[News] Famed Magician In Freediving World Record Stunt

[Jon]

I saw him on tv this morning and he's just in a bubble of water. Deco should not be a problem. I knew a local diver who was trying to do the scuba record in a lake- but had to get out after two days because of tornados. He said that DAN planned out his dive,since he was down to 15', and had him breath a bottle on nitrox once a day- air the rest of the time to avoid the build up of too much 02 over the week.

Jim, get your checkbook ready, we were watching the commercial for it last night and they showed David having a nice black-out with everyone yelling for him to wake up. My wife's comment was something to the effect of
"Oh, that's nice".

We'll see what happens if my mom happens to watch.:crutch

Jon

 

[neshamah]

Now that would be really nice, my whole family, and my friends, gather to watch this on TV and the show ends in a huge BLACK OUT and involves the use of extensive life saving support, complete with 02 and a defib unit to bring him back to life, and there goes any chance of me being able to freedive on a local charter boat again- plus, I might see my wife sell off all my stuff on E-Bay when I'm not around to notice it.
________

Oh that's bad- don't let your wife sell you stuff just tell her to donate it to me!

 

[BennyB]

Time to take our partners on a holiday somewhere nice for a week.

Somewhere say, without tv, internet, newspapers....

 

[neshamah]

well...

Im ready for the day just to see with my own eye instead of reading posting what is going on in NY!

 

[naiad]

rofl rofl rofl

Or if you are stuck at home, and your partner, mum etc. is already watching tv, create a distraction. Start singing loudly, say that you suddenly remember you need to watch the weather report on another channel, or hold your breath and have your very own samba.

The art of distraction has saved me from trouble many, many times. I prefer if people think I'm mad than if they discover the fish in the bathtub or the website about the dangers of freediving.

 

[Fondueset]

I want me one uh them spheres.

 

[pkotik]

Seems to me there is a huge opportunity here to educate large numbers of adults about the difference between entertainment and documentary ! After that, we may be able to make some headway against the confusion between claymation and reality...

It's a common problem. I have a brother in his late 40's who is convinced that large numbers of human beings were slain most brutally during the filming of Gladiator. Explanations involving the concepts of actors, directors, makeup, special effects - useless. I saw what I saw, he maintains. Violence !

It seems to me, too, that David Blaine's and ABC's interest in AIDA is about the same as Bono's interest in the Hicksville, Mississippi, High School Battle of the Bands.

Folks who think what Blaine is doing is trivial might try the following experiment: fill a bathtub and sit in it for 24 hours. No going to the toilet, no TV, no phone, no reading, no nothing. Just sit there. Report back to us here in the forum.

 

[smellsfishy]

I think what this event needs is a new york ending ...

A couple of punks absconding with the whole sphere (David included) on the back of a truck.

 

[efattah]

Keep in mind that David fasted for 6 days BEFORE EVEN GETTING IN to the sphere.

Prior to Monaco I fasted for 6 days and it was one of the hardest things I ever did... I was ready to crumble from lost willpower... and that is the state that he is STARTING the stunt, not to mention 6-7 more days without food....

 

[Fondueset]

I'm guessing the sphere is nice and warm - will he be able to sleep?
It's a good stunt - and stays true to his street performer roots.

 

[pkotik]

I heard that when he did his starving-in-the-cube stunt in London, it became a sport of local folk to tee up golf balls hundreds of meters away and try to drive them into Blaine's cube.

I like the New York ending idea ! Maybe they should seal the hatch shut and roll the sphere down Broadway. I hope (and suspect !) there will be some kind of cool surprise at the end.

Eric's comment addendum - according to Blaine, he also lost 50 lbs. since January for this stunt, so his 6 days in the cube with no food follows six days outside the cube with no food which follows nearly 4 months of very, very severe dieting and weight loss.

He looked quite spaced out to me as he addressed the media, just before climbing into the sphere.

 

[Jorg]

Good question about the sleep... how is he going to sleep? Only a regulator won't work, or will they switch to a full-face mask at night???

 

[AltSaint]

I have it on good authority that there will be some coverage of this in on tonight's ITV 10:30 News ( for people in the UK )....

...unless another John Prescott conquest emerges....

 

[smellsfishy]

Paul,

Is the sphere accessible to the public 24/7 ? Are they monitoring his body temp and heart rate ? What kind of liquid sustenance is he taking ?

 

[Jon]

He looked quite spaced out to me as he addressed the media, just before climbing into the sphere


Hmmm, that makes me wonder how long Anna Nicole Smith can hold her breath for?


Jon

 

[pkotik]

The sphere is outdoors, in the most public of places, plainly visible from one of the busiest intersections in Manhattan ! It is very accessible by the public 24/7. I don't know what monitoring is online right now - I'm headed back there in the middle of tonight and will duly note this and all other developments in my next dispatch. I'm wondering about the hydration issue, and the pruning thing, too.

 

[smellsfishy]

Paul,

Do you know what time you'll be there tonight ? Maybe I'll swing by.

Always a good thing to beat the lovely midday traffic

P.S. Lol Jon !

 

[pkotik]

Here's a link to the ABC network's web page for the Blaine show:

http://abc.go.com/specials/davidblaine.html

 

[pkotik]

I'm thinking of going to the Blaine site at around 3 AM. However, the best laid plans of mice and men.....

 

[smellsfishy]

Gotcha. Doubt I'll make it out that late.