Parth breaks scuba world record in Goa
pti, panaji | 25 February 2010 18:50 IST
Mumbai’s Parth Sanghvi, 10, broke the world record to be the youngest scuba open water diver this week after he dived 40 feet underwater near Grande Island in Goa, Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) announced today.
Parth was awarded PADI junior open water scuba diver's certificate on 23 February, a day after his 10th birthday, exactly at 7.01 a.m., Anindya Mukherjee, PADI instructor told PTI this morning.
The Mumbai lad broke the earlier record of Egypt's Natasha Turner, who had become the youngest diver at the age of 10 years and three days.
"Parth got the certificate at the age of 10 years and one day, which is two days short than Turner," Mukherjee said.
Accompanied by his father, Mehul, a certified diver, Parth jumped off the Grande Island near Vasco port town in Goa to break the record. Parth is a fourth standard student of CNM School, Ville Parle, Mumbai.
The boy was trained at Goa Aquatic dive resort at Candolim before he jumped in for the world record.
"Parth had his first encounter with scuba at the age of nine years and four months when he went to Phillipines for a holiday with the family," Mehul told reporters here.
"The minimum age of scuba diving is ten years, so he took up the bubble maker course where they teach the basics of scuba diving," the father added.
Mehul, who runs an import export business from Mumbai, said that Parth was really inspired by experience. His parents thus decided that he starts the course on his tenth birthday.
"Three months before he started his course, Parth studied the open water diver manual by PADI," he said.
On Indian front, Sahil Pisharody of Mumbai, had achieved the record of youngest scuba diver of nation when he dived at the age of 10 years and six months, Mehul said.
"It was really amazing world down the water. I saw lots of fish and ship wreck too," Parth told reporters in Panaji today.
His coach, Mukherjee, said that the boy came back with two shells, although it is prohibited to disturb anything underwater. "He said he wanted to show them to his younger brother, so we allowed," the coach conceded.
Sorry,
I was certified back in 1980 at 9Years, 11Months, 8 Days. Which would (Slightly) edge out Parth as the worlds youngest diver.