• Welcome to the DeeperBlue.com Forums, the largest online community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing. To gain full access to the DeeperBlue.com Forums you must register for a free account. As a registered member you will be able to:

    • Join over 44,280+ fellow diving enthusiasts from around the world on this forum
    • Participate in and browse from over 516,210+ posts.
    • Communicate privately with other divers from around the world.
    • Post your own photos or view from 7,441+ user submitted images.
    • All this and much more...

    You can gain access to all this absolutely free when you register for an account, so sign up today!

Greatest freediver

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

What is the greatest freediver of all times?

  • Enzo Maiorca

    Votes: 7 3.8%
  • Jacques Mayol

    Votes: 32 17.5%
  • Pipin

    Votes: 13 7.1%
  • Umberto Pelizzari

    Votes: 63 34.4%
  • Debora Andollo

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Tanya Streeter

    Votes: 21 11.5%
  • Audrey Mestre

    Votes: 13 7.1%
  • Herbert Nitsch

    Votes: 19 10.4%
  • Martin Stepanek

    Votes: 15 8.2%
  • Gianluca Genoni

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    183
good

Well deeper blue is geting good-- I like to see all kind of people and diferente freediving from all arourd the word participating in the forum without interference- this always have been my prayer-and this is good - It doesn't a matter if we are the best or just a beginner -in our Creator point of view we are all the same

saludos
Daniel.
____________

" Esta es la mejor competencia donde todos nos llevamos el premio"
 
Last edited:
Originally posted by Pipin
I was made aware of this poll by my assistant. And for the first time (to my recollection) this will be the first time I write in this forum.

My vote for the greatest freediver without question goes to Audrey. Remember, by age 28 and with less than 2 weeks of deep sea training, she was able to reach a depth of 170 meters.

Her expertise and mental control allowed her to reach her goals and that is something I had to accomplish as well in order to match her record.

My second vote is for Umberto. Whom dispite all of the controversy, I respect very much and feel that his freediving span is lead by his fins, great mental strength and his ability to reach and conquer his goals and depths.

Great to see you here Pipin. You are the best in my book!!! I am a big fan of yours!! I hope you continue to keep breaking, and setting records!!

I think everyone, who had the pleasure of meeting Audrey, or has read about her (as I have) admires her.

Good luck to you!!
 
For me, the greatest freediver of all times, will always be Enzo, what's the problem, nobody seen to remember that in the 60's, he was the first man to break the 50m. mark, pulling aside the science, he was the first, who really dare. Imagine the minutes before the dive, when he was on surface, and the world watching.

" Il mare e gioia e dulure"
 
  • Like
Reactions: fpernett
Most people agree that Yorgos Haggi Statti dove way more than 50m way before Enzo! Still, it must be difficult to dive when the scientists tell you that you will die. There were no scientists telling Haggi Statti that he would die.

It reminds me of a nice quote I once heard. For the longest time, scientists believed that a bumblebee should not be able to fly. They said that according to the size of the wings, and the flapping pattern, and the mass of the bee, it cannot fly. The bumblebee, unaware of those 'facts', continued to fly anyway.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
 
  • Like
Reactions: tuomo
Ok, That's true, Haggi Statti made his amazing dive at -77m. to recover the anchor of the "Regina Margherita" in 1913, but nobody told him that at that depht maybe he could die. Like the French doctor said "Après il s'ècrase" ( beyond implotes), in the 50's, ten year's later Enzo Maiorca, put all that aside, that's why I think he is the greatest Freediver, for him was only the sea.

" Il Mare e gioia e Dulure"
Giovanni Profeta.
 
who's the greatest?

who has the least idea he is great
El que tenga la menor idea de lo que lo es
 
  • Like
Reactions: thud
My Daddy of course!!!

My Daddy is the greatest freediver of them all!

http://kv6j.net

Congratulations on setting the new US record yesterday! YAY!!! All my friends tell me that no human being can hold their breath for seven minutes without sustaining brain damage.

