Pipin's dive of 162 metres is the deepest....what AIDA is contesting is the method of judging and who does the judging, from what I've seen. I think if Pipin went down a line that is 162 metres long, video taped the whole thing, was watched by divers all the way to the bottom (something AIDA does not mandate for sled dives), and wore an extremely advanced dive computer that read 162+ metres, then he is the guy with the record.
I don't like the politics either, but because I am now a competitor I have to be concerned about the issues. If there are any holes at all in the safety protocol, they should be remedied, period. Most of us don't have to worry, as we are not sled diving or constant ballast diving beyond the depth of scuba divers, but some of our friends might be doing it, and that's a concern to me.
There have been attempts to communicate, but there appear to be egos and sticking points in the way unfortunately. You can sign up on the AIDA list on yahoogroups to see what has been said in the last while.
Cheers,
Erik Y.
+2 Celsius today...winter's coming
