Scuba Diver Gets Ready to Break another Scuba Diving World Record This Week

It seems that breaking one diving world record is not enough for Allen Sherrod as he announces that he will be attempting to break another one on 25th October, 2011, for the longest saltwater dive.

Sherrod recently set the world record for the longest freshwater dive after spending five days in a Florida lake.

The diver is planning to enter the Atlantic Ocean in front of the Windjammer Resort near Lauderdale-By-The-Sea at 8am on Tuesday and if everything goes to schedule he will emerge on Thursday 27th October at 8am, breaking the current world record by 24 hours.

Image of Windjammer Resort by Random Snapper, on Flickr.

Sherrod will spend his time 15 feet underwater near the town's new artificial reef which is situated 200 metres offshore. The diver chose this location for his world record attempt because the reefs are colourful and close to the beach, also making them a popular attraction for tourists taking scuba diving holidays.

"This is the coolest shore dive place in all of Florida," Sherrod said.

Unlike the calm waters of the freshwater lake from his previous world record breaking success, the Atlantic Ocean presents new challenges such as bad weather and strong currents.

"When you get in the ocean, it's an uncontrolled environment," Sherrod explained. "It's a roll of the dice."

During his scuba diving record-breaking attempt, the diver must stay well hydrated and keep his hands insulated with lotion and gloves, but Sherrod says that the biggest problem is not the physical aspects of the challenge.

"It's a real drain on you mentally," he said. "You get tired enough, you'll sleep anywhere."

Approximately 35 to 40 tanks are needed to help Sherrod stay underwater for 72 hours and his food will have to be in liquid form and will be made up of Gatorade and chocolate Ensure.

Image by takau99, on Flickr.

Sherrod will be wearing a full face mask and he will be able to chat to other divers with the use of an underwater speaker system inside a pony tank. TV, radio or print journalists who are certified divers are invited to interview him underwater during the challenge.

Money raised from the dive will go towards the artificial reef after its solar-panel buoys were damaged recently in rough seas.
In order to break the world record, Sherrod must stay underwater for more than 48 hours, 8 minutes and 7 seconds; a record that was set by William Gordon in Indonesia in 2010.

When Sherrod was asked why he was attempting to break the longest saltwater dive world record, he replied: "We have a bad economy. I didn't have anything else to do."

Florida is one of the most popular scuba diving destinations in the United States and in September 1997, Broward County Commission declared Lauderdale-By-The-Sea the "Shore Dive Capital of South Florida."