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Current Freediving World Records

The following is a list of the world records in freediving, as recognized by AIDA (the main regulatory organization), including the world records for breath-holding, depth and distance.

Last Update: 2010-04-26

Freediving World Records - Men

DisciplineResultCompetitorNationalityDate
Static Apnea11:35Stephane MifsudFrance2009-06-08
Dynamic Apnea with Fins250 mAlexey MolchanovRussia2008-10-05
Dynamic Apnea without Fins213 mDave MullinsNew Zealand2008-08-12
Constant Weight with Fins124 mHerbert NitschGermany2010-04-22
Constant Weight without Fins95 mWilliam TrubridgeNew Zealand2010-04-26
Free Immersion120 mHerbert NitschAustria2010-04-25
Variable Weight142 mHerbert NitschAustria2009-12-07
No Limits214 mHerbert NitschGermany2007-06-14

Freediving World Records - Women

DisciplineResultCompetitorNationalityDate
Static Apnea8:23Natalia MolchanovaRussia2009-08-21
Dynamic Apnea with Fins225 mNatalia MolchanovaRussia2010-04-25
Dynamic Apnea without Fins160 mNatalia MolchanovaRussia2009-08-20
Constant Weight with Fins96 mSara CampbellUK2009-04-02
Constant Weight without Fins62 mNatalia MolchanovaRussia2009-12-03
Free Immersion85 mNatalia MolchanovaRussia2008-07-27
Variable Weight122 mTanya StreeterUSA2003-07-19
No Limits160 mTanya StreeterUSA2002-08-17

Definition of Competitive Freediving disciplines

  • Static Apnea
    Maximum time holding breath while submerged under water. This is generally done face-down in a swimming pool.
  • Dynamic Apnea
    Maximum distance covered horizontally under water.
  • Constant Weight / Constant Ballast
    Maximum depth reached by a diver by swimming down and back up without any assistance (eg. line, sled, etc.). Records exist for both with fins and without fins.
  • Free Immersion
    Maximum depth reached by pulling oneself down and up on the competition line. No fins are used.
  • Variable Weight / Variable Ballast
    Maximum depth reached by a diver on a weighted sled before swimming back to the surface either by kicking and/or pulling on a rope.
  • No Limits
    Maximum depth reached by a diver on a weighted sled before being pulled to the surface by a lift bag that is inflated by the diver at depth. This is the discipline that receives the most publicity because of the extreme depths that have been reached. It is also the discipline that has given the sport the most bad publicity because of one or two highly-publicized accidents (eg. Audrey Mestre).