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Project 2010
32 hours in immersion in the sea cannot be sufficient,
above all if the project is called “Endless Diving” and
if its purpose is the study of the extreme conditions of
survival. Thus, the world record holder Francesco Colletta
will plunge into water again, with the target to exceed the
previously set limit of immersion – 32 consecutive hours.
A great passion for the sea, joined to a firm and determined
will, all of this is included in a body that autonomously
“fights” cold and tiredness in a singular way.
In this way
we can describe Francesco Colletta, 36 years old, architect
and archaeologist who lives and trains in the water of the
wonderful sea of the National Park of Gargano Endless
Diving is a challenge to depths, with no protection, no
dry shed, no external comfort. Francesco will challenge
the sea alone, remaining in its wet wetsuit, never
emerging for the whole time of its attempt, well beyond
36 hours. Feeding and change of bottles will be carried
out in immersion, challenging the psychical and physical
effort and facing all the problems caused by dehydration,
different gravity, long exposure to low temperatures
and long periods of sleeplessness. All of this to study
how the psychological, physiological and sociological
functions of the man can vary in extreme conditions
and environments. The conditions of underwater life are
very similar to the ones that astronauts have to face: in
both cases, due to hypo/hyperbaric pressures, the body is
exposed to extreme conditions.
The scientific team that follows Colletta is coordinated by
Doctor G. Bosco together with his research staff of the
University of Chieti, Doctor A. Fiorito of the Italian
Navy, Italian Air Force, CNR and other top expert
of man’s permanence in space, such as Doctor Dudley
Crosson, of the DELTA-P NASA extravehicular
activity consultancy society, and Professor Franco
Rossitto of the Moon Base Project – past head
Astronaut Division of the ESA (European Spatial
Agency), DAN (Divers Alert Network), in cooperation
with Immersion Watch’s, Marine Supply,
Jeppesen Marine, Ocean Reef. International producers
and media will follow the event, such as National
Geographic and Guinness World Records and the
preparation steps and athletic training of Francesco can
be monitored on the web.
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