at the bottom of the oceans; all research is at the beginning of the journey.
From year to year there are more and more daredevils who are ready to perform a new record-breaking deep-sea dive. In the presented material I would like to talk about swims without equipment, with scuba gear and with the help of bathyscaphes, which have gone down in history.
Deepest human dive
For a long time, the French athlete Loïc Leferme held the record for freediving. In 2002, he managed to make a deep-sea dive to 162 meters. Many divers tried to improve this indicator, but died in the depths of the sea. In 2004, Leferm himself became a victim of his own vanity. During a training swim in the oceanic trench of Villefranche-sur-Mer, he dived to 171 meters. However, the athlete failed to rise to the surface.
The latest record-breaking deep-sea dive was made by Austrian freediver Herbert Nitzsch. He managed to descend to 214 meters without an oxygen tank. Thus, the achievement of Loïc Leferme is a thing of the past.
Record deep-sea dive for women
French athlete Audrey Mestre set several records among women. On May 29, 1997, she dived as much as 80 meters on a single breath-hold, without an air tank. A year later, Audrey broke her own record, descending 115 meters into the depths of the sea. In 2001, the athlete dived as much as 130 meters. This record, which has world status among women, is assigned to Audrey to this day.
On October 12, 2002, Mestre made her last attempt in life, diving without equipment to 171 meters off the coast of the Dominican Republic. The athlete used only a special load, without oxygen cylinders. The lift was to be carried out using an air dome. However, the latter turned out to be unfilled. 8 minutes after the deep-sea dive started, Audrey's body was brought to the surface by scuba divers. The official cause of death of the athlete was noted as problems with the equipment for lifting to the surface.
Record scuba dive
Now let's talk about deep-sea scuba diving. The most significant of them was carried out by the French diver Pascal Bernabe. In the summer of 2005, he managed to descend 330 meters into the depths of the sea. Although it was originally planned to conquer a depth of 320 meters. Such a significant record was achieved as a result of a small incident. During the descent, Pascal's rope stretched, which allowed him to swim an extra 10 meters in depth.
The diver managed to successfully rise to the surface. The ascent lasted a long 9 hours. The reason for such a slow rise was the high risk of development, which could lead to respiratory arrest and damage to blood vessels. It is worth noting that to set the record, Pascal Bernabe had to spend 3 whole years in constant training.
Record dive in a submersible
On January 23, 1960, scientists Donald Walsh and Jacques Piccard set a record for diving to the bottom of the ocean in a manned vehicle. While aboard the small submarine Trieste, the researchers reached the bottom at a depth of 10,898 meters.
The deepest dive in a manned submersible was achieved thanks to the construction of the Deepsea Challenger, which took the designers 8 long years. This mini-submarine is a streamlined capsule weighing more than 10 tons and with a wall thickness of 6.4 cm. It is noteworthy that before being put into operation, the bathyscaphe was tested several times with a pressure of 1160 atmospheres, which is higher than the pressure that was supposed to affect the walls of the device on the ocean floor .
In 2012, the famous American film director James Cameron, piloting the mini-submarine Deepsea Challenger, conquered the previous record set by the Trieste device, and even improved it by plunging 11 km into the Mariinsky Trench.
Tom Sitas survived underwater without air for 22 minutes and 22 seconds. The 35-year-old German competed with the former record holder in this discipline, Brazilian Ricardo Bahi.
German freediver Tom Sytas set a new world record for static apnea - holding one's breath at a minimum depth in a relaxed state.
Tom Sitas survived underwater without air for 22 minutes and 22 seconds. Last weekend in China, the 35-year-old German fought with the former record holder in this discipline, Brazilian Ricardo Bahi.
Both athletes climbed into containers of water to try to match each other's breath-holding times. The Brazilian's record, listed in the Guinness Book of Records, was 20 minutes 21 seconds.
