Shattered Limits: The World Record For Holding Breath—29 Minutes And Beyond
The human body’s capacity for survival is constantly being redefined, and no challenge illustrates this better than the world record for holding one’s breath. As of today, December 23, 2025, the official longest time a human has voluntarily held their breath stands at a staggering 29 minutes and 3 seconds, a mind-bending feat that has captured global attention and shattered all previous expectations of human endurance. This extreme discipline, known as static apnea, is governed by strict rules and split into categories, with the most sensational records often utilizing pure oxygen pre-breathing to hyper-saturate the blood before submersion.
Understanding the true "world record" requires looking beyond the single, headline-grabbing number. There are distinct categories—with and without oxygen pre-breathing—each representing a different physiological challenge. The world of competitive freediving, overseen by organizations like AIDA International and Guinness World Records, tracks these incredible achievements, highlighting the elite athletes who dedicate their lives to mastering the body's response to oxygen deprivation and carbon dioxide buildup.
The Absolute Record Holder: Vitomir Maričić
The man behind the current, nearly half-hour breath-hold record is a Croatian freediving powerhouse known for constantly pushing the boundaries of human performance.
- Full Name: Vitomir Maričić
- Nationality: Croatian
- Born: 1985 (Approx. 40 years old)
- Hometown: Kvarner, Croatia
- Primary Sport: Professional Freediver, Climber, and Explorer
- Key Achievement: Guinness World Record for Longest Time Breath Held Voluntarily Underwater (with oxygen pre-breathing)
- Record Time: 29 minutes and 3 seconds
- AIDA Ranking: Recognized by AIDA International as the number one ranked freediver in history
- Other Records: Holds multiple World Records and World Champion titles across various freediving disciplines, including a men's breath-hold walk record
Maričić’s record, achieved with the benefit of pre-breathing pure oxygen, is a testament to extreme physiological conditioning and mental fortitude. This technique, while controversial in the pure freediving community, allows the athlete to completely flood their system with oxygen, delaying the onset of the body's crucial urge to breathe (the hypercapnic alarm) for an extraordinary amount of time. He shattered the previous oxygen-assisted record by nearly five minutes, cementing his status as a legend in the sport.
The True Test of Endurance: Static Apnea Without Oxygen
When freedivers talk about the "pure" breath-hold record, they are referring to Static Apnea (STA) without the use of supplemental oxygen (O2 pre-breathing). This discipline relies solely on the air taken in during a normal breath, making it a far more direct measure of an athlete's physical and mental tolerance to hypoxia (low oxygen) and hypercapnia (high carbon dioxide).
Men's Static Apnea (STA) Records
The records for men's pure static apnea are incredibly close, with slight variations depending on the sanctioning body:
- Guinness World Record: 11 minutes and 54 seconds (11:54). This record is held by Serbian freediver Branko Petrovic.
- AIDA International Record: 11 minutes and 35 seconds (11:35). This is the official record recognized by the International Association for the Development of Apnea (AIDA), set by Frenchman Stéphane Mifsud on June 8, 2009.
The difference between the two records often comes down to specific rules regarding preparation (e.g., how long the athlete rests or how they take their final breath). Regardless of the 19-second difference, any time over 11 minutes represents a phenomenal control over the body’s most basic survival instinct. Petrovic’s record, in particular, has stood as a benchmark for the extreme limits of breath-holding without O2 assistance.
Women's Static Apnea (STA) Records
The female athletes in static apnea demonstrate equally impressive physiological control, pushing their bodies to similar limits of CO2 tolerance.
- AIDA International Record: 9 minutes and 22 seconds (9:22). This record was recently set by German freediver Heike Schwerdtner on May 4, 2025.
Schwerdtner's performance highlights the rapid progression in women's freediving, as she improved her own previous world record by 15 seconds. This sub-10-minute time is a significant barrier that elite female freedivers are consistently challenging.
Beyond Time: Dynamic Apnea and Other Disciplines
While static apnea measures time, the sport of freediving encompasses other disciplines that measure distance and depth, known collectively as Dynamic Apnea. These records showcase the combination of breath-hold capability with physical exertion.
- Dynamic Apnea With Fins (DYN): This record involves swimming the farthest distance underwater on a single breath using a monofin or bifins. The current men's AIDA record is a staggering 307 meters (over 1,000 feet), set by China's Ming Jin at the AIDA 2024 Asian Pool Championship.
- Dynamic Apnea Without Fins (DNF): The most challenging pool discipline, DNF requires the athlete to swim using only their arms and legs. The current women's AIDA World Record is 213 meters, achieved by Julia Kozerska of Poland.
These dynamic disciplines require not only an extreme tolerance for hypoxia but also peak physical conditioning, as the body consumes oxygen much faster while swimming. The athletes must perfectly balance their speed, technique, and energy expenditure to maximize their distance before the inevitable urge to breathe becomes overwhelming.
The Science of Survival: Techniques and Dangers
Achieving a world record breath-hold is not merely about willpower; it is a highly technical and dangerous physiological exercise. Elite freedivers employ specific techniques to increase their time and manage the body's chemical signals.
Key Training Techniques
Freedivers train extensively to increase their tolerance to carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the primary trigger for the urge to breathe, not the lack of oxygen.
- CO2 Tables: Structured training where the breath-hold time is kept constant, but the recovery time is progressively shortened. This forces the body to adapt to higher levels of CO2.
- O2 Tables: Training where the recovery time is kept constant, but the breath-hold time is progressively lengthened, improving oxygen efficiency.
- Lung Packing (Glossopharyngeal Insufflation): A controversial but common technique where the athlete uses their mouth and throat muscles to "gulp" extra air into the lungs after a full inhalation, exceeding total lung capacity. This is what allows for the extreme static apnea times.
- Dry Static Apnea: Practicing breath-holds out of the water, such as lying in bed, is a safe way to improve breath-hold time and mental focus without the risks associated with water.
- Visualization: Mental training and positive visualization are crucial for maintaining a relaxed state, which minimizes the body's metabolic rate and conserves precious oxygen.
The Inherent Dangers of Freediving
The pursuit of these records is inherently risky and must only be attempted under expert supervision. The two primary dangers are:
- Shallow Water Blackout (SWB): This is the sudden loss of consciousness due to cerebral hypoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain), typically occurring close to the surface after a dive or breath-hold. It is the leading cause of death in freediving.
- Laryngospasm: A protective reflex where the vocal cords snap shut to prevent water from entering the lungs. While a defense mechanism, it can lead to fatal complications if not quickly resolved.
Competitive static apnea is always performed with dedicated safety personnel who monitor the athlete for signs of blackout or distress. The world record feats are a spectacular display of human potential, but they serve as a powerful reminder that pushing these limits requires years of disciplined training, rigorous safety protocols, and a deep understanding of human physiology.
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