Chennai, May 23, 2025: Archana Sankara Narayanan, India’s deepest female freediver has created waves in the world of freediving by setting six new national records for India across two major international competitions held in the Philippines this month. With these recent achievements, the Chennai resident now holds the national records in all four depth disciplines of freediving in the female category. Freediving is a breath-hold diving sport where divers explore underwater without using breathing equipment.
Archana began her record-breaking streak at the AIDA Mabini Depth Quest, held from May 1 to May 6 in Mabini, Philippines, where she claimed four national records, suring one of her own previous records. Building on this momentum, she went on to break two more national records—both her own—at the Hug Cup, held from May 16 to May 18 in Panglao, Philippines.
Her performances include:
- Constant Weight (CWT): From 25 meters to 34 meters
- Constant Weight No Fins (CNF): From 20 meters to 25 meters
- Constant Weight Bi-Fins (CWTB): From 32 meters to 35 meters
The competitions, particularly the Mabini Depth Quest, posed immense challenges due to the unfamiliar dive sites and the presence of elite international athletes chasing world and continental records. Undeterred, Archana approached the events with determination and composure, inspired by her interactions with the global freediving community.
Archana’s recent achievements are a result of intensive training earlier this year at Kaizen Freediving in Ko Tao, Thailand, under the guidance of Mr. Sergei Busargin and Mr. Akshay Thatte. Sergei devoted two months to refining Archana’s CNF technique, blending ocean, pool, and dry land sessions. Akshay, India’s first PADI Freediving Instructor Trainer, provided strategic counsel during both competitions, playing a pivotal role in her consistent performance.
For the Hug Cup, Archana also credits Sophie from Superhome for enhancing her technical skills and mental preparedness, which helped her earn white cards on both competition days. In freediving competitions, a white card indicates that the diver has successfully completed their dive with no penalties and has met all the requirements for a clean dive. It signifies a good performance without any rule violations.
With a total of nine national records under her belt in less than a year, Archana’s journey is only just beginning. Competing alongside the best in the world has strengthened her resolve to further elevate India’s standing in the global freediving arena.