Sitas did not eat for more than five hours before diving in order to slow down his body's metabolism. Then he breathed pure oxygen from a cylinder for some time; without this it is impossible to be without air for so long. His personal record for holding his breath without using pure oxygen is 10 minutes 12 seconds.
For the first time, this freediver’s ability to stay underwater without air for a very long time was noticed by his scuba diving instructor, who began to teach Tom the art of apnea. A German now has 20% more lung capacity than the average person.
See also:
Few people know, but there is a technique for holding your breath under water. This is done for a while and is a full-fledged discipline in freediving. It is called “static apnea”.
It is performed only in a relaxed state of the body.
This sport is extremely difficult. This explains its low prevalence. Accordingly, there are not as many record-breaking freedrivers as we would like.Holding your breath is common not only in sports. There is an entire profession that cannot do without intermittent breathing. The ranking of the most record-breaking breath holds under water includes:
1. Goran Kolak
This Croatian is a real pride and legend of all freediving. During his life, he managed to become a champion in all disciplines, including apnea. In addition, Goran managed to set a new world record for holding his breath.
It is 22 minutes 30 seconds. No one has yet managed to beat him (and 2 years have already passed). The athlete has been involved in this sport since 2006. It was then that he performed at the first competition in his life, which took place in his native Zagreb.
Less than a year later he already wins his first Croatian championship and sets several national records. Goran became a professional diver in 2011. At the same time, he decided to join an exclusive group of free diving specialists around the world.
At the moment, Goran boasts 9 gold medals and 6 world records. But the athlete does not plan to stop there. Now he is only 32 years old, but the athlete already knows what he wants to achieve. Our immediate plans are to break our own records.
2. Thomas Sietas
Famous German swimmer. In 2012, he spent 22 minutes 22 seconds underwater. Thomas wanted to break previous records. The media made a huge sensation out of this and began to find out information about the athlete’s family, his training, and diets. In fact, there is no sensation here: the previous record was changed by only 1 second.
3. Ricardo Bahier
This is the athlete who set a record of 22 minutes and 21 seconds. This is a young but very talented freediver who has been involved in the sport professionally for more than 6 years.
This record was very difficult for him. According to the athlete himself, he was already at the limit of his strength. But it was worth it. He managed to beat the previous record by as much as 3 minutes, which is already a significant achievement.
4. Peter Kolat
Representative of Switzerland. In 2010, he set a new record for apnea at that time. The athlete managed to sit under water without access to oxygen for neither more nor less – 19 minutes and 21 seconds.
At that time, Peter had already been training for 2 years, but this was his first record included in the Guinness Book.
5. Nicolo Putignano (Italy)
The record that Colato broke was set by an Italian. It took him about 2 years to do this. The athlete managed to survive without air for 19 minutes 2 seconds.
The Italian woke up famous. They interviewed him and literally carried him in their arms. But Nicolo himself admitted that such a result cost him simply superhuman efforts and patience.
6. David Blaine
American Blaine is a well-known personality with a worldwide reputation. He is a talented illusionist and showman known in many countries. To set a world record, he needed 4 months of training using a special system.
His result was 17 minutes 4 seconds. But his “track record” is full of other achievements. For spectacular stunts, he was buried alive. Often he had to “levitate”, disappear, burn.
Many directors were so captivated by such an extraordinary personality that they have already created several documentaries about him. The guy in his young years (he is only 34) has already become an idol for many.
7. Arvydas G aichnas
Representative of Lithuania. This is not an athlete, but a simple illusionist. In 2007, he managed to set a world record for apnea underwater. To achieve this, he needed several years of hard training.
But the result is worth it. Arvydas was attached with chains to a metal frame lowered into the water. He survived in this state for 15 minutes and 58 seconds. In fact, this person really deserves praise. After all, he is not just underwater.
He was chained - and this is a powerful stress and shock for the body. It is quite difficult to cope with it without unnecessary oxygen consumption. As moral support, his younger sister Diana was tested next to the illusionist. She was also chained, but was able to hold out for 13 minutes.
