South African man sets record for world’s deepest dive

Date: 13 Jun 2005
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

South African engineer, Nuno Gomes, entered the Guinness Book of Records for mankind’s deepest dive ever on 13 June 2005. Gomes’318.25m plunge beat the record of 313m, set by Mark Ellyatt in Thailand in 2003. His target was a depth of 320, but he only managed 318.25, which still proved good enough for a world record. It took Gomes only 20 minutes to descend, but returning to the surface took an agonising 12 hours. The quick descend and slow return to surface is a technique used in extremely deep scuba diving. Gomes is one of very few people to have descended below depths of 250m. More people have been on the moon than below the sea.

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01Divetime Deepest Scuba Dives Ever Recorded [online] Available at: www.divetime.com [Accessed on 28 May 2012]
02Venter P. Nuno Gomes from Nuno Gomes [online] Available at: www.nunogomes.co.za [Accessed on 28 May 2012]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, June 7). South African man sets record for world’s deepest dive. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085161

South African History Online (2012) 'South African man sets record for world’s deepest dive', South African History Online, 7 June. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085161 (Accessed: 29 August 2026).

South African History Online, South African man sets record for world’s deepest dive [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085161, (accessed 29 August 2026).

"South African man sets record for world’s deepest dive." South African History Online, 7 June 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085161. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "South African man sets record for world’s deepest dive." South African History Online. June 7, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0085161.