Peter Colat, Swiss Diver, Breaks World Record For Holding Breath Underwater

Peter Colat, 38, held his breath in a water tank in St Gallen, Switzerland for 19 minutes and 21 seconds, smashing the previous world record set by Italian Nicola Putignano last May.

Competitors for the record are allowed to breath pure oxygen for 30 minutes before entering the water, where they have to enter an extremely relaxed state to minimize oxygen use.

Magician David Blaine held the record in 2008, holding his breath for 17 minutes and 4 seconds.

Comments

[cybexg]

01:51 PM on 02/16/2010

I don't believe it....In fact, I'm sure that most Republicans have had their heads underwater for years....

[Durango]

02:02 PM on 02/17/2010

Certainly their strategy in opposing President Obama is to hold their breath until they turn blue.

And throw temper tantrums.

[Kandahari]

01:18 PM on 02/16/2010

I can hold my breath for 45 seconds. Thats it.

[Jeronimo Dan]

03:32 PM on 02/16/2010

I once held my breath for a few seconds when I drove off a cliff!

[chonus]

04:17 PM on 02/16/2010

Did you yell, Jeronimooooooooo?

[Gover]

07:55 PM on 02/16/2010

Nonsense. I bet you could go 2 minutes easy.

Here's how it's done: take deep frequent (but not rushed) breaths for seriously like 5-10 minutes until you feel like you hyperventilate and feel like you're high.

Then hold your breath. It's weird. It's like, you know you should want to take a breath, but you don't really.

[lungfish]

12:39 PM on 02/16/2010

I teach freediving and practice it constantly... the world record for unassisted breath hold amongst the purists of my practice is 11min34 secs.... this guy is oxygen loaded and, like those who ride sleds to depth rather than swim down and back aren't truly representing what humans are capable of.
This sort of thing is simply nonsense...

[LiberalFromDenver]

12:57 PM on 02/16/2010

It's fine to be a purist, but I think there is room for a variety of different approaches to breath holding records. The plain and simple fact is that you are not the world record holder at any of these different approaches and are unlikely to ever be the world record holder in any classification. Any record holder for any of these approaches is truly representing what humans are capable of. Why not take some time to watch Blaine's talk at TedMed about how he went about his attempt. You might find it interesting. Maybe not, though. It seems so much easier for you to dismiss someone's else ability to do what you cannot.

[Jeffreygeez]

02:08 PM on 02/16/2010

Lungfish is correct,this so called record is tainted, just as Major League ballplayers drug enhanced performances are..

An asterik next to this record is deserved.Without the oxygen beforehand no way he could do this. Free diving is"free" diving, no oxygen or sled riding involved. Different category, and oh, ability.

[Gover]

07:56 PM on 02/16/2010

Does that include hyperventilating. If that's like off just one big breath I don't buy it.

[Cuthach]

12:31 PM on 02/16/2010

The pearl divers are far more impressive, no fancy gizmos and gadgets. Just a lifetime of experience, trial and error and amazing physical ability.

[Kandahari]

01:17 PM on 02/16/2010

I agree. There is a village in Japan and also a village in Kanjeevarum India where the women who dive for pearls have skills that are mind blowing.

[chonus]

04:23 PM on 02/16/2010

I think I saw that one. At the end they're all wearing at least 4-5 pearl necklaces each.

[RTIII]

11:55 AM on 02/16/2010

And here I thought my own personal record of 7 minutes was pretty good. At least I did it without aid of oxygen (or anything else).
.