9 Jul 2021

Spend 40 hours underwater

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Spending longer underwater than some people work in a week sounds extreme but breaking it down into 40 one hour-long scuba dives way off shore in the Red Sea made it a pleasure, especially during the pandemic!

Most dives last around 1 hour. At least, that is what I typically aim for. Sometimes, if there is strong current or some other issue then they may be shorter and equally, provided that it is safe to do so, it may be worth hanging around under the surface a bit longer (like I did to spend more time with the shark under our boat in the below video).

Plan the Dive, Dive the Plan:

My plan was to do all the dives during the pandemic once domestic travel was possible. I therefore would do the following trips to try and achieve it:

  1. Farazan Banks July 2020 (a total of 9 dives over 3 days) – cumulative total 9
  2. Yanbu September 2020 (a total of 12 dives over 3 days) – cumulative total 21
  3. Yanbu October 2020 (a total of 11 dives over 3 days) – cumulative total 32
  4. Rabigh May 2021 (a total of 12 dives over 3 days) – cumulative total 44

I figured that with 44 dives to go at, I had a 10% buffer / margin of error to make up any shortfall. However, things don’t always go to plan…!

Highlights:

Being able to do this during the pandemic kept me sane; a few things really stand out so I have listed them below:

  1. Interaction with a Silky Shark
  2. Freediving the Aiona
  3. My deepest dive to date
  4. Having a reef named after me (Budgie Smuggler Reef, Marker 35)
  5. Interaction with an Octopus hunting at night

I have expanded upon them in the body of this post, with pictures on my Instagram @cjburgoine and videos on my YouTube.

Farazan Banks July 2020 (a total of 9 dives over 3 days):

We did 9 dives over the long weekend and had some amazing experiences including a very up close and personal encounter with a beautiful and inquisitive Silky Shark:

The dive sites were as follows:

Day 1:

  1. Canyon Reef
  2. Malathu Island
  3. Shi’b Ammar Reef (night dive)

Day 2:

  1. Belgium Reef
  2. Malathu Island
  3. Marmar Island
  4. Shi’b Ammar Reef (night dive)

Day 3:

  1. Aramco Reef
  2. Aramco Reef

God laughs at people who make plans:

Due to an avoidable and thoroughly regrettable error on my part, I did not download the detailed data files from my dive computer before they were overwritten by the data from new dives. The computer records the total number of dives and has therefore recorded the dive took place but it only has capacity to hold the detailed data for 59 dives.

So, I can prove I was there and that I did 9 dives but if I rely on these dives, I will be unable to prove categorically that these dives equate to 9 of the 40 hours underwater!

This issue was exacerbated by me using my diving watch for freediving. Even when it is on Gauge mode, the number of dives racks up fast and risks overwriting important earlier dive data. I have addressed this by purchasing a separate watch, specifically for freediving.

I hereby commit to downloading my dive computer data after each and every trip going forward!

Moving on:

Since then, I managed to do the other 35 scuba dives so I’m confident that I have spent well over a total of 40 hours underwater. That being said, for the sake of completeness, I will gladly do another 5 dives to collect the 40 dives worth of data and post it on this blog.

For each dive, I’ve put a picture of the relevant dive maps or nautical charts below with some other links and photos etc. I’ve also included the detailed data from my dive computer for each of them. This allows you to see the maximum depth, total time, water temperature and dive profile of each dive, amongst other things.

Yanbu September 2020 (a total of 12 dives over 3 days):

Yanbu, KSA – nautical chart

The dive sites were as follows:

Day 1:

  1. Aiona Wreck
  2. Marker 32
  3. Abu Galawa
  4. Abu Galawa (night)

Day 2:

  1. Mansi
  2. Marker 39 Tes Tes
  3. Marker 35 Budgie Smuggler Reef 
  4. Abu Galawa (night)

Day 3:

  1. Marker 34 
  2. Marker 29
  3. Shermo Reef / Aiona
  4. Shermo Reef / Aiona (night)

Dive computer information and maps:

Aiona Wreck:

Marker 32:

Abu Galawa:

Abu Galawa (night):

Mansi (HH):

Marker 39 Tes Tes:

Marker 35 Budgie Smuggler Reef:

Abu Galawa:

Marker 34:

Marker 29 (no map available):

Shermo Reef / Aiona:

Shermo Reef / Aiona (night):

