Turkish scuba instructor Mazlum Kibar has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest open saltwater scuba dive in cold water, remaining submerged for more than 36 hours in the Aegean Sea.
Kibar entered the water at Mimoza Beach in Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli peninsula at 07:00 on 14 March and stayed at a depth of 7m in water temperatures of around 12°C.
He surfaced after 36 hours, 9 minutes and 36 seconds, breaking the previous record of 30 hours and 20 minutes set by fellow Turkish diver Cem Karabay in April 2018, also in the Çanakkale region.
The attempt was overseen by an official Guinness World Records adjudicator, who travelled from Portugal and confirmed the record on site.
Kibar said after completing the dive that he had prepared extensively for the attempt and aimed to improve on the existing record. ‘I trained for a long time for this,’ he said. ‘I wanted to bring this record to my country.’
The dive was conducted with a full surface support team, including safety divers and medical supervision throughout the attempt.
Speaking after the certification, Kibar said he hoped the achievement would encourage further interest in diving. ‘I am proud to have broken this record,’ he said. ‘This is an important moment for Turkish diving.’
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