Posted by Chris on June 23, 2004 at 13:30:07:
The Wits University Underwater Club (WUC) will attempt to reach a new world record depth of 320m (1050 ft.) in the Red Sea next month, the university said on Wednesday.
University of the Witwatersrand spokesperson Shirona Hassim said a small team of eight divers would attempt the feat together with the present record holder, South African civil engineer Nuno Gomes.
"Nuno's current world record (Guinness World Book 2002 and 2004) has stood for more than six years. The few attempts to break the 286m record failed, until a British attempt was successful in 2001 (301m).
Hassim said the team had been preparing for the dive for years, and had succeeded in a series of build up dives since 2002. "The last one was 194m in Kuruman, Northern Cape."
She said the Wits Underwater Club had secured sponsorship from a number of companies, but still needed to get their divers and equipment to the Red Sea to complete South African attempt.
The World Record Attempt will be covered on both the Internet at www.nunogomes.co.za, and a documentary covering pre- and post- trip events.
Hassim said the WUC offered sports including underwater hockey, sport diving, scuba orienteering, spear fishing, to world class instruction in technical diving, either deep, cave, mixed gas or wreck diving.
WUC Scuba Diving is affiliated to the Transvaal Underwater Union and the (TUU) South Africa Underwater Union (SAUU).
The TUU and SAUU are affiliated to CMAS, the World Diving Federation. - Sapa