A six-day dive is pushing the limits by any standards, but that is what Turkish dive-duration specialist Cem Karabay has just achieved.
Karabay claimed his fourth world scuba-diving record after staying submerged in the Mediterranean Sea off Northern Cyprus – almost doubling his previous 72-hour saltwater submersion mark set last year. The achievement has been recognised by Guinness World Records.
Karabay set his first official world record for longest scuba-dive in an enclosed environment in 2009, and in 2011 extended that duration to eight days.
For his latest open-water challenge, which took place off Yavuz Çıkarma beach, the diver was able to eat and drink under water, and passed the time playing backgammon, chess and even football.
He surfaced on 20 July to be greeted by Northern Cyprus Prime Minister Huseyin Ozgurgun and his staff. The exact dive-duration of 142 hours, 42 minutes and 42 seconds was planned to reflect the 42nd anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July 1974, and Karabay surfaced on 20 July, the day on which the invasion had been launched.
