Shaff Naeem Announces a Record Dive Across the Maldives!

PRESS RELEASE

Shaff Naeem, the Asian record holder for the 50-hour dive in 2022, officially announced at the Malaysia Dive Expo in June 2024 that his next record attempt will be an extreme long distance dive across the Maldives, officially . The expedition will start from the northernmost tip from Haa Alif Atoll, and span all the way to the southern edge of Seenu Atoll. 

Organized by the Maldivian NGO Ocean 650, the dive is currently planned to start from the first week of February 2025. Shaff will be participating in two dives a day of up to 3 hours each, on a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) covering an average  distance of 10-12 Km per dive. 

During the event, Shaff will be attempting to break two world records diving in the open ocean – to cover a total of over 460 Km in under one month, and for the single longest dive using a DPV.

Shaff will be accompanied by a technical team of both locals and internationals, who will support his expedition and dives. Additionally, the team will also be collecting scientific research data about the underwater terrain, the effects of climate change (including temperature collection at each point), and the presence of microplastic in the Maldivian ocean ecosystem. There will be planned events and workshops on local islands across the route, where the team will raise awareness about the ocean, climate change and their findings through the journey. 

With the project garnering  the attention of both local and global partners, the event team is closely working with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to plan the dive route for a safe and secure expedition. The event is being promoted internationally by the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC), to engage as large a reach as possible, and to ensure that the beauty of the Maldives is properly showcased throughout.

With event planning currently in full swing, Shaff has begun undergoing training to prepare for February 2025, with shooting for a documentary about the event running parallel to this to capture the full story of how a world record attempt on this scale comes together.

At this moment, the project is looking for event partners to collaborate with to make the event a success, make use of the collected data, and to reach a wider audience around the event’s primary causes.

LINK TO PROJECT CHANNELS

Website: www.acrossmaldives.org , www.oceansixfifty.org

Instagram: @acrossmaldives2025 , @oceansixfity

Facebook: @acrossmaldives

ABOUT SHAFRAZ “SHAFF” NAEEM

Shafraz Naeem, a seasoned diver, began diving in 1998 and possesses extensive knowledge of diving in the Maldives. With a 27-year career in the diving industry, he has served as a former military dive instructor and holds certifications from TDI/SDI, PADI, and SSI. Shafraz has collaborated with underwater film crews globally and has recently focused on underwater photography. His work has been featured in both local and international magazines. In 2022 he successfully completed the 50-hour dive underwater which gained him an Asian record for the longest scuba dive.

Website: www.shaffnaeem.com

Instagram: @shaff_naeem