ITA
ENG
FR
DE
Great divers who wore Squale Watches
ENZO MAIORCA
Enzo Maiorca was an Italian free diver who held the free-diving world record several times during his lifetime.
In 1960 he beat the Brazilian Amerigo Santarelli, then holder of the world record, by achieving a depth of 45m. In September of that year Santarelli reclaimed the title by reaching 46m. That record didn’t last long because soon after, in November, Maiorca reached 49m.
He surpassed his own record several times over the following years. In 1988, at the urging of his daughters Patrizia and Rossana, both holders of free-diving world records themselves, he competed in free-diving for the last time and reached his last record of 101m.
JACQUES MAYOL
On November 3, 1976, at the age of 49, Mayol was the first free diver to descend to a depth of 100 meters (330 feet). When he was 56 he reached a depth of 105m. During his career, he tried to discover whether man had a hidden aquatic potential that could be realized through rigorous physiological and psychological training.
Mayol’s passion for diving came from his love for the ocean, his personal philosophy and his desire to test his limits. During his lifetime, he helped to bring free-diving into the mainstream. He used relaxation and yoga breathing techniques to achieve an ideal state of mind for diving. He also contributed to the field of free-diving by helping improve the equipment used by free divers.
Mayol was already an experienced diver when he met the Sicilian Enzo Maiorca, the first free diver to dive below 50m. Mayol had already reached a depth of 60m. A friendship, as well as a healthy rivalry, ensued between the two men.
Between 1966 and 1983 Mayol achieved the free-diving world champion title eight times. In 1981 he set a world record of 61m in the constant weight free-diving discipline using fins. In 1976 he broke the 100-meter barrier with an unlimited 101-meter dive off the island of Elba in Italy. Subsequent tests showed that during this dive his heart rate decreased from 60 to 27 beats / min, an aspect of the mammalian diving reflex, a reflex evident in whales, seals and dolphins. During Mayol's last deep dive in 1983, at the age of 56, he reached a depth of 105 meters.
SQUALE POLIPETTP
In 2016 the Italian State Police Divers chose Squale as the official supplier of professional diving watches to meet the operational needs of the specialist component of the Diving Unit. Today, the collaboration continues with this elite core that boasts a prestigious history of more than sixty years. They are called upon in any situation where the State Police needs to extend their duties (ranging from the judicial police, public order and safety to anti-terrorism prevention) to bodies of water, seas, lakes and rivers.
VINCENZO FERRI
Ferri, a member of the freediving Italian national team, is regarded as one of the best Italian freedivers. A multi-medalwinner at both European and International level, he is an awe-inspiring athlete who is reviving freediving's glories of the past thanks to his remarkable achievements.
During his career he has competed in four European and five world championships. He has placed second twice in the world championships twice and once in the European. He has also placed third in the world championship three times. The last time was in 2019, in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Honduras, where he set a new national record in the Constant Weight Bi-Fins discipline with a 98-meter dive, resetting the Italian record (held by him) by 2 meters.
His dream is to participate in the 2028 Las Vegas Olympics where the difficult and fascinating discipline of freediving will be included in the official program.