Jamaican freediver David Lee is set to attempt a new world record in the Unassisted Constant Ballast category (F.R.E.E. sanctioning) during the first week of September. Lee, who holds the distinction of having set the first official world record in the category back in 2001, and then to have been the first human to break the 50 meter mark in this demanding discipline in 2002, is now aiming at becoming the first one to dive deeper than 60 meters without the aid of fins!
The current record of 60 meters, set by Finnish sensation Topi Lintukangas in November of 2002, is still the benchmark in this category, a dive considered by many to be one of the most significant accomplishments in freediving history. Commented Lee: "I always knew that I had a lot more left in me, and Rudi (Castineyra, Lee’s trainer) was always telling me that I could reach 60 meters for sure. But at the time, I was still diving basically against myself and was progressing slowly, trying to learn as much as possible, taking it easy. Once Topi did his dive to 60 meters, he sort of put everything into perspective for me, I definitely knew then what my next goal would be, and now I’m almost at the end of my training cycle, ready to make a push for it and retake the record. I am very excited and can hardly wait to get in the water"
Lee’s attempt will take place in the waters of the Aegean coastal town of Kas, in Turkey, between September 5th and 10th, provided all goes as planned. The event is being organized by Lee’s training partner, Turkish freediver Yasemin Dalkilic, and sponsored by Ideas in Blue, the underwater video production company that has filmed all of Lee, Dalkilic and Lintukangas’ world records. Lee will share his experiences during the record period, including graphs and photos of all his dives, through a "Record Diary" that will be published on Deeperblue.