The sun setting at Shermo Reef

Yanbu October 2020 (a total of 11 dives over 3 days):

The dive sites were as follows:

Day 1 21/10/2020:

  1. Aiona
  2. Marker 32
  3. Abu Galawa

Day 2 22/10/2020:

  1. Mansie
  2. Marker 34
  3. Marker 35 Budgie Smuggler Reef
  4. Abu Galawa

Day 3 23/10/2020:

  1. Marker 39
  2. Aiona
  3. Marker 29
  4. Marker 29 (night)

Dive computer information and maps:

Aiona (my deepest dive so far):

Marker 32:

Abu Galawa:

Mansi:

Marker 34:

Marker 35 Budgie Smuggler Reef:

Abu Galawa night (unbelievable current):

Marker 39:

Iona inc. Freedive:

Marker 29:

Marker 29 (night):

Rabigh May 2021 (a total of 12 dives over 3 days):

Rabigh Nautical Charts

The dive sites were as follows:

Day 1:

  1. Abu Madafi Reef and Boiler Wreck
  2. Shib Nazar Reef
  3. Cement Wreck
  4. Cement Wreck (night)

Day 2:

  1. Maria Reef
  2. Mary Jane Reef
  3. Noura Reef
  4. Shib Al Karra Reef (night)

Day 3:

  1. Shib Al Bayda Reef
  2. Rose Reef
  3. Chicken Wreck
  4. Coral Garden (night)

Dive computer information, maps, videos and stuff:

Abu Madafi Reef and Boiler Wreck:

All wreck and swim throughs James Buddy 57 mins out on 110 bar 20.7 max depth

Shib Nazar Reef:

Cement Wreck: Out 120Freedive propeller and eagle ray! Love 

Cement Wreck night dive ian buddy:

Maria Reef: White tip Reef sharks and eagle Ray

Mary Jane Reef:

Noura Reef collected rubbish, pipe etc. 

Shib Al Karra Reef (night)

Shib Al Bayda Reef

Rose Reef strong current at one point 

Chicken Wreck big barracuda 

Coral Garden (night) night dive octopus!

    2 Jul 2021

    Scuba Dive below 40 Metres

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    If I can freedive on one breath to over 40 metres, how deep can can I dive with Scuba gear? Would breathing compressed air at 40 metres have an effect on me (nitrogen narcosis, for example)?

    The Aiona is a wreck in the Red Sea. The story I was told is that the ship was captured from the British by German submariners in World War 2. The Germans gifted it to their Turkish allies who ran it onto a reef off the coast of Yanbu, Saudi Arabia and it’s been there ever since!

    I’ve explored between 35 and 40 metres deep a number of times on this particular dive site and become familiar with it.

    Here is a video of an earlier trip:

    This 40s 4 40 trip, I was with a number of very experienced divers, none more so than my buddy. We wanted to know how deep the sea bed is and so took measurements in the sand, a few meters out from the propeller. Previously, I had only ever hovered above the sea bed, toward the top of the propeller.

    By doing so we achieved a depth of 48.7 metres – that’s my deepest dive so far.

    • Diver above the starboard side of the propeller
    • Diver going through the starboard side of the propeller
    • A few metres from the propeller
    • My buddy depth checking the sea bed
    • The Port side of the propeller

    Even though I was only 5 minutes into my dive, you can see from the below data how little time was available at that depth before I had to ascend to a more shallow depth to stay within no decompression dive limits (<2 minutes):

    I descended to 48.7m in 5 minutes, took some pictures and headed back up

    Clearly, I was aware of this and started to ascend too quickly for the dive computer’s liking; I was only 8 minutes into my dive and already on my ascent but within one minute of no decompression time!

    Dive computer screen warning me to slow down on my ascent – note 1 minute of no deco time remains

    Once I had added a few more minutes on my no decompression time by ascending, I slowed my assent rate appropriately.

    My deepest dive to date – 48.7m

    The rest of the dive was spent at a more shallow depth exploring the wreck itself and the reef to the North of it, before returning to the dive boat. The brief dip during the safety stop was to retrieve something.

    Going beyond no decompression limits is not necessarily a problem provided you manage it correctly but I believe it is good practice to stay within no decompression limits when recreational diving unless exceptional circumstances and experience provide good enough reason to go beyond them (e.g. an emergency or something like a specific wreck or incredible marine life).

