With a single breath of air, Egyptian freediver Ashod Papazian, sponsored by Camel Dive Club, dived to a depth of 70 metres smashing the Egyptian National free-diving record in the Constant Weight discipline.

The 51-year-old shattered his own previous Egyptian record of 65 metres by 5 metres to claim the title.

The Constant Weight record, in which a diver must use just fins and their own power, is the most sought-after.

Setting the Egyptian record during Blue Week held at the Only One Apnea Centre in Sharm el Sheikh, Sinai, Papazian said the dive was challenging.

"It was an easy dive to 60 metres," Papazian said. “After that, it became difficult to equalise.”

On the descent, Papazian suffered a ruptured left eardrum after 60 metres. But at only a few metres from his goal, this did not deter him. “I saw the tag on the bottom plate and thought, ‘I have to get this.’”

With the tag in hand, Papazian had to endure extreme vertigo on his ascent as a result of the eardrum rupture. Closing his eyes and using the rope as a reference, he ascended to the surface.

“It was not a perfect dive, but I am happy with the score,” he commented.

Papazian competed in his first freediving competition in 1998 in Hurghada. On a whim he decided to enter and with his first ever dive to 35 metres, claimed second place. “The trick,” he says, “is not to panic, otherwise you lose valuable oxygen necessary for the return to the surface.”

For this dive, current World Record holder Sara Campbell, the British Champion based in Dahab and twelve-time World Record holder Umberto Pelizzari assisted Papazian in the water.

Blue Eye FX was on location to film Papazian’s record-breaking efforts. The production company has been awarded the contract to document all the free-diving competitions held at the Only One Apnea Centre this season.

For interviews or more information, please contact Ashod Papazian on +20 (0)18 7570305 or email ashod.papazian@gmail.com
For video footage of the dive, please contact Blue Eye FX Productions on +20 (0)18 4307099 or email mailto:info@blueeyefx.net