They may have a point...
--Lorraine, your proud daughter:wave
 
  • Like
Reactions: thud and flyboy748
Mayol... first man at 100 meter! First time with crazy world record with Enzo!
 
Does anyone know who was the first to hit 100m without blacking out? Everyone says Mayol blacked out on the 100m record dive. I haven't seen the video myself. Apparently it was in the IMAX oceanmen movie but not the TV version.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada
 
I am sorry to be so late to adding to this thread, but as "Will" approached it earlier in the thread is exactly how I was thinking. Not necessarily the same choice of people, since I do not know them or the history, but the approach is all that kept coming to my mind when I first saw the question. Well done Will.

Eric Fattah immediately came to my mind as I think of him as a person devoted to the exploration of the body and the mind in the pursuit of finding their place in the deep. Working through idea after idea to improve our chances of success towards a harmonious experience under the surface of the water. And to top it all off, sharing so openly his hard earned discoveries and ideas. Cheers mate! And wonderful to share the sea with you.
 
My personal fascination towards freediving can be found in this expression:

The sense of myself as I drift freely,
absorbed in the experience of a world not fully granted,
everything suggesting I am out of place,
yet I persist knowing full well,
when the time comes to take me away,
so be it,
I have felt life as it was given.

- Tyler Zetterstrom

Therefore the greatest freediver in my eyes would be the one living closest to this expression.
 
Haggi Statti was reputedly doing 110 meter dives regularly, and this is very rudimentary variable weight. His only verified depths were the dives he did to find the anchor, which happened to be at 80 m.
Also the man could stay at 30 m for 7 minutes, which (if it is true) would be better than any current freediver's potential.
 
As far as the freediver who has gone the furthest to help the community, I'll second Tyler's vote for Eric Fattah! What a help he has been. To me especially with the Frensel/Fattah method of equalizing! Now my depth limit is based on training and breath hold, equalization is no longer a factor. This after years of never getting deeper than 25 feet! All the time and money poured into the fluid goggles, (which I'm saving for BTW!) and over 900 posts of really helpful info!

Thanks Eric!

Aaron
 
Originally posted by efattah
Does anyone know who was the first to hit 100m without blacking out? Everyone says Mayol blacked out on the 100m record dive. I haven't seen the video myself. Apparently it was in the IMAX oceanmen movie but not the TV version.


Eric Fattah
BC, Canada

The record dive is described by himself in his book Homo Dolphinus (unsure of spelling). As far as I can recall he does not mention any blackout during the dive. The overall story was that he felt doubts during the descent for various reasons, but other than that nothing special. Who says he blacked out?

Has anyone here seen the IMAX version?
 
On the IMAX Movie there are only sequencies of a No Limit Dive of Jacques Mayol - don't even remember if it was the 101 m dive...
Umberto did it in 1994 in Variable Weight -
and Martin Stepanek broke the 100m Barrier in training on the force of his fin less than one week ago...

yours pat
 
Originally posted by pburgess
Why isn't Yasemin Dalkilic in the poll!?

She isn't because I didn't put her :D
I have not masterized the art of poll perfection ;)
 
How about another poll with Yasemin and David Lee included? Yasemin is an incredible diver. Her diving looks so effortless. How about Topi also?
 
Hello everybody:

For me was Jacques Mayol follow by his good friend Enzo Maiorca, they open the way to others apnea competitors.

Jacques was also the first (I think so) to pass the 100 meters barrier, he was around late 40's.

Also, one of the firts diver to use dolphins and made a good relationship with them

This is my personal opinion.
 
DeeperBlue.com - The Worlds Largest Community Dedicated To Freediving, Scuba Diving and Spearfishing

ABOUT US

ISSN 1469-865X | Copyright © 1996 - 2024 deeperblue.net limited.

DeeperBlue.com is the World's Largest Community dedicated to Freediving, Scuba Diving, Ocean Advocacy and Diving Travel.

We've been dedicated to bringing you the freshest news, features and discussions from around the underwater world since 1996.

ADVERT