First he held his breath for 29 minutes after breathing pure oxygen last year – now Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić is claiming another “don’t-try-this-kids” Guinness World Record (GWR) with a feat that took far less time to accomplish – a 300kg underwater squat-lift.
The stunt was carried out at the bottom of a covered outdoor swimming pool in Croatia. Maričić was able to increase his lift from an initial 220kg through 260kg to the eventual 300kg-weighted barbell, describing it as “an achievement far tougher than it looks”.
The freediver undertakes regular weight-training on dry land, although 210kg is his usual limit. The laws of physics mean that a weight under water is effectively a lighter load to lift, although other elements including drag, balance and the breath-hold itself provide additional challenges.
Physical challenges
In air a lifter feels the full mass of a weight but under water buoyant force makes this seem less. In a pool a 300kg steel barbell would have an apparent weight reduction of up to 40kg and feel up to 15% lighter.
Buoyancy reduction depends only on displaced volume so does not increase with depth once the weights are submerged, whether the lift is performed at 2 or 5m.
However, because movement through water is slowed by drag, the lifter has to generate force against the water as well as lifting the object, while the slower movements call for better control and stability.
Breath-holding at the same time, and the effects of depth on balance and lung function can also make the act of lifting more demanding on the body. Maričić’s preparation for the feat included lifting the 20kg barbell on freediving ascents from the bottom of the 5m pool.
World records
Maričić’s much-discussed underwater static breath-hold of 29min 3sec after breathing oxygen was achieved in June last year, as reported on Divernet.
Aiming for recognition of his latest feat by GWR as the world’s heaviest underwater squat-lift, the attempt was reportedly carried out subject to official requirements, though it has yet to be ratified. A delay is standard when a GWR adjudicator is not present at the event.
GWR already has a record for “fastest time to squat-lift 500kg in apnea under water (increasing weight)”. This was achieved in 1min 5sec by Tavi Castro of Mexico in Italy in late 2024.
For comparison with weight-lifting in dry conditions, Russian Andrey Malanichev has for 10 years held the Guinness World Record for heaviest male squat-lift at 485kg.
