A German aerospace engineer has chosen an unusual mission. World record By staying in a Submarine capsule 11 meters (36 ft) below sea level off the coast of Panama.
Roediger coachThe 59-year-old has already spent two months underwater and has another two months to go. His ambitions go beyond record-making. He believes this experience has a way of changing our understanding of human existence and the possibilities of where we might live.
“The last time I checked, I was still married,” he told the AFP news agency, as he fished through the vibrant blue Caribbean waters visible outside the capsule’s portholes.
“What we’re trying to do here is prove that the oceans are, in fact, a viable environment. Human extension“Moving into the ocean is something we must do as a species,” he said, adding.
- Spread over 30 square meters, his underwater capsule has the necessary modern amenities: a bed, toilet, TV, computer with Internet access, and an exercise bicycle.
- On a small bedside table is Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a 19th-century science fiction classic.
- Inside the capsule, two clocks mark the passing of time and the countdown to his return.
- The only thing missing from the sunken residence is a shower facility.
- A narrow spiral staircase connects to the upper chamber, located about 15 minutes by boat from Puerto Lindo, off northern Panama.
- Four cameras monitor Koch’s movements, document his daily life, track his mental health, and verify that he hasn’t gone public.
- Israeli technician Eel Barja monitors the cameras, manages the electricity, and maintains the backup generator from the upper chamber.
- His submerged habitat is connected by a vertical tube to an above-water chamber, where his team members live. This arrangement facilitates the delivery of goods and enables journalistic visits.
- The underwater chamber serves a dual purpose, serving as a shelter.
Marine life and an artificial reef, which contributes to the local ecosystem. - Koch observes the vibrant sea life around him, noting, “At night, you can hear all the crustaceans. There’s fish, and all that, and it wasn’t here before we came.”
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing, Koch said, noting that a severe storm nearly brought the project to a halt. Apart from the media, only his doctor, children and wife were his guests.
Supporting the coach in this effort is Grant Romand from Canada. Both Koch and Romundt share a vision inspired by the controversial “seaside” movement, which advocates ocean-based communities free from government control.
Inspired by the novel’s Captain Nemo, Rudiger Koch landed in his underwater capsule on September 26, with the goal of resurfacing on January 24. By doing so, he plans to surpass the record of American Joseph Dettori, who spent 100 days submerged in a lake in Florida, by 20 days.
Although Koch is still some time away from surfing again, he already knows what his first act will be once he’s back on land: “A shower, a real shower.”