What is the longest breath hold? A Deep Dive into World Records

September 25, 2025 •

4 min read

The average person can hold their breath for 30 to 90 seconds, yet world-class freedivers have shattered this limit by dozens of minutes. What is the longest breath hold ever recorded, and how is such an astonishing feat of human endurance possible?

Quick Summary

The longest oxygen-assisted breath hold is 29 minutes and 3 seconds, set by Vitomir Maričić in 2025. The longest unaided breath hold is 11 minutes and 35 seconds, set by Stéphane Mifsud in 2009.

Key Points

Oxygen-Assisted Record: The current Guinness World Record is 29 minutes and 3 seconds, set by Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić in June 2025 using a pre-breathing pure oxygen technique.
Unaided Record: The AIDA static apnea record without oxygen assistance is 11 minutes and 35 seconds, held by French freediver Stéphane Mifsud since 2009.
Physiological Mechanism: The urge to breathe is primarily triggered by rising carbon dioxide levels, not low oxygen. Elite freedivers train to increase their CO2 tolerance.
Diving Reflex: The mammalian diving reflex, which slows the heart rate and redirects blood to vital organs, is a key physiological adaptation utilized by freedivers.
Significant Risks: Attempting prolonged breath holds is extremely dangerous for untrained individuals and can lead to shallow water blackout, hypoxia, or brain damage, especially underwater.
Mental Discipline: Beyond physical conditioning, success relies heavily on mental training and relaxation techniques to overcome the discomfort and psychological urge to breathe.

The Current Oxygen-Assisted World Record Holder

On June 14, 2025, Croatian freediver Vitomir Maričić achieved an incredible Guinness World Record for the longest breath held voluntarily underwater, clocking in at 29 minutes and 3 seconds. This record was achieved in a controlled, three-meter-deep pool in Opatija, Croatia, and was supervised by certified judges. This astonishing feat relied on a preparatory technique known as pre-oxygenation or denitrogenation, where the athlete inhales pure (100%) oxygen for a period of time before the attempt. This process supersaturates the blood with oxygen, providing a much larger reservoir for the body to draw from during the breath hold.

While Maričić's performance is a testament to extreme physical and mental conditioning, the use of supplemental oxygen is a crucial distinction. It highlights the role of science and advanced techniques in pushing human limits far beyond what is possible with normal air alone. Even without the assistance of pure oxygen, Maričić is an elite athlete, with personal breath hold times exceeding 10 minutes.

The Unaided Static Apnea Record

For freediving purists, the most impressive breath-holding achievement is the static apnea record without any form of oxygen assistance. This record reflects the body's natural capacity and the diver's ability to withstand the intense urge to breathe that comes from carbon dioxide (CO2) buildup.

The current AIDA (International Association for the Development of Apnea) world record for unaided static apnea is 11 minutes and 35 seconds, achieved by French freediver Stéphane Mifsud in 2009. This record is often cited as the true benchmark of pure, unassisted human breath-holding potential. It demonstrates the years of rigorous training required to master the physical and psychological aspects of apnea.

The Physiological Science Behind Extreme Breath Holds

To understand how these records are possible, one must look at the physiological changes the body undergoes. Normally, the urge to breathe is triggered by rising CO2 levels in the blood, not by a lack of oxygen. Freedivers train to override this reflex and increase their tolerance to CO2.

The 'mammalian diving reflex' is another key component. This physiological response is naturally triggered when the face is immersed in cold water and includes several protective mechanisms:

Bradycardia: The heart rate slows down dramatically to reduce oxygen consumption.
Peripheral Vasoconstriction: Blood vessels in the extremities constrict, diverting oxygenated blood towards vital organs like the heart and brain.
Blood Shift: At depth, blood plasma and red blood cells fill the blood vessels in the chest and lungs to prevent lung damage from increasing water pressure.

In addition to these reflexes, a higher total lung capacity and greater oxygen saturation (especially with pre-oxygenation) give elite divers a significant edge. They learn to maximize their oxygen stores and minimize their metabolic rate to conserve energy.

