Ahmed Gabr - interview with the contender for the record

Recently, a great deal of interest among our readers has been aroused by Text about Ahmed Gabrwho decided to break Nuno Gomes’ depth record. Today we have another portion of interesting information! We have translated an interview in which Ahmed was interviewed by a cairoscene.com journalist!

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How did you come to be interested in diving?

When I was 7 years old we went on a school trip to Sharm el Sheikh. While snoorking I saw a diver for the first time in my life and thought “this is what I want to do!” My father motivated me a lot, unfortunately at that time he couldn’t afford to pay for my course. When I was a bit older, after high school, I joined a military academy. I only had 3 weeks of holiday, during those 21 days I started my course and became a diver in 1996.

Why did you decide to break the world record?

Personally, I am past the stage of being fascinated by underwater life. What turns me on most now is geology and depth. It is also a kind of test: how deep can a person go? How far will his body allow him to go? (Nuno Gomes talked about the problems of controlling your body at record depths.) It’s particularly interesting because there are no studies on this, we don’t know how deep a person can go.

What do you think about just before diving in?

About nothing. You need to concentrate and clear your head of everything.

Do you follow any special diet as part of your training before such a deep dive?

I’ve honestly put on weight since the record preparations started. I need to burn fat and build muscle mass.

Is there any kind of competition between deep-sea divers?

I try to remain neutral and not get into any competition so that I can make the right decisions. One mistake can mean loss of life.

In what situation have you been close to real danger while diving?

Fortunately, nothing like this has ever happened. You always have to have a system in place that you follow and this allows you to avoid danger. Anyone can reach a depth of 300m, they just need to be physically and mentally prepared.

What about decompression sickness?

It is indeed a problem, but in the type of diving that my record attempt falls into, it is not a major concern. My biggest problem is something called HPNS – High Pressure Nervous Syndrome and it is directly related to the use of helium in breathing mixtures. Fortunately I have never experienced HPNS, however I have had what is called ICD – Isobaric Counter Diffusion. This is a condition where you cannot breathe for a period of time. Thank God in my case it was a very mild form of this affliction. My dive to the target depth would take about 12-14mins, while the ascent would take about 14h.

How many oxygen bottles (hihi – ed.) will you use during a dive?

We will use 90 cylinders (Ahmed seems to have decided not to tutor the journalist – ed.)

How many people will be helping you?

I have the support of 15 divers.

Your mum must have a heart attack every time you dive…

Well, I always take my son on a dive. He is 8 years old and is always very impressed. However, I try to avoid the topic of diving in front of my mother and sister.

What was the most difficult moment in your career?

Thanks to a scholarship from the Egyptian army, I took part in a Combat Diving Course in the USA. I spent 6 months there. It is one of the toughest courses of its kind in the United States. Completing it was a real challenge.

Have you ever experienced fear?

If someone doesn’t feel fear, they are definitely crazy! To have balls you must feel fear and be able to overcome it.

Is fear on land different from that under water?

Of course! On land you are in your natural environment and that puts you in a comfort zone. However, with time you can learn to be more than that and adapt to the conditions.

Do you remember a moment when the fear was particularly great?

No, I don’t think I have had such a moment in my life. I have never had a diving accident, the same goes for my students. I think I am a safe diver.

Which dive site in Egypt is your favourite?

Of course, the still unexplored south of Egypt – Marsa Allam, Hamata…

Are there any secret dive sites?

My dream is to do the deepest wreck dive after breaking the depth record. I then plan to explore some wrecks from the Napoleonic era. We have such sites near Alexandria and on the north coast.

Has your son dived before?

Not yet. Although he acts as my assistant.

Will you feel pride or anger if one day he breaks your record?

I will be incredibly proud. I’ll be happy to help him, but I’ll never encourage him to do it. It is too risky.

Can we find any signs of patriotism in your approach to the record?

Of course I am very proud to be Egyptian, but I don’t classify people based on their passport. We are all human, we cry and laugh in the same way.

Source: cairoscene.com
Translation: Tomasz Andrukajtis
Photo: Laura Dinraths