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THE BIGGEST
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IN
THIS biggest and deepest freediving competition ever AQUATEC - INNERSPACE
OPERATIONS LTD. participated AS ORGANISER AND also provided THE DEEPEST OPEN
CIRCUIT DIVE SUPPORT. From the 24th to 31st OF MAY 2003, freediving aficionados from around the world met in Cyprus for the first ever Freediver Open Classic Competition. With freedivers traveling from countries as far away as New Zealand, japan, hawaii and Colombia to take part, and with over 175 competitors from 31 different countries, it was the biggest competition in the history of the sport ever. INCLUDED was ALSO THE UK CHAMPIONSHIP AND A TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP. |
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THE DISCIPLINES CONSTANT WEIGHT
CURRENT RECORD |
Considered the purest form of freediving. The diver descends and ascends on one breath wearing fins, and must return to the surface with the weight he or she wore on the way down. men, -90 m women, -70 m. |
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STATIC APNEA
CURRENT RECORD |
A pure breath hold discipline in which the divers compete to hold their breath without any physical demands put on them but are timed. men, 8.06 min. women, 6.16 min. |
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DYNAMIC APNEA
CURRENT RECORD |
Horizontal distance finning on one breath.
men, 181m women, 150 m. |
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AIDA |
THE SONY FREEDIVER OPEN CLASSIC 2003 - CYPRUS was OFFICIATED UNDER STRICT RULES AND SAFETY MEASURES BY AIDA THE LEADING WORLD AUTHORITY IN THIS EXTREME OF EXTREME SPORTS. AIDA represented THE INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF JUDGES. |
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FREEDIVERS |
CYPRUS was represented WITH TEN OF ITS BEST FREEDIVERS LEAD BY THE LOCAL CHAMPION SAVVAS SAVVA (SEE 1ST PAN CYPRIOT APNEA CHAMPIONSHIP AT THE ACTIVITY PAGE). |
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SAFETY DIVERS |
a massive team of some of the worlds best deep safety and support divers using latest dive technology accompanied the apneists. DEEP DIVE SUPPORT was CONDUCTED ON CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHERS AND HELIUM BREATHING GAS MIXES. AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS Provided THE DEEPEST OPEN CIRCUIT DIVES. |
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EXTENDED RANGE DIVING |
IN ORDER TO PROVIDE HIGHEST SAFETY FOR THE FREEDIVERS A SPECIALISED INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF SAFETY DIVERS WAS ASSEMBLED. THIS TEAM WAS CATEGORISED IN ROTATING SUB-TEAMS OF DEEP CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHER DIVERS, OPEN CIRCUIT DEEP DIVERS, MEDIUM RANGE AND SHALLOW SCUBA DIVERS, SUPPORT DIVERS AT ALL DEPTH LEVELS, SAFETY FREEDIVERS AND SURFACE STAND-BY DIVERS. MAXIMUM DEPTH WAS -93 METERS ON AN INSPIRATION CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHER BY MRS. JEANETTE COPELAND. 2 MORE KISS REBREATHERS WERE ALSO IN USE. REASON FOR THE USE OF REBREATHERS WERE THE EXORBITANT GAS COSTS OF THE MONOPOLISED CYPRIOT GAS MARKET AND THE ABSENT OF BUBBLES WHICH WOULD DISTURB THE COMPETITORS. DEEPEST OPEN CIRCUIT DIVES TO DEPTHS OF -85 METERS WERE DONE BY AQUATEC - INNERSPACE OPERATIONS. FOR THESE DIVES A BOTTOM BREATHING GAS MIX OF 14% HELIUM, 40% OXYGEN (REST NITROGEN) WAS USED. BECAUSE THIS MIX IS HYPOXIC, AIR AS TRAVEL GAS TO -10 METERS WAS USED. FOR DECOMPRESSION ENRICHED AIR OF 38% OXYGEN AND SURFACE SUPPLY PURE OXYGEN WAS BREATHED. BOTTOM TIMES WERE 15 MINUTES WITH 60 MINUTES DECOMPRESSION STARTING AT -57 METERS. BESIDES THE TASK AS SAFETY DIVER, THE DEEPEST DIVER WAS ALSO IN CHARGE TO FILM LIVE THE FREEDIVERS REACHING TARGET DEPTH AND BE VISUAL ASSISTANT FOR THE JUDGES. EVERY SAFETY DIVER WAS BACKED UP WITH AN IN WATER SUPPORT DIVER. |
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WORLD COMMUNITY |
most participants brought their families and many tourists just came to CYPRUS TO watch the competition. over all more than 300 people were involved in this event. |
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MEDIA |
Cyprus
got a great deal of media coverage from this happening, it is the most
talked about thing in the freediving world. Western
Morning news deeperblue.net AND freediver.co.uk (SEE LINX PAGE). every web site in the world that covers freediving + DIVING. A Documentary Film crew from Monaco is producing a film. Sky TV covers 45 minutes World Wide. Times, Observer and Mail did an exclusive. a DVD is produced for world wide distribution. Freedivers from 35 countries will take photos and write articles for their own National Diving Magazines. |
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SPONSORS |
#1 - #2 |
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SCARY |
THE ORGANISERS planned to stage this FREEDIVE EVENT as a yearly VENUE IN CYPRUS. THE LOCAL MAJORITY INVESTED GREAT EFFORT AND SUPPORT INTO THIS BIG EVENT BEING AWARE THAT IT IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY. CONTRARY A MINORITY SEEMS TO misuse THEIR MONOPOLE STATUS rigorously FOR A HASTY FINANCIAL GAIN. THEREFORE THE ORGANISERS HAVE TO CONSIDER TO PLACE FUTURE ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FREEDIVE COMPETITIONS IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. |
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FINAL |
THE SONY FREEDIVER OPEN CLASSIC WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. SEVERAL WORLD RECORDS AND NATIONAL RECORDS WERE BROKEN. |
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DETAILS |
PLEASE VISIT THE WEB SITES OF freediver.co.uk AND deeperblue.net (LINK PAGE) FOR IN DEPTH DETAILS AND REPORTS.
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