Paul and Declan Devane carried out their dive at the Scubadive West Dive Centre, at Renvyle in Ireland’s County Galway last October.
The dive, which raised more than 35,000 euros for two children’s cancer charities, was intended to last for some 40 hours as a world open-sea diving duration record bid.
In the event the men had to withdraw before 12 hours had passed, after experiencing an equipment problem and hypothermia.
The Devanes then put it to Guinness that there should be two open-sea diving duration categories, to allow for the bigger challenge of remaining submerged in colder conditions.
Guinness agreed and has created a new category for records set in sea temperatures of no more than 15 degrees C.
Declan Devane, who remained submerged for marginally longer than his brother, is thus the inaugural world record holder for the Longest Open Saltwater Scuba Dive (Cold Water), with a time of 11hr 42min.
By the Devanes’ own judgment, the existing time is well short of what is possible given more effective equipping.
Others may well have a go and, the Devanes have confirmed to Divernet, they plan another attempt some time next year.
The Guinness world record holder for Longest Open Saltwater Scuba Dive, for sea temperatures above 15 degrees C, is another Irishman, Sean McGahern.
He remained under water for 25hr 10min off Westin Dragonara Resort’s Reef Club in Malta last September.
A British diver, Will Goodman, claimed a dive time of 48hr 9min off Indonesia’s Lombok Island in February, but this has not been recognised by Guinness.
The organisation’s Longest Open Fresh Water Scuba Dive world record holder is American Jerry Hall.
He spent 120hr 1min 9sec in Watauga Lake, Tennessee in September 2004.
The Guinness world record holder for Longest Scuba Dive (Controlled Environment) is Cem Karabay, of Turkey.
He remained in a tank at Istanbul’s Beylikduzu Migros Shopping Mall for 135hr 2min 19sec in August/September last year.
Related links
The Devanes prepare
The Devanes withdraw
McGahern record confirmation
Guinness World Records
Archive | 
Win a Luxfer pony cylinder
