From that moment on, you are in a new world. Everyone has their very own different experience underwater and everyone jumps into it for individual reasons. What’s yours?

Here at SCUBAJET it is a very special honour for us that we can call the Austrian freediver Herbert Nitsch a SCUBAJET ambassador and supporter from the very beginning. He’s known as “The Deepest Man on Earth” and has held all of eight freediving disciplines by AIDA. His stories are impressive as well as inspiring and we are always pleased to interview him.

A WORD WITH HERBERT NITSCH: THE DEEPEST MAN ON EARTH

How did you become a freediver?
Two decades ago I went on a SCUBA-diving trip on a live aboard when the airline lost my luggage. I ended up “snorkeling” instead and stayed longer and longer underwater as the days progressed. At the end of the trip a friend asked how deep I could “snorkel”, and we measured the depth. Once back home, my friend told me that I was close to the Austrian record in freediving (at the time, I did not know that freediving was a competitive sport). He told me to get some decent fins and go for a record, which I did (it became a world record).

What technical equipment is recommended for amateur freedivers?
A mask, snorkel, fins, and a bathing suit are all you need for freediving. Freediving is no more than swimming or snorkeling underwater while holding your breath. And breathing is overrated, by the way. Did you know that everyone can double or triple his/her breath hold time within a week? We are all born freedivers, we just need to re-learn what we already know since we were babies.

Why are you working with SCUBAJET right now?
SCUBAJET is the lightest, most compact, and the only underwater scooter that is suitable for air travel. Furthermore, SCUBAJET is efficient and tremendous fun. And it is Austrian-made!

What can beginner freedivers learn from your dives with the SCUBAJET?
When using a SCUBAJET you can dive longer with less effort. The most important thing for any freediver to learn, with or without a SCUBAJET, is to dive with a buddy.

Where are the most beautiful diving areas for you?
For fun freediving, I love to go anywhere with marine life, wrecks, or caves. Generally, I prefer warmer waters (specific places in French Polynesia, Palau, Maldives, or Greece for example), but I also enjoy freediving with seals and seven-gill sharks in the colder waters of South Africa.

What new possibilities does the SCUBAJET offer you?
SCUBAJET allows me to reach depths when freediving without effort, thus saving energy. This allows me to freedive longer underwater (handy when exploring caves). However, it is very important that the longer and/or deeper you freedive, the more surface time you need between dives to avoid decompression sickness.