Enchante Gallardo, a 38-year-old freediver from Makaha, shares the AIDA Free Immersion world record after descending 106 meters on a single breath while pulling herself along a rope. She is scheduled to compete in Cyprus in October, where she hopes to set a new mark, according to USA Freediving.
A Rope, No Fins, and Nearly 10 Years of Training
Gallardo was born and raised in Makaha and graduated from Maryknoll. She is ranked No. 1 in the United States and North America and No. 1 in the world in Free Immersion, according to Hawaii News Now. She discovered freediving in 2017 and has trained in the sport for nearly 10 years. In Free Immersion, divers cannot use propulsion fins or monofins; they descend and ascend by pulling hand-over-hand along a vertical guide line, according to AIDA International rules.
Gallardo's 106-meter dive in July at the Asia Freediving Cup in Panglao, Philippines, tied the world record and made her the first American woman to hold an AIDA Free Immersion world record since Annabel Edwards set a 75-meter mark on May 27, 2005, at the Kona Freedive Invitational, according to USA Freediving. A week earlier, Gallardo had set a 104-meter North American Continental Record, improving on the 101-meter mark she established in November 2025.
A Comeback From a Rough 2025 Season
The 2025 season included a series of blackouts, Hawaii News Now reported Hawaii News Now. Shallow-water blackout, a leading cause of loss of consciousness in freediving, results from cerebral hypoxia as pressure falls during ascent; pre-dive hyperventilation can increase the risk by suppressing carbon-dioxide signals that would otherwise prompt a diver to breathe, according to research cited by the National Institutes of Health. Gallardo has said controlled breathing helps her manage her heart rate and mind before a dive.
Her mother, Theresa Schenk, said she had no doubt Gallardo would achieve a world record, according to the station's report. Gallardo, who has two boys, has built her international standing methodically since breaking her first U.S. National Record in 2022 at Vertical Blue in the Bahamas — a milestone that followed her earlier career as a scuba divemaster on Oahu, according to MidWeek. Beyond Free Immersion, her deepest career competition dive is 108 meters in Constant Weight with fins, a discipline that requires swimming up and down using fins without touching the guide rope, placing her among a small group of women globally who have surpassed 100 meters across multiple depth disciplines, per The Freedive Ranking.
Sharing the Record, and the Rules That Govern It
Gallardo shares the AIDA world record with Ukraine's Natalia Zharkova, whose 106-meter Free Immersion dive on May 23, 2026, was ratified by AIDA International on June 8 after anti-doping analysis and judge video reviews. Zharkova also holds world records in constant-weight disciplines. In a separate registry, Zharkova reached 107 meters at the CMAS World Championship in Roatán, Honduras, in August, according to Freediver Club. AIDA and CMAS maintain independent world-record registries.
Whatever depth an athlete reaches means little without flawless execution on the way up. Divers face an immediate red-card disqualification if they fail to complete a strict 15-second surface protocol upon surfacing, which requires removing facial gear, making an OK hand sign, and verbally stating “I am OK” while keeping their airways clear of the water, according to Molchanovs. Judges enforce the protocol to confirm divers remain conscious and mentally clear after minutes spent at extreme depth.
Next Stop, Limassol Bay
Gallardo is now training for the 37th AIDA World Apnea Depth Championships, scheduled from September 27 to October 10 in Limassol Bay, Cyprus. The venue features deep-water competition platforms equipped with counter-ballast safety systems and sonar monitoring down to 150 meters, according to Visit Cyprus. Gallardo plans to compete there and attempt to break her own world record, with the AIDA YouTube freediving channel set to broadcast her world-record attempt on October 5.
Ocean-safety resources for Makaha beach users
For people using Makaha's beaches for ocean activities, the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department says it staffs 44 towers around Oʻahu and patrols with trucks, jet skis, UTVs and ATVs, according to Honolulu Ocean Safety. The department says its towers are open daily from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and that it is part of the city's 911 system. Beach-closure alerts are posted on the city's website and mobile app, according to Honolulu Ocean Safety.
For a diver who spent nearly a decade working her way from Oahu's reefs to the sport's deepest global stage, the Cyprus championships represent the next test of just how far she can go on a single breath.
