Living underwater record challenge - 9th December 2024

A German aerospace engineer, Rüdiger Koch, is attempting to break the record for living under water. The Guinness World Record is 100 days, so Koch is hoping to remain for 120-150 days.

He's currently living in a SeaPod not too far from Panama, at 11 metres below the water's surface. But for Koch and his team, this adventure means far more than the world record.

Rüdiger Koch: "So, what we are trying to do here is proving that the seas are actually a viable environment for, erm, human expansion. So, push the frontier."

Koch's environmentally-friendly pod is a habitat for fish and corals to live on but above the water, his support team are located in a different, circular pod.

Koch helped set up the company Ocean Builders, which created the Seapod. They're optimistic that his experience will show the world the benefits of living underwater. It's a huge development for exciting future human habitats that are sustainable.

Rüdiger Koch: "Moving out that that the, to the ocean is is is something we should do as a species. So there should be many people living out in the ocean, not just myself and a few others. So, umm, that would be actually a contribution to restore things like reefs."

To break the record, Koch isn't allowed to come above water at any time. Every move he makes is also watched. He's extremely keen to dive outside, so the team are researching this possibility. They may change one of the windows into an "airlock", like those on a submarine or spacecraft.

Koch will emerge on 24th January 2025, after starting his adventure on 26th September.