After two previous attempts to break the World Record for the longest time spent submerged in open water, a Gili Trawangan resident, William Goodman, has broken the World Record for staying underwater.
William, aged 33 and originally from the UK, is a TDI Advanced Tri-mix instructor and Buddy Re-breather Instructor with Blue Marlin Dive on the island of Gili Trawangan in Lombok.
The daredevil diver went into the waters off Gili T at 08.11:33 hrs on 7 January 2010, emerging at 08:20:16 hrs on 9 January 2010 and setting a new record of 48 hours, 9 minutes and 17 seconds spent underwater.
Will has previously made two unofficial World Records, both on Gili Trawangan. The first was in 2005 when he spent 24 hours under water. In April 2008, he spent 33 hours underwater before abandoning his attempt, due to the severe conditions and developing a bad skin irritation. This new record has been adjudicated by witnesses and will be registered with Guinness World Records™.
The dive was made possible with the commitment of a support team from Blue Marlin Dive including owner, Simon Liddiard, and a team of PADI instructors. Official witnesses for the event included Tony Andrews from PADI.
Will’s dive was made using a combination of closed circuit re-breathers and open circuit scuba. During the attempt, Will was submerged to a depth exceeding 6m for the first 20 minutes of the record dive. He had no physical contact with the surface at anytime during his time underwater.
To enable Will to maintain a constant depth, a metal frame was constructed and positioned under the sea. This provided a base point for Will and a crucial observation point for the support crew. His support crew replenished his air supply when necessary and monitored his health throughout the dive.
Learning from his previous World Record attempts, when his dry suit failed to provide adequate protection against the cold and resulted in chaffing and the development of a bad skin reaction; for this dive Will wore a specialised custom-made 7mm wetsuit provided by O’Three, a British wetsuit company. Also in the 2008 attempt, Will tried to last the entire time with only limited liquids, severely restricting his nutrition while underwater to avoid the need to go to the toilet. This time, nutrition was provided in liquid form using protein shakes.
For entertainment during the long hours in the dark silence of the ocean, a waterproof housing was used for his iPod, while his support crew entertained and supported him throughout the long two days spent underwater.
His previous records and training with the use of specialist equipment gave Will the ability to break the latest challenging record set by Robert Silva in Belize in September 2009, who managed 48 hours and 3 minutes. A determined Will Goodman has broken this record by staying underwater for 6 minutes longer than that challenging feat.
The World Record is a coup for both Will and Blue Marlin Dive. The Gili Trawangan-based dive centre is the longest-established dive centre on Gili T and has a reputation for pushing boundaries and pioneering diving in the Gili Islands. Established by owner and avid diver, Simon Liddiard, in the 1990’s, the company now operates dive centres on all three of the Gilis as well as in Senggigi, on mainland Lombok.
Simon Liddiard not only pioneered the development of tourism on Gili Trawangan but he discovered many of the dive sites so popular today, such as the Japanese World War II Wreck, Tunang Wall and Simon’s Reef. The company now operates 12 boats and employs 175 local people, operating not only dive centres but also restaurants and accommodation on the Gilis.
William, who has worked for Blue Marlin Dive for the past four years, has been determined to set the World Record for the world’s longest dive in open water for many years and, with this success, he now has his sights set on breaking more records.
