Friday, April 11, 2008

Scuba Diver to Attempt Record-Breaking, 168-Hour Dive

English scuba diver Will Goodman will attempt to set a new scuba diving world record and stay under water for... get this... 168 hours!

In an attempt to break the world record for the longest dive underwater, which currently stands at 120 hours, Will Goodman from Borhamwood, England is all set to spend 168 hours underwater. The dive is planned to start on 14th April in the waters of Gili Islands, Indonesia and will be held under strict rules and regulations to achieve Guinness World Records standards...

Preparations for the dive have been intensive, learning to sleep, eat and relieve himself underwater. One of the hardest things will be to keep his mind occupied, "If I don't plan my activities properly I will go mad — I need to be kept busy at all times." said Will. He plans to teach lessons, read books and play games underwater. He will also have a personal trainer with him to take him through exercise regimes, as well as two witnesses to be present at all times.

Wearing a dry suit and full face mask with communications system he will also have to protect his skin from excessive wrinkling by applying special cream to himself, a lesson learned from Jerry Hall, who holds the current record of 120 hours underwater. "There is no doubt that this is one of the most risky dives he could do. Staying underwater for that length of time means that his entire body will be saturated." said Cliff Newcomb, the owner of Diver training Services. "His main problem will be keeping his breathing regulated and maintaining his hydration levels. He is absolutely mad, but good luck to him."

Will Goodman, PADI Instructor and TDI Technical Instructor, is hoping to raise enough money from his charity dive to help educate the children of Gili Trawangan, by supplying them with sufficient funds to employ a full time teacher and teaching materials.




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