Police Sergeant Dave Kentdives 230ft under water unaided in record breaking 2mins 35s plunge

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Sergeant Dave Kent broke the record for deepest unaided dive by a Brit
He freedived 230ft deep without oxygen, flippers or goggles
The ex-Marine set the record during a freediving competition in Egypt

Published: 10:57 EST, 27 September 2013 | Updated: 03:02 EST, 4 March 2014

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A police sergeant has set a new British record for the deepest unaided dive after swimming to depths of 230ft without any equipment.

Sergeant Dave Kent, 43, did not use oxygen, flippers or goggles for the dive and held his breath for over two-and-a-half minutes to claim his place in the record books.

The former Royal Marine from Eastbourne, East Sussex, out-dived the competition at the Blue Hole, a 430ft deep underwater cave in the Red Sea off Dahab, Egypt.

Record breaker: Sergeant Dave Kent dived a lung-busting 230ft underwater without breathing apparatus, flippers or goggles

Sergeant Kent has only been a competitive free-diver for the past two years, focusing on the challenging 'constant weight no fins' category, which prohibits divers from using any methods of propulsion.

Dave first set the British record in 2011 when he set a depth of 203ft obliterating the previous 180ft record, then went one step better in 2012 diving to 216ft.

This time his record-breaking dive was so deep his lungs squashed to around an eighth of their usual size as he hit the lowest point.

Dave, a response sergeant with Sussex Police, said: ‘Ironically, I actually didn't think it was going to be a good dive at the time.

Preparing: Sergeant Kent during his pool meditation, a method of training which saw him hold his breath for over two-and-a-half minutes during the dive

There and back again: Sergeant Kent managed to get down to 230ft after which he had to return to the surface without any help

Up, up and away: Dave held his breath for an incredible two minutes and 35 seconds to claim the deepest unaided dive ever by a Briton at the Blue Hole cave off the coast of Dahab, Egypt

‘I got my warm up all wrong, the surface was rough and I was getting chilly before the start of the dive.'

Sergeant Kent, who has set his sights on the European record of 291ft, added: ‘My descent was not a comfortable one - I wasn't relaxed at all.

'I was wondering whether I had set myself too much of a challenge.

‘We put our bodies under a huge amount of physical strain and a dive can easily go wrong if you're not well prepared.

‘Thankfully I managed to get to the bottom marker and that changed everything. I knew at that point the record was in the bag because my ascents are always strong.

Uncharted waters: Sergeant Kent's record-breaking dive was so deep his lungs were compressed to an eighth of their usual size

‘In stark contrast to the descent, the ascent was beautiful - I had 75 seconds to just think and take in the beautiful underwater scenery. I was gasping once I got to the top but it was a great feeling.’

Dave added: ‘My plan now is to go deeper. By next year I'd like to be hitting depths in the late 80s.

‘My ambition is to break more records, and within the next 18 months I want to make an attempt on the European continental record, which currently stands at 291ft.

‘There is only one person who has dived deeper than this - the current world record holder William Trubridge.

‘The rest of us are playing catch up.’