NEW Record Attempt - Martin Stepanek In The Red Sea

[ricki]

This is an intriguing video clip, you should check it out. Martin's sink phase or when he develops negative buoyancy due to weighting and normal lung compression below 20 m is impressive. In free diving much below 66 ft. you may wear a 3 mm full suit with hood but may carry only 0 to 3 lbs. of lead and still go negative. Boyles Law is a wonder. His kicking speed during ascent is surprisingly fast too. You work to develop ideal speeds of descent and ascent through extensive training. You need to balance exertion, air consumption vs. efficient travel up and down. Imagine all that negative buoyancy from compression hundreds of feet down to overcome on ascent. Martin needs a new free diving watch though, his ruptured under the pressure!

[Jared S]

Martin Stepanek has set a new World Record with a 122 meter self propelled dive, known as the constant weight (CWT) discipline. He swam down 122 meters, grabbed a tag attached to a bottom plate, and then swam back up using a monofin, for a dive time of 3:36. The CWT is considered the premiere discipline due to being able go very deep, and having to be extremely athletic in regard to gas efficiency and overall conditioning.

Martin CWT dive was rather significant as he is the first human to go beyond 400ft self propelled on one breath.

Today, he broke the free immersion record (FIM) with a dive of a 110 meters, setting another World Record in this separate discipline. Free immersion is when a diver pulls down the line using his hands and back up the same way without wearing fins. It is a slower discipline without having fins to propel him or lengthen his hydrodynamic shape, and his dive time was 3:56.

There is more photos and video on the links posted above in the thread.

I learned freediving from Martin and know how gifted but also how hard he worked to achieve these dives. Cool thing is there are several days left to rest and try for some additional records...

But really all that I can say is "hats off....122 meters !!!"

Jared

[ricki]

Great accomplishment Martin and nice summary Jared. Thanks for putting it up. What an incredible series of performances. Is Martin going for a record in a third discipline? Best of luck to him.

There are video clips including one of the 122 m with fin and the one to 110 m without at: dives at http://www.freelikenoother.com/

The technique and focus that goes into these dives is phenomenal.

[ricki]

Question, how many folks are comfortable swimming down to 100 ft. and looking around. Quite a few of us. How about to 200 ft.? Well, what about 300 ft.? Uh, 400 ft.+ and in just 3 1/2 minutes??? As you know, the impacts aren't necessarily linear with depth, things get harder. This is really a remarkable accomplishment for Martin. Then to drop down to 362 ft. the next day without fins. He really is a good instructor too. Your goal may not be (or perhaps it is), to set world records. You just might want to be more comfortable on your drops to 60 ft. or 90 ft., increase your bottom time without straining too much. I think he can deliver the training and techniques to get you there through www.freedivinginstructors.com It's a fun and intriguing course and worth checking out if you want to get deeper, easier into the big blue.