TRAVELSPECIAL
developed a leak . When they have flooded , trilaminate drysuits offer very little thermal protection , and being over 40hrs in , he was already starting to cool down . A wetsuit was taken down to him , but there were safety risks in changing suits . After much discussion it was agreed the wetsuit would only be used if Shaff ’ s core temperature dropped to dangerous levels .
Shaff ’ s chilly predicament was quickly forgotten when both of his teenage sons dropped in for a visit ; he said afterwards that being able to spend a short time with them was the highlight of his entire dive . Shaff was now on the home stretch ; he seemed to be handling the soggy drysuit well enough , and with only a couple hours left it was clear he was going to make it .
All too quickly the time had arrived to surface – 50 hours done . It seemed that every safety diver was underwater to witness him surfacing , but we could hear the roar of the crowd as he broke the
A moment of triumph as Shaff finally hits the surface after two days underwater
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