Diving is a special direction in scuba diving

This is how cognitive interest and sports excitement lead to the emergence of a free diver in its purest form.
Yorgos Haggi Statti is called the first deep-sea diver in history. This was in 1911. The flagship cruiser of the Italian naval forces "Regina Margherita" anchored in one of the bays of the Aegean Sea. An incredibly strong storm pulled the anchor into the sea. At a depth of 77 meters, the anchor caught on the rocks. After many days of trying to raise the anchor, one of the divers died a painful death. The captain asked for help from the Greeks, who are engaged in fishing and have proven themselves to be excellent divers. Among the Greek team there was one modest, inconspicuous person, whose name was Yorgos Haggi Statti. According to the team, he could dive to a depth of 100 meters and hold his breath for up to seven minutes. As a reward, they were promised permission to fish with dynamite. Skeptical about the capabilities of the Greek, the commander sent him for examination to the ship's doctor. Here is the report he received: "Usual human parameters. Chest volume: on inspiration - 98 cm, on exhalation - 80 cm. Pulse from 80 to 90 beats per minute. breath per minute. Weight - 60 kg. Height - 1, 75 meters. There is pulmonary emphysema." The doctor claimed that a person with such data is not able to dive to a depth of 70 meters. Despite the prohibitions, Yorgos made three dives that day to a depth of 77 meters, found the anchor, freed it and became the first deep-sea diver in history. Height - 1.75 meters. Pulmonary emphysema is observed. "The doctor claimed that a person with such data is not able to dive to a depth of 70 meters. Despite the prohibitions, Yorgos made three dives that day to a depth of 77 meters, found the anchor, freed it and became the first deep-sea diver in history . Height - 1.75 meters. Pulmonary emphysema is observed. "The doctor claimed that a person with such data is not able to dive to a depth of 70 meters. Despite the prohibitions, Yorgos made three dives that day to a depth of 77 meters, found the anchor, freed it and became the first deep-sea diver in history .
During the Second World War, the French and Italian armies recruited divers and underwater fighters, scuba gear had not yet been invented at that time. These people were taught to swim under water for long distances while holding their breath, they were taught to find and defuse mines, put explosive devices on the bottom of ships, etc. But at that time no one had any idea that this activity could become a sport.
The beginning of the history of modern free diving can be considered the moment when the captain of the Hungarian-Italian air force, armed with a mask, snorkel and fins, dived to a depth of 30 meters. It was Raimondo Bucher - a naval pilot, athlete, thinker, photographer, writer. In 1949, in the Gulf of Naples, Boucher bet on a bottle of Champagne that he would dive as deep as a diver in a spacesuit, working at a depth of 30 m. And he won the argument. With this record, Boucher opened the door to a new kind of sport, the sport of apnea diving records. This was the first recorded record. And it was this year - 1949 - that can be considered the beginning of the golden era of divers.
Oddly enough, but at that time people did not yet use hyperventilation. And "invented" the phenomenon of hyperventilation was completely random. It happened in the hospital, when during the recovery from having nothing to do, one person periodically held his breath. He noticed that if you take a deep breath before holding your breath for 1-2 minutes, then the apnea lasted almost twice as long. Later, this person gave the following advice to divers: "... if you want to hold your breath for more than three minutes, try breathing deeply and often for three minutes before holding, until you feel a slight dizziness and a metallic taste in your mouth ". Years later, with the improvement of diving techniques, these recommendations were rejected by many scientists, who proved that
In 1951, two new champions appeared on the scene - these are Enio Falco and Alberto Novelli. They broke Bucher's record by diving to a depth of 35 meters. This couple later set a record for scuba diving - 138 meters. But Bush was clearly not agree with this state of affairs and returned in 1952. Then he set a record - 39 meters. This moment is also significant in that it was first captured with a primitive 16mm underwater camera. In the late 50s, Novelli and Falco returned and set a new record - 41 meters below sea level.
The next era of free diving began in the 60s, when 5 new champions appeared on the scene at once. These are Amerigo Santarelli, Enzo Maiorca, Tetake Williams, Robert Croft and Jaques Mayol. The last three are said to have been Enzo Maiorka's constant nightmare after he ended his career. Williams was a roaring volcano, Croft was an erupting lava, and Mayol was an endless earthquake.
In 1960, the Brazilian Amerigo Santarelli appears on the scene and takes away the record from Falco and Navelli by diving to a depth of 43 meters in Brazilian waters, and then following to 44 meters. At the end of the same year, one of the greatest divers began his long career. It was the Italian Enzo Maiorca. During his 30 year career, he has made an immeasurable contribution to the development of this sport. That year he broke the Santarelli record for the first time by diving to a depth of 45 meters. Later, thanks to the exorbitant love for the work in which he was engaged, he broke his own record three times. The first time it was on Santa Margarita, then he dived to 46 meters. The second time in Seracusa, he reached a depth of 49 meters. The third time he dived at home and reached a depth of 50 meters. Then he said that there is no person who is able to defeat him. Admired by the courage and valor of Enzo, Santarelli decides to leave and disappears from the scene for 4 years. At the same time, Enzo continues his triumphant march and breaks his record again. Now he has conquered a depth of 51 meters. Three years later, in 1964, Enzo again topples his own old record by diving 53 meters in Syracuse. In 1965, in Italy, he dives to 54 meters. This was the last dive before the volcano woke up and the earthquake shook the earth.
September 1965 Polynesia. Tetake Williams appears on the horizon and produces the first shock that swept across the earth. He dives to 59 meters. But the real earthquake begins in June 1966. Jaques Mayol, another super champion who dedicated 30 years of his life to the blue abyss, known as the first person to break the 100m barrier, dives 60m in the Bahamas. At the end of 1966, Enzo, pressed by new divers, dives to a depth of 62 meters and regains the title of champion. However, in 1967 the volcano wakes up again. Now he appears in the form of an American, whose name is Robert Croft. Having dived to a depth of 64 meters, he pressed the maestro from Italy, which caused him a lot of anxiety. Croft pioneered the new diving technique. He dived without a mask and fins, but with a load. He returned back, fingering the rope along which he descended. At the end of 1997, Croft, smiling from Cuba, Enzo dived to a depth of 67 meters. At the same time, Mayol is watching and learning Croft's new technique. Just a few days later, with a large crowd, Mayol sets a new record at the same place - 70 meters, knocking Croft out of the rut. In 1968, Croft again takes the lead. He dives to 73 meters, but earns pulmonary emphysema in the process and ends his short career.
In 1969, Enzo returns to the scene. He again sets the record by diving to 74 meters. But less than a month later, Mayol in Japan consistently sets two records - 75 and 77 meters. This concludes the second and most frantic decade of diving history.