Training for Longer Breath Holds

Becoming an elite freediver takes years of dedicated practice under expert supervision. Key training elements include:

Breath-Up Techniques: Using relaxation methods like diaphragmatic breathing to lower the heart rate and calm the mind before a breath hold.
CO2 and O2 Tables: These are structured training routines that involve timed breath holds and recovery periods to build tolerance to high CO2 levels and train the body to function efficiently with lower oxygen levels.
Visualization and Mental Control: Training the mind to stay calm and overcome the mental 'struggle phase' that is triggered by the involuntary contractions of the diaphragm.
Staying Motionless: Any unnecessary movement consumes valuable oxygen. Athletes remain perfectly still to conserve their limited supply.

The Serious Risks of Prolonged Breath Holding

Recreational breath holding is extremely dangerous and should never be practiced alone or without proper training. The risks are substantial and include:

Shallow Water Blackout: This occurs when a diver loses consciousness near the surface due to hypoxia, often after hyperventilating beforehand. The subsequent loss of muscle control can lead to drowning.
Hypoxia: A lack of oxygen to the brain and heart can cause severe and irreversible damage. In extreme cases, it can lead to fainting, seizures, or cardiac arrest.
Pulmonary Barotrauma: The immense pressure changes involved in deep diving can cause lung injuries like pulmonary edema or hemorrhage.

For these reasons, competitive freediving is conducted under strict safety guidelines, with trained safety personnel always on hand. The average person should not attempt to replicate these records.

Comparison of Record-Breaking Breath Holds

To clarify the distinction between assisted and unaided records, the following table provides a summary of major achievements.


Record Type	Time	Athlete	Year	Conditions	Significance
Oxygen-Assisted	29 min 3 sec	Vitomir Maričić	2025	Pre-breathed 100% O2, underwater	Current Guinness World Record, demonstrates physiological limits with supplementation.
Unaided (Static Apnea)	11 min 35 sec	Stéphane Mifsud	2009	Normal air, face down in a pool	Current AIDA World Record, demonstrates pure, unassisted human potential.
Oxygen-Assisted (Previous)	24 min 37 sec	Budimir Šobat	2021	Pre-breathed 100% O2, underwater	Previous Guinness World Record, surpassed by Maričić.
Unaided (Static Apnea)	~10 min 8 sec	Vitomir Maričić	Recent	Normal air	Elite unaided breath-hold time, impressive but short of Mifsud's record.

Conclusion: Pushing the Limits of Human Endurance

The longest breath hold is a title with a crucial technical distinction. While Vitomir Maričić’s 29-minute, oxygen-assisted feat is an incredible world record, the unaided record of 11 minutes and 35 seconds by Stéphane Mifsud showcases the pinnacle of pure physiological adaptation. Both records highlight the extraordinary capacity of the human body and mind when pushed to their limits through rigorous training.

It is vital to remember that these are high-risk, elite-level activities. Ordinary individuals should not attempt to hold their breath for extended periods, especially underwater, due to the severe risks of hypoxia and blackout. For those interested in the underlying physiology and risks, the National Institutes of Health provides extensive scientific literature on apnea and breath-holding phenomena: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6908740/

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest oxygen-assisted breath hold is held by Vitomir Maričić (29:03), while the longest unaided breath hold is held by Stéphane Mifsud (11:35).

Guinness World Records separates records into categories based on whether pure oxygen was used. The oxygen-assisted category highlights the peak performance achievable with supplementary oxygen, which significantly increases the body's oxygen stores.

The unaided record, which is performed without pre-breathing pure oxygen, is 11 minutes and 35 seconds, set by Stéphane Mifsud.

Yes, prolonged breath holding is extremely dangerous and can lead to hypoxia (lack of oxygen), brain damage, loss of consciousness, and potentially drowning, especially in water.

Shallow water blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain. It can occur during breath-hold diving, even in shallow water, and is a significant risk for those practicing breath-holding.

Freedivers undergo extensive training to increase their lung capacity, slow their metabolism, and build tolerance to high carbon dioxide levels. Techniques include relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, and practicing with CO2 and O2 tables.

While simple, short breath-hold exercises on land can increase capacity, attempting to drastically increase breath-hold times without expert supervision and safety measures is unsafe. It is crucial to never practice breath-holding alone in water.

Static apnea is holding one's breath for the longest possible time while remaining stationary. Dynamic apnea involves swimming a maximum distance underwater on a single breath.