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No limit - to dive as deep as possible on one breath going down with weights and coming up with a bouancy bag (ballon with air filled from a scuba tank). Several succesfull dives have been made deeper than 100-150 meters. Umberto Pelizzari took the discipline to 150 meters. Tanya Streeter did a dive to 160 meters, adding about 20 meters from her last training dive. She got narcossis but got away with it. Loic le Ferme (France) has had the world record in this discipline (171 meter) his diving has been very responsible with slow progression from dive to dive. |
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Sebastien Murat has done many deep dives, as deep as 180+ rumor has it. His method in some dives has been attaching weights to his ankles that can be ditched. A safety line (fishingline type) to his wrist that is reeled in from the surface.
Herbert Nitsch has added a new angle on no limit. He solves his equalization by having an extra mouthfill outside his body. After starting his descent he puts some of his air in a small balloon, air which he below RV can use for equalization. This has taken him to 183 meters (an Aida world record) and even more in training (203 meters). His world record was a quick dive of 3.15.
But there are many less successful dives:
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Audrey Mester died after failing to inflate the ballon that was going to take her to the surface from 170 meters of depth, She became unconcious at 120 meters of depth. The back-up safety of tri mix divers could not in time get her to the surface. The baloon did not inflate because someone forgot to fill the airtank. Her life could maybe have been saved if there where more tri mix divers (one left his position and returned to the surface before Audrey). Her chances of survival would have been better if there had been a real doctor present (not only a dentist) and if there had been more weight on the line (the sled started moving eventually but gor stuck at times). |
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The 24 year old frenchman Cyril Isoardi died after a No-limit dive to 128. In ten days progression in 1995 he went from 112,118,122. On his last dive ever he left the sled and was not on it when it was able to be retrieved to the surface. His body was lost. He did this dive with only one person as back-up (in a boat). There is a small monument at 26 meters depth (outside a headland of Nice harbour).
Benjamin Franz (Belgium) got severe DCS and/or stroke and has been disabled for a long time (though improving). He had been doing repetetive sled dives to depth. Some claim the stroke was not dive related, other emphasise that it would never had happened if he hadn´t been diving like he did.
Patrick Musimu did 209 meters in training. His progression was fast and led to some time in a decrompession chamber.
Pippin ( Ferreras ) has been doing many deep dives in No-limit style. He has had many blackouts and strokes of DCS, he has even been in cardiac arrest. More than one of his scuba safetydivers has died during his projects.
A swedish Freediver (Mikael Hurtig) got stuck at 92 meters of depth. The hose from the single scubatank had slipped out of the liftbag. A Trimix diver saved the situation The freediver had a BO at surface.
Tom Sietas suffered a similar thing at 122 meters. He stuck at 122 meters and the whole dive surpassed 4 minutes.
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Carlos Coste was injured at a 182 meter dive. He spent 2.51 minutes below 100 meters depth. The whole dive took 5.02. He suffered somekind of DCS, was taken to deco chamber and in previous dives he had reported wonderful dreams, numbness in fingers and his safety remarked that there often was a long time between touch-down and starting his ascent. He had before his injury done about 3-4 depths deeper than 140 meter. |
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Carlos Coste:"Every day I feel better. I already can speak perfectly and coordinate my movements. I can walk, although I have to make an effort to keep my balance. But I am sure I will recover. I want to go back to the sea as soon as possible. This sport is my life and I will never stop freediving".
There are rumours of other less successful freedives venturing into the zone of DCS.
- Umberto Pelizzari is said to have once been paralyzed for a short time in half his body after deepdiving on one breath.
- Natalja Molchanova is said to have felt symptoms of braindamage after doing many deep dives above 70-80 meters in a row.
- Kirk Krack got hold of a very effecient underwater scooter some years back, after several deep dives down to 70 meters he colapsed and showed clear signs of decompression sickness.
- There are also rumours that the very experimental and bold Herbert Nietsch also have some bad experiences.
Maybe its time for Aida international to regulate not only safety around the attempts but also put demands on training proceedures.
- O2 deco stops
- Slow progression
- 2-3 different inflating systems
- Automatic counterweight with very fast ascent.
Aidaboard declares 1 oct (one month after this was firts published) -After reports of recent experiences by athletes in the disciplines VW (Variable Weight) and NL (No Limits), the AIDA International Executive Board decided to develop a protocol/guideline for VW/NL/Sleddiving disciplines. This guideline will be developed by a few boardmembers, in close cooperation with a few VW/NL experts and medical professionals and will be presented to the Assembly as soon as possible. In the meantime, the AIDA International Executive Board will be reluctant excepting NL or VW record attempts.
Susan Kluytmans Secretary AIDA International Executive Board.