Just out of curiosity, what's a purpose of....
The way I see it, there are two 'types' of record; those primarily dependent on human factors and those primarily dependent on science/technological factors.
Breaking an automotive land-speed record is primarily dependent on scientific/technological factors.
Breaking a 100m sprint, or marathon record is primarily dependent on human factors. So are apnea diving records.
Most people tend to assume that breaking a world scuba depth record will also be primarily about human factors.
This would only be true in respect of extreme-depth hyperbaric physiology. Whether an individual was somehow more resistant / less effected by hyperbaric issues like HPNS and compression arthralgia. Basically, some 'X-Men' like deviation from the genetics and physiology of the human race.
The rest of the factors are scientific and technological; better equipment, better decompression modelling, better gas selection and preparation/blending...etc etc etc To be accurate, the necessary science and technology has already existed for decades;hence the considerably deeper depths attained by surface-supplied (commercial) divers.
However, regardless of science/technology, the human factor remains the limiting issue on all attempts on
scuba thus far. That is because of fast descents employed.
Surface-supplied (commercial) divers minimize the issue of HPNS and compression arthralgia by employing very slow descents. Scuba divers do not.
Science has illustrated the solution for deeper scuba dives - slow descents. But no scuba world record attemptee has yet opted to employ that scientific knowledge. Why not?
I'd hazard a guess it is because the logistics, cost and physical endurance necessary to complete
both a very slow
descent and very slow
ascent from extreme depth are deemed beyond capabilities and capacity.
If this, or further, scuba world depth record attempts remain focused on the human factor, then I believe they are fool-hardy.
I will retract that on the occasion that a diver is proved to have sufficient genetic deviation as to be immune to extreme depth hyperbaric physiological maladies.
I would have utmost respect for a diver, or team, who actually tried to employ, on scuba, the known science that has already enabled surface-supplied diving to far greater depths.
At this time, I am a firm believer that progressing the scuba world depth record is a matter of science/technology, not the human factor. '
Plummet and pray' is the antithesis of that.