An Awareness Event, A New Record - Shafraz's impressive 50-hour diving odyssey

On February 25^th, 2022, former military diving instructor Shafraz Naeem, boasting a decorated 27-year experience in diving, embarked on an ambitious journey; spend 50 consistent hours underwater at a depth of six meters.

The event also had a more admirable secondary objective, which is to raise awareness and campaign against plastic pollution of the oceans, while Shafraz set his dive for 50 hours to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Maldives tourism industry that fell on October 2022.

On the event’s date, Shafraz descended below the sea level at exactly 15:34 hrs. This dive was conducted in a sidemount configuration allowing Shafraz greater flexibility of movement and less strain on his spine while the cylinder exchange was done without glitches.

A dedicated team of technical divers, including qualified doctors, technicians, and experienced diving instructors accompanied him during his underwater journey. The event was also visited by local diving enthusiasts in nearby diving resorts in the Maldives as well.

On February 27^th, 2022, Shafraz emerged above the water after successfully concluding his 50-hour dive. While visibly exhausted, he was in excellent condition.

While the event garnered interest in the region from those more vested about the long-term implications of such a daring attempt, it nevertheless flew under the radar of local media.

Exactly two years later, ‘Sun’ was blessed to have an intimate conversation with the daring daredevil diver and his experience from the event. We did our best to ask the most crucial and important questions related to the marvelous feat he achieved, to which he was very sincere in answering.

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Q – First of all, Mr. Shafraz, could you kindly give us a brief introduction about yourself?

A – So, everyone knows me as Shaff. I’ve been diving for almost 30 years now. I was a diver and a military diving instructor at MNDF Coast Guard as well. And [I] have been doing technical diving since 2002. Doing a lot of deep exploration dives of the reefs and cave systems in Maldives. I also enjoy taking underwater photos whenever I can.

Q – Could you list out the most notable achievements in your professional and diving career?

A – Most notable would be finding new underwater cave systems in Maldives, winning the underwater photography competition held by Maldives Tourism board and then now achieving the Asian Record for the longest Scuba Dive. I never realized it is an Asian Record at that time. Only a few weeks later a friend of mine called me and told that it is.

Q – The 50-hour diving had a significant motivation of creating awareness towards environmental preservation; so, could you tell me about your fundamental views on the Maldivian environment, steps taken currently for conservation and preservation efforts?

A – Maldivian environment is incredibly important because of the coral reefs, diverse marine life, and beautiful islands. Preserving it is crucial for our future. Currently, the steps that are being taken to protect the Maldivian environment is not enough. On one side there are so many people trying all they can to protect the fragile environment and on the other hand there is the destruction of it in the name of development. Which is a very sad thing to see. I hope the government takes it more seriously.

It is vital to stop destroying the reefs and lagoons in the name of development.

Q – Do you believe the Maldivian government, and environmental organizations are currently doing their best towards environmental conservation and preservation?

A – That’s a hard question to answer. To be honest there are very few good environmental organizations who are doing real work to protect and preserve the environment. Quite a few are just a name-sake and making money for some foreign individual. The government is not doing their best either when you look at all the “development” programs that are going on across the country.

Q – With regards to the 50-hour dive, could you let us know the planning and thought process behind initiating such a significant event?

A – I came up with the idea way back in 2018 as a 24-hour dive. But I didn’t get much support to make it happen. Then, when the government announced that 2022 is the 50-year celebration of tourism in Maldives, I decided to make it a 50-hour dive. The planning was hard as I had to prepare myself for such a long dive, which is not good for the health as well. I talked to a lot of people in the dive community and got their advice and managed to come up with a good plan how to execute it.

Q – What were the measures (safety and otherwise) discussed and placed before the diving took place?

A – I had a very good team of safety divers for the dive and they were briefed well on what to do if something happens. Since the depth was shallow, if I didn’t feel well or anything happened to me while I was down there, the team could have brought me up to the surface immediately. We had a boat from MNDF Coast Guard on station all times in case of an emergency evacuation.

