Earlier this year McGahern, 35, an Irishman who lives in Malta, was awarded the Guinness world record for the longest open seawater scuba dive, where no water temperature is specified.
He had remained submerged in Maltese waters for 25hr 10min in September last year.
Now he is to dive off Sussex, at some time next month, in an attempt on the category’s recently created cold water division. This is defined as an open sea water dive in water of less than 15 degrees C.
A back-up team is being provided by Ocean View Diving Services, of Lancing.
Other British backers are O’Three, which is providing a drysuit, undersuit and heated vest; and Custom Diver, supplying a Bravo wing with harness for side-mounted 12-litre cylinders and the all-important pee valve.
From Malta, Scuba Systems has chipped in with Galileo Sol computers and bottom timers, while M & A Diving Supplies has provided a full-face mask and Legend regulators.
McGahern has told Divernet that he aims to remain submerged for a minimum of 15 to 20 hours, on a seabed 11m deep at low tide.
The cold water record was created by Guinness in May and awarded to another Irishman, Declan Devane, for a dive of 11hr 42min, carried out with his brother Paul off Ireland’s County Galway last October.
Related links
McGahern record confirmation
Cold water category established
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