8. Robert Foster
This is a simple American who had nothing to do with water. He is not an athlete, not an illusionist. Robert is an electronics technician. His record was set back in 1959. Having excellent training and good health, Robert managed to stay underwater for 13 minutes and 42.5 seconds.
Moreover, for almost half a century no one managed to break his record. This is surprising. The fact that this man was not an athlete is a true miracle. Without knowing it, Robert became the idol of many. Today's record holders and champions are often inspired by this truly great man.
9. Stefan Mifsud
There is a lot of controversy about this athlete. In 2009, Stefan established underwater apnea, lasting 11 minutes 35 seconds.
The record didn't last long. But many critics still don’t consider it a record: the American technician lasted much longer.
But, in spite of everything, the time was recorded, the Frenchman was named one of the record holders for holding his breath under water.
10. Martin Stepanek
Czech by birth managed to set a new world record at that time in 2001. He managed to stay under water for 8 minutes. This is not so much compared to other record holders, but 14 years ago it was considered a real achievement.
The athlete was inspired by Japanese divers. Watching their performances, Stepanek decided that he himself could achieve something.
When will the limit of human capabilities come? Scientists don't know the answer. While he is gone, people will increasingly show incredible results, surprising themselves and their surroundings.
Freediving is scuba diving while holding your breath. This early form of underwater swimming is still practiced today for sporting and even commercial purposes. Despite its existence for thousands of years, it has only recently become relatively well-known and widespread. Freediving arose as a form of coastal gathering and hunting. Until the time of the Great Geographical Discoveries, it remained almost the only known opportunity available to man to perform actions under water.
Since the 15th century The growth and competition of maritime powers began, and the development of navigation, trade and naval battles led to an increase in the number of sunken ships. In order to save their valuable cargo and equipment, it was necessary to work at depth for a long time.
As a result, such a progenitor of the spacesuit was invented as the diving bell, which clearly separated divers breathing under water from direct freedivers.After the appearance of the diving bell, all sorts of attempts to expand human capabilities under water began to be aimed at improving various breathing devices. Thus, breath-hold diving until the mid-twentieth century. remained only part of the fishing industry. During World War II, combat swimmers became known - regular units trained to operate in water, under water without heavy breathing equipment. During this period, scuba gear was developed. Since then, the popularity of scuba diving and sporting interest in it began to grow.
Dive record without scuba gear
Freediving is a special type of scuba diving. After all, to be under water, a person must hold his breath. This early form of diving is very popular and is constantly evolving. Thus, the record for holding one's breath has already reached 12 minutes, and the record for diving to a depth has exceeded 100 meters. There is probably no limit to what a person can do.
So, the first diving record without scuba gear was set by divers Enzo Mallorca and Jacques Mayol. The maximum diving depth was 100 meters. Although their result was not officially included in sports records.
In 2002, French freediver Loic Leferme was able to set a truly amazing record. The diving depth without scuba gear was 162 meters. Until this moment, the record was 137 meters. In 2004, Loic Leferme decided to set another record. He reached a depth of 171 meters, but never surfaced.
World record dive
As you know, deep-sea freediving is the most popular type of underwater diving without scuba gear. Although the International Association for the Promotion of Apnea system has many other disciplines in this area. For example, static, dynamic apnea, as well as “constant weight in fins.” And each discipline has its own records, and they are simply amazing.
Thus, the “free diving” category showed a new world record, which was set in 2013 in Greece at the ongoing World Freediving Championship. The record holder among women is Russian Natalya Molchanova. She managed to dive to a depth of 91 meters without scuba gear. The record among men was set in 2011 and has not been broken since then. It was the record holder from New Zealand, William Trubridge. It sank to a depth of 121 meters.
Of course, diving to great depths is very dangerous. As a result, you need to prepare for such diving not for months, but for years. Achieving the results described is possible only through consistent training. If you want to set a record in free diving, then you should start preparing right now.