Did you know that most people can hold their breath for somewhere between 30 seconds and 2 minutes? To reach 2 minutes you have to be in excellent health and beyond that is incredibly impressive. This is just one reason you have to marvel at Herbert Nitsch. The greatest freediver in the world also known as the “Deepest Man on Earth” who holds the record for freediving, as he was able to drop to 253.2 meters or 830.8 feet below sea level.
The incredible achievement is helped by Nitsch’s ability to hold his breath for an incredible amount of time. He is able to last more than 9 minutes without breathing! While this ability is key, it is his pioneering spirit and willingness to push the boundaries of the sport that have earned him so many accolades. Nitsch now holds 33 world records in freediving and is the greatest athlete the sport has ever seen.
Only six divers have ever dove beyond 170 meters (560 feet), two died in their attempts and four succeeded. Of the four that succeded only Nitsch has pushed beyond 700 feet. To make it really clear he does not use a tank, he does not use any motor, he takes a single breath of air and dives as deep as he can before returning. He is allowed to use a weight to help him drop to the depths faster and a buoyancy aid to rise to the water surface faster.
This incredible athlete must be incredibly courageous as there is no safety net. If you push too far deep down you will not have enough air to return to the surface. Every moment Nitsch pushes further down he risks not being able to come back to the surface. We have no doubt that Nitsch will continue to push the limits and our greatest hopes are with him that he continues to break records but that he never finds his limit in the deep water.
