Shark Freediving

Yesterday Mandy-Rae Cruickshank broke the current freediving constant weight world record during a freediving competition off Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands. Current world record was in hands of Nathalia Molchanova with a depth of 86 meters set during the world championships in 2005. Mandy made an excellent 88 meter deep dive in a total time of 2:48 min. Congrats to Mandy!

On a side note, I find it strange that this competition wasn’t in the official AIDA calendar until the world record was set. The competition was just added this morning in the AIDA calendar. If you would think about it, it isn’t fair that such a competition is taking place in such a way that not everybody is aware of this, especially other potential world record setters in preparation for their own attempt. The first reactions in the community are all big congratulations but with the note that it comes as a big surprise because they didn’t knew the competition was going on. When I looked on the organizers website the competition was announced as an AIDA competition. Anyway, another learning point for AIDA? I guess you have to live on the Cayman’s to enter the competition with an entrance fee of 495 us dollar! Wow, that’s actually a lot of money for a 4-day competition. Not what we are used to here in Europe.

If you read further you can read the complete press release. Maybe there will be more records by Mandy, because the competition is ending tomorrow!

START PRESS RELEASE

New Women’s Freediving World Record Broken During 2nd PFI Cayman Competition

Sunday, April 29th, the women’s constant ballast freediving world record was reset with a depth of 88m / 289ft off Seven Mile Beach in the Cayman Islands by a member of Performance Freediving International Inc (PFI).

Mandy-Rae Cruickshank of Canada has been training in the Cayman Islands since April 8th in an attempt to break the freediving world record of constant ballast (kicking down to depth and back with weights under your own power) during the 2nd PFI Cayman Competition. On day two of the competition, Mandy-Rae achieved a depth of 88m / 289ft on one breath of air, the equivalent of a 29 story building in a time of 2 minutes 48 seconds. This record was held previously by Natalia Molchanova of Russia at 86m / 282ft.

Mandy-Rae is thirty-two years old and resides in Vancouver, Canada. Freediving competitively since 2000, Mandy-Rae has now held seven world records including previously the constant ballast world record where in March 2004 in Grand Cayman she achieved a depth of 78m / 256ft.

Mandy-Rae works with husband and long time coach and trainer Kirk Krack, founder of Performance Freediving International Inc. Kirk was formerly Vice-President of the Association for the International Development of Apnea (AIDA), the world governing body for the sport of freediving. AIDA Level A Judges Grant Graves and Matthew Charlton we’re in attendance ratifying the attempts and ensuring the strictest of safety protocols were followed.

Freediving or breath-hold diving as a sport is where athletes compete in disciplines involving time, depth and distance with different sub categories in each. The competitive world of freediving emerged in the late 1940′s and today is enjoying unprecedented growth and booming popularity with underwater enthusiasts the world over. Although freediving as a sport is relatively new, freediving as a means of sustenance can trace its roots back 4500 years.

The 2nd PFI Cayman Competition is supported with the generous financial help of ICU Medical and the Hyperbaric and Problem Wound Center at Mercy Hospital in Miami, Florida. Stingray Watersports of Grand Cayman is helping provide diving and accommodations. Professional equipment is furnished by Oceaner Sporting Goods and Yamamoto Corporation with additional support provided by Doc’s Proplugs.

The members of Performance Freediving International teach educational clinics around the world and are involved in both team and athlete development along with ongoing research programs.

To receive pictures and updates, please contact Kirk Krack at:
kirk.krack@performancefreediving.com.

Full streaming video, training diaries and pictures of previous events are available at www.performancefreediving.com.

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