How on Earth Did a Diver Hold His Breath for 29 Minutes?

 Most of us struggle to hold our breath past 60 seconds before the panic sets in. Two minutes? You’d already be squirming. But on June 16, Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić set a jaw-dropping record: 29 minutes and 3 seconds underwater.

Vitomir Maričić. Pic: ZME Science

That’s not a typo. That’s almost half an episode of Friends without a single breath. So… how?

1. Supercharging the Lungs 🫁

Freedivers don’t just “take a big breath.” They train their lungs like athletes train muscles. Through cardio, diaphragm workouts, and special breathing techniques, they expand lung volume and improve oxygen storage.

For this record, Maričić also pre-breathed 100% pure oxygen for 10 minutes — giving him far more fuel than regular air (which is only ~21% oxygen). That’s why Guinness classifies his feat as an “oxygen-assisted static apnea” record.

Even without pure O₂, though, he can still last over 10 minutes. Incredible.

2. Outsmarting the Urge to Breathe 😤

Here’s the twist: your brain doesn’t actually scream for air because you lack oxygen — it’s because of rising carbon dioxide (CO₂).

Freedivers train to delay that survival reflex, pushing past the diaphragm spasms that normally force you to gasp. It’s not comfortable (Maričić admitted his diaphragm was suffering), but years of training let him resist the “breathe now or die” signal.

3. Zen Mode: Mind Over Matter 🧘‍♂️

Past 20 minutes, Maričić said it actually got mentally easier. Why? He slowed his thoughts, dropped his heart rate to the bare minimum, and entered a meditative calm. Less brain activity = less oxygen burned.

Basically, he turned himself into a human sloth, lying motionless at the bottom of a 3-meter pool.

4. Not for the Rest of Us 🚫

Sounds cool? Sure. Safe? Not really.

  • High CO₂ can knock you out in seconds.

  • Pure oxygen can trigger toxic effects at high doses.

Maričić himself warns: this took years of training, and you should not try it at home unless you enjoy hospital visits.

🌟 The Takeaway

Vitomir Maričić’s record isn’t just about “holding your breath.” It’s about combining:

  • Biology (maximizing O₂ storage)

  • Physiology (training past CO₂ triggers)

  • Psychology (staying calm when your body says panic)

It’s human performance pushed to the extreme — part science, part madness, and a whole lot of lung power.

source: Conversation

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