Croatian free diver, instructor, climber, and instructor trainer Vitomir Maričić has gained international recognition throughout his career for his achievements in free diving and extreme sports activities. Since the 2010s, he has achieved international success in free diving competitions under both AIDA and CMAS, while also actively contributing to instruction, competition organization, and diving education.

Early Life and Education

Vitomir Maričić grew up in the Kvarner region of Croatia, immersed in a life by the sea. His relationship with water began at age three, when he started floating on the surface on his back, eventually evolving into hours spent submerged in the underwater world. During high school and university, he studied information technology, physics, and photography; later, he pursued higher education in kinesiology at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb. Throughout his studies, he was also active in various other sports disciplines.

Sports Career

Maričić’s entry into free diving began during university when a classmate introduced him to the discipline of “freediving.” His first serious dive was a 30-meter “constant no fins” (CNF) dive along a rope. His subsequent 100-meter DNF dive in a pool demonstrated his proficiency in the field. He competed in numerous national and international events under the CMAS and AIDA federations. In 2019, he reached first place in the overall AIDA world rankings.

Achievements and Records

• Reached third place at the AIDA World Pool Championship.
• Finished fifth at the CMAS Depth World Championship.
• Set three world records in 2019, both recognized by CMAS and AIDA.
• In 2022, at the Vertical Blue competition, he dove to 101 meters, breaking the Croatian depth record and placing third.
• In 2025, at an event held in Opatija, he set a Guinness World Record for breath-hold duration of 29 minutes and 3 seconds during a dive using pure oxygen.

Academic and Educational Activities

Vitomir Maričić has served as an instructor, instructor trainer, and education development coordinator within international systems such as Molchanovs and AIDA. He is president of AIDA Croatia. He is also affiliated with the research center for underwater, diving, and hyperbaric medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, where he conducts research on respiratory physiology.

Other Activities

Maričić is active not only in free diving but also in mountaineering, highlining, rescue training, water rescue, and photography. As an independent instructor, he leads projects centered on extreme sports and adventure travel, and shares his experiences through documentaries and media work.

Ethical Investigation and Sanction

In 2023, prior to the Vertical Blue competition, CMAS suspended Maričić for six months from competition and imposed a €5,000 fine on grounds of an ethical violation, citing the presence of substances prohibited under CMAS regulations in his bag. Maričić has publicly denied all allegations and stated that the process was conducted improperly.

Current Status

As of 2025, Vitomir Maričić continues to actively compete in events while pursuing work in free diving instruction, medical research, and Guinness record attempts. He also serves as creative director of the visual production company Vertical Media.

2025 Guinness World Record

On 14 June 2025, at a special event held at the Bristol Hotel in Opatija, Croatia, Vitomir Maričić set a new Guinness World Record for breath-hold duration of 29 minutes and 3 seconds. This record was certified in the category “longest time breath held underwater using pure oxygen,” surpassing the previous record by four minutes. The record attempt took place in a pool at a depth of three meters, was officially monitored by five judges, and observed by over 100 spectators.

Previously, the record in this category had been set in 2021 by another Croatian diver, Budimir Šobat, at 24 minutes and 37 seconds. Maričić’s new record represents a high-level synthesis of physical endurance, respiratory physiology, and mental control. In accordance with Guinness World Records technical requirements, Maričić inhaled pure oxygen for a specified period before the dive and then submerged himself. This performance has been closely monitored by experts in sport, medicine, and human physiology.