What Was the Deepest Free Dive Ever Recorded?

Imagine diving underwater to a depth twice the length of a football field - with one breath and no scuba gear. Herbert Nitsch is the only person to successfully accomplish this physical challenge (and in even deeper water), breaking one world record after another. Aaron Wong/Stocktrek Images / Getty Images/Stocktrek Images

Free diving is a breathtaking sport, literally and figuratively, requiring athletes dive to astonishing depths (recorded primarily in meters) on a single breath of air. Instead of using scuba gear, these free divers rely mainly on their own lungs to explore the depths of the ocean.

The deepest free dive on record was to more than 210 meters (689 feet) below the water's surface.

Mastering specific free diving techniques (such as Constant Weight, Variable Weight and Free Immersion) requires rigorous physical and mental training, with the objective being to boost the free divers' ability to hold their breath underwater for long periods of time. They use minimal equipment like fins, masks and weight belts, making it both an extreme and a serene way to connect with the underwater world.

With free diving being such an intense sport, it should come as no surprise that divers often compete to set depth records, testing the capabilities of the human body. Here are the 7 deepest dives on record, showcasing the full range of human potential.

1. 253 Meters (830 Feet): Herbert Nitsch

In 2012, an Austrian named Herbert Nitsch made a dive in Greek waters with the goal of breaking his previous major attempt. He was successful in beating his own record, with a dive to 253 meters (830 feet); however, the dive did not go exactly as planned, and Nitsch spent seven days in a coma.

Prior to Nitsch's 2012 dive, the International Association for the Development of Apnea, or AIDA, which governs all things related to competitive free diving, had stopped sanctioning No Limit free dives, due to the risks involved.

Instead, Guinness World Records acknowledges Nitsch's 253-meter dive as being the current all-time world record for No Limit free diving, the deepest category in the sport.

2. 214 Meters (702 Feet): Herbert Nitsch

Before Nitsch made his record-smashing free dive in 2012, he was actually already the world record holder a few times over.

On June 14, 2007, he lived up to his nickname — "Deepest Man on Earth" — when he made the deepest dive up to that date in the No Limit category, diving in Greek waters to a depth of 214 meters (702 feet).

According to AIDA, this is still the official record for No Limit free diving, which involves using a weighted sled to descend in the water and a buoyancy device to ascend back up to the surface.

3. 185 Meters (607 Feet): Herbert Nitsch

It's clear that in 2007, Nitsch was ready to break world records. On an attempt to best the previous record for a No Limit free dive — once again, his own record — Nitsch descended to 185 meters (607 feet) in Greek waters.

Prior to training as a free diver, Nitsch was a commercial pilot for 15 years. Once he discovered free diving, he trained in several different types of diving, not just the No Limit category. This includes both depth and distance disciplines, such as Dynamic With Fins, Dynamic Without Fins, Constant Weight, Constant Weight Without Fins and Free Immersion.

4. 183 Meters (600 Feet): Herbert Nitsch

One year before he made it to 185 meters, the Deepest Man on Earth reached 183 meters (600 feet). This time, Nitsch made his dive off the coast of Croatia, a country known for its crystal-clear waters and rich underwater biodiversity.

5. 172 Meters (564 Feet): Herbert Nitsch

In 2005, Nitsch achieved 172 meters (564 feet) in Croatian waters while participating in No Limit free diving.

Following his serious dive accident in 2012, Nitsch stepped back from competitive free diving to recuperate. Now recovered from his ordeal, he still finds ways to participate in the sport. Today he holds workshops, gives lectures and remains a central figure in the world of free diving.

6. 171 Meters (561 Feet): Loïc Leferme

In 2004, the French diver Loïc Leferme reached a depth of 171 meters (561 feet) and enjoyed a year as the world record holder in No Limit free diving before Nitsch became the new world record holder.

Along with other divers and close friends, Leferme was part of the early community around AIDA, which formed in 1992. As such, he helped to shape the organization's rules around its diving categories, judging criteria and safety protocols.

7. 162 Meters (531.5 Feet): Loïc Leferme

In 2002, Leferme made a No Limit free dive to a depth of 162 meters (531.5 feet), beating the previous world record by 12 meters (39 feet).

Two years later, a fellow free diver interviewed Leferme about what he experienced while free diving. As reported by The Guardian, the Frenchman replied, "I concentrate on the equalizations, my eyes are closed, my mask is full of water, and I find myself on the way down by the changes in pressure. I am squeezed, crushed, but I enjoy it; it no longer hurts me now. I hear the noise of the sled sliding down the line. It gets colder and then all dark."

In 2007, Leferme died during a training session in the French Riviera. He was 36 years old and left behind a wife and two children.

5 Other Notable Free Divers and Deep Diving Records

Beyond No Limit free diving, athletes have set many records in other categories.

1. Alessia Zecchini

Alessia Zecchini, an Italian professional free diver, holds the women's world record for the deepest dive in the Constant Weight With Fins (or CWT) category at 123 meters (404 feet), a record she set in 2023.

2. Alexey Molchanov

Alexey Molchanov, a Russian free diver, has set multiple world records in various free diving disciplines. His deepest dive in the Variable Weight (or VWT) category was in 2023, when he reached 156 meters (512 feet).

3. Petar Klovar

In 2023, Petar Klovar set a record in the Free Immersion (or FIM) discipline, where divers use a rope to pull themselves down and back up without fins. Klovar's deepest dive in this category is 135 meters (443 feet).

4. Natalia Molchanova

Natalia Molchanova, a legend in the free diving community, held numerous world records before her tragic disappearance in 2015. Her deepest dive was in 2009, when she achieved 101 meters (331 feet) in the Constant Weight With Fins discipline.

5. Sayuri Kinoshita

Sayuri Kinoshita, a pioneering female free diver from Japan, set a world record in 2018 in the Free Immersion discipline with a dive of 97 meters (318 feet). Her achievements continue to inspire many free divers around the globe.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.