    I experienced no negative effects during or after this dive. I’m left with a recollection of feeling lonely down there and it clearly being time to get back to the surface (full Buddy respect).

    Suffice to say, it is of the utmost importance to always dive within your personal limits, relative to your qualifications and who you are with.

    Here are some pictures of the Aiona from an earlier trip:

    Being reasonably familiar with the Aiona and with the support of my friends and dive operator, I freedived the wreck. The highlight for me was penetrating the wreck through a hatch on the port side and swimming up through the hull of the wreck before exiting through its broken deck to re-surface.

    You can watch more about the Aiona in the amazing documentary ‘Desert Seas’ by David Attenborough:

    See the Aiona at 38:40
    24 Jan 2021

    My 40th Birthday

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    Some people felt hard done to when their Birthdays fell during the first lock down but it soon became apparent that nearly all of use would experience a ‘lock down Birthday’ as this terrible pandemic developed.

    I had made arrangements to summit Puncak Jaya with a friend for my Birthday but Indonesia closed its borders and I found myself unable to travel internationally.

    Nonetheless, I was lucky to be able to celebrate over the course of a week by travelling to the coast to freedive and driving off-road into the desert to camp overnight. I even got a cake to mark the occasion and am very grateful 🙂

    I feel so lucky to have the amazing friends that I do, they made my time so special and memorable.

    A time lapse I made of the camping expedition

    On the day, I managed to achieve my personal best freediving to a depth of 41.2 metres on one breath; I will capture my experience via a separate post but here is a picture in advance:

    Over a metre deep for every year I’ve been alive!

    The alternative Birthday allowed me to spend a lot of time reflecting, catching up with friends old and new on small memories and life events and of course speaking to my Family to let them know how much I love and missed being with them.

    It was great to still be able go through old pictures that my Mum had kept – thanks to God for modern methods of communication!

    Pictures of me when I was much younger than I am today…
    Masha’Allah

    Zakaria Diving Instructor Freedive Master Instructor & scuba
    كبير مدربين غوص حر و سكوبا
    00966503645482📱
    Instagram:@zak_dive

    14 Mar 2020

    I’m donating 40 x £40 and more…

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    I’ve been busy as of late. I started a new job, have been away on business and have been in an intense planning phase for the 40s 4 40 challenge I set myself. The above has left little time to train for long distances but I’ve done numerous 10 kilometer runs with some speed work and cross-training by hiking and cycling. Currently, still keeping my feet out of the local pool to be socially responsible….

    With the onset of the corona virus pandemic I appreciate my current plans may be impacted but for now, I’m aiming to complete the 40s 4 40 challenge as follows, starting with the main events:

    Run over 40 kilometers: I entered the Manchester Marathon on the 5th April 2020

    Climb over 40,000 feet and climb the 4th of the world’s ‘7 summits’: To achieve this I will summit Aconcagua and Puncak Jaya. I summited Aconcagua in January of 2020 so that accounts for 22,837 feet of the cumulative 40,000 feet I have to climb, I will achieve the rest when I climb Puncak Jaya (16,024 feet) for or around my Birthday in November. Puncak Jaya will be my 4th of the 7 summits. To achieve the final thousand feet or so I will include the climb of my favourite hill, Great Hill (1,252 feet). By my calculation, this would give me a cumulative total climb of 40,113 feet (not including training ascents).

    Some friends are climbing Denali in July and I really want to to climb with them but based on the time it takes, my already depleted leave balance, having started a new job and with Ironman Kazakhstan in August, I’ve concluded that a Denali attempt in July is probably too demanding of myself and is likely to have a negative impact on my other commitments.

    Ironman 70.3 in 4 hours 40 minutes: I have entered Ironman Kazakhstan

    Free dive to 40 meters: I will use the travel restrictions to my advantage and should events get cancelled will spend more time earlier in the year off the Red Sea coast with Zakaria

    On a month-by-month basis the current schedule looks like this:

    January – Aconcagua

    February – Train and first attempt at 40 press ups in one minute

    March – Train and static apnea practice

    April – Manchester Marathon

    May – Free dive

    June – Train

    July – Train

    August – Ironman 70.3 Kazakhstan

    September – TBA

    October – Cycle 40 kilometers in one hour at the Riyadh Wheelers’ Bonita time trial

    November – Puncak Jaya

    December – Schedule margin, rest and inshallah celebration…..