Q – Who collaborated with you in the diving event?

A – I couldn’t have done the dive without the immense support from my Maldivian support diver team and help from some of the best international dive equipment companies in the world, like Fourth Element, Shearwater Computers, Ocean Reef and X Deep. And locally, a lot of companies and organizations supported me like Dhiraagu, National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM), Maldivers, Ocean Warriors, NooRaajje, SeaGear and CROSSROADS Maldives for example. And MMPRC gave a significant amount of help as well.

Q – A lengthy, non-stop diving expedition, such as the one you undertook would not have been without its challenges. So, could you highlight some areas that were concerning aspects before the dive, and the challenges you faced during the dive?

A – Before the dive, I was very worried about the “what ifs” that could happen. During the dive on the first night, I felt nausea and I had to vomit twice. That was unpleasant. Then on the last day early in the morning, my dry suit started leaking and I was getting we, and I was getting cold because of that.

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Although such an incredible event may have flown under radar locally, it has since been made into a full-fledged documentary, slated for release on April 2024.

Speaking about the decision of releasing the documentary chronicling Shafraz’s diving odyssey, he said it was never the initial plan, but was approached by Lifton Media with the idea of making the event into a documentary; mainly due to the significant amount of footage grabbed during the dive.

The documentary revolves around Shafraz’s diving expedition. The producers of the film met Shafraz at his home in Switzerland, where they talked over the script and narration. The documentary touches upon Shafraz’s story and his workout routine in a detailed manner as well.

The documentary aims to highlight two aspects about Shafraz’s 50-hour dive; firstly, the personal motivation behind it and secondly, the urge as a tech diver to push his own limits. The feature-length film also covers the environmental aspect of the endeavor, inquiring from the crew on the boat about their personal motivation to join Shafraz to support him.

The production team also canvassed the “non-touristy side” of Maafushi, the venue of the dive, to understand the effects of plastic waste on the islands.

This documentary is scheduled for official release on April 19^th, 2024 in a closed premiere in an UCI theater (AMC Group) in Bochum, Germany. The film will be screened in front of 240 invited guests including members of dive communities worldwide, local celebrities and press.

The official Asian premiere of the documentary is scheduled to take place at the Malaysian International Dive Expo on July 08^th, at 13:40hrs, in front of an expected attendance of approximately 10,000 visitors.

With his achievement now immortalized in celluloid, Shafraz should be flying on Cloud-9 with the joy of success. In this sense and regard, it should not come as a surprise that Shafraz is already looking forward for his next adventure.

“Yes, I’m planning another extreme dive for next year. Hoping to announce it soon,” he said enthusiastically.

Since it has been accentuated just how much of a significant achievement this was for a diver, that too for a Maldivian diver with a decorated career, it has also been highlighted how the event has not received the recognition it truly deserves.

Commenting to this, Shafraz regrettably pointed out to the lack of recognition from the Maldives government; both previous or current.

He however, expressed gratitude for the immense support and recognition he received from the international dive community, such as the Tourism Promotion Board heads from Indonesia, Thailand, and Philippines; who had all, personally congratulated Shafraz for his Asian Record. Moreover, the event was covered on several international dive magazines.

When asked if there was anything he would have done differently for this event, if given the chance to re-emulate it, or to organize a future one, Shafraz said he would never hire an ‘event manager’ who lacked the intimate understanding of what diving truly is, adding that such a thing would be avoided in future to ensure both him and his team do not face hindrances. He pledges to refrain from repeating the same, calling it the “biggest mistake and regret” for him during and after the diving event.

In staying true to his admirable motivation for launching this event, Shafraz concluded the interview reinstating the importance of environmental preservation.

“Say no to single use plastic and do your duty to save the fragile environment of Maldives and make sure future generations get to see a beautiful one.”

To remain up to date on his next diving adventure, you can follow him on Instagram at shaff_naeem or on X @shafraznaeem.