    That of course leaves the less rigid challenges that do not need as much organisation and can either be attempted flexibly around the others or require constant attention throughout:

    Donate £40 to 40 charities: Time now, this requires at least one donation per week so I will attempt to post a blog once per week and follow each post with a donation.

    Drink a ’40’: Unless someone brings a 40 to me this could mean me travelling to the USA for the first time!

    Run 10 kilometers in 40 minutes: This is going to take a lot of work because based on my current performance and ability I don’t think I even know how to run this fast…. so, I will spend a few months doing speed work and then commit to a race later in the year.

    Do 40 press ups in one minute: I gave this a go in February and although a handful of the press ups were of questionable technique, by practicing throughout the year, I think I will be able to perfect the technique.

    Sleep 40 winks more often: if I get round to it….

    14 Feb 2020

    40 Press-Ups in 1 Minute & My Current Baseline

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    I previously referred to the 40s 4 40 challenges as ‘stretch targets’ and to appreciate why, I have attempted to record my current performance in this post. This will help me to understand how big a task I’ve got ahead of me. I’ve listed some of the challenges below with various reference points; my plan to completion will be the subject of a future post…

    40 Press ups / push ups in a minute: the easiest thing to do is watch the video; I reckon I’ve already nailed it and with a bit of work I’ll have this one sorted by the end of 2020…

    In early 2022 Thounaojam Niranjoy Singh from Manipur broke the Guinness Book of World Records for most push-ups (finger tips) in one minute. Niranjoy, who is a two-time Guinness World Record holder, broke the old record of 105 push-ups by achieving 109 push-ups in one minute during a Guinness Book of World Records attempt organised by Aztecs Sports Manipur at Aztecs fight studio in Imphal.

    The previous record holder in most push-ups (finger tips) in one minute is Graham Maly from the United Kingdom who set the record in 2009. These incredible records really put my achievement into perspective!

    Run 10k in 40 minutes: My Personal Best (PB) for 10 kilometres is 45 minutes 11 seconds and currently I feel comfortable running at 5 minutes per kilometre so really I’m probably running 50 minute 10ks. I therefore need to improve by between 12% and 20%. Not insignificant.

    Ironman 70.3 in 4 hours and 40 minutes: My PB is 5 hours 7 minutes, split as follows:

    Bahrain

    To achieve a 4:40 means I need to take just under half an hour off my best ever time and I’ll be looking to the run to achieve most of that…

    Marathon in under 4 hours and 40 minutes: No baseline as despite all the running I have done in my life, I have not yet run a marathon – hence the challenge! My PB for a half is 1:43.

    Free dive to 40 meters: I am AIDA Level 2 qualified (20m depth in constant weight class) but I once touched 22.4 meters, according to my dive watch. 40m is practically double my current depth and so quite a challenge. As a sub-category of this, I will attempt a 3 minutes 40 seconds breath-hold (my current personal best is 3 minutes 20 seconds). This is a mere 10% improvement and ideally I’d like to get over 4 minutes.

    @zak_dive / #zak_dive / https://www.facebook.com/zakaria.dive

    40,000 feet of climbing: The highest I’ve ever climbed is the summit of Aconcagua at 22,837 feet (6,962 meters) in January 2020 and until now, I’ve only ever climbed one high-altitude mountain per calendar year.

    The most I’ve ever climbed in a calendar year before now is 19,341 feet (5,895 meters) when I did Kilimanjaro in 2018. In a rolling year I’ve climbed a total of 56,370 feet (EBC & Kala Patthar in 2017 plus Kilimanjaro and Elbrus in 2018).

    I need to climb more than twice as high in one calendar year than I’ve ever done before but actually less than I have done before in a rolling year to reach a cumulative 40,000 feet (or more).

    Climb my 4th of the World’s 7 highest summits: I have climbed 3 of the World’s highest summits (Elbrus, Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua) so the next will be my 4th. This goes hand-in-hand with climbing 40,000+ feet.

    Cycle 40km in an hour: I completed a 25 mile time trial in October 2019 and was I’m 8 minutes over 1 hour so I need to improve by 12%.

    Drink a ’40’: I’ve seen them on American films but I’m yet to see one in the flesh and of course, drink it!

    Giving £40 to 40 charities: I think is better described as a privilege than a challenge….