People tend to go pedaling through different terrains — mud trails, on concrete roads, along coastal paths, across sand, snow and slush. But one Mumbaikar has taken his passion for cycling into a territory that you wouldn’t dream of — underwater ! Nishant K Patel, an entrepreneur from Vile Parle, holds a record as the world’s fastest and second-deepest scuba cyclist in the world.Entrepreneur, adventurer: Nishant Patel A video of Nishant’s battles in the deep as he cycles on the bed leaves you awe-struck. Tough, impossible and scary are just some of the words that come to mind with it, but the 37-year-old maverick, as he likes to call himself, laughs that away. “It’s not tough. I have always believed that the desire to succeed should be much greater than the fear of failure. And as they say, no risk taken, no rewards gained.”A cycling buff, Nishant regularly rides with his group in the city on various trails. He is also a certified downhill cycle racing specialist. “I have taken part in various cycling events and races in India, including the coveted route from Manali to Khardung-La , and finishing the gruelling Tour of Nilgiris , which covers some of the toughest slopes in the southern region of India despite nursing a gout attack in the middle of the tour,” he shares.Two years ago, the question ‘What next?’ hit him, like it does to most adventurers. So, Nishant decided to combine his two interests as an avid cyclist and diver and thought of conquering the depths through ‘scuba cycling in the open sea’. “It was always within me to challenge myself. I was not a certified scuba diver then, so I read more about it and went on to gain the required certifications.”The first underwater adventure was in the swimming pool! “It felt amazing and gave me a rush, which I realised is just a drop in the ocean, pun intended. The real thing would be so much bigger,” he states.Nishant took off to the Andamans to practice at 5-7 meters depth in the waters to set a world record at a depth of 30+ meters undersea . “This was to understand how geometry of cycles would work and what the ocean bed would be like. For instance, the wheels won’t work well in sand, but it can move on rock beds. I also had to figure out the weights that I need to add to help me and the cycle maintain buoyancy.”Battling the deep: Nishant Patel during his undersea rideIt took Nishant six months of practice to prepare. “I had to see how long I could balance on the bike. The most important thing was to be able to pedal fully or make a complete rotation of the chain wheels,” he informs.After the dynamics were in place, it was time to attempt a record at Pondicherry as it has the only five-star paddy dive centre that allows for a technical dive. But it wasn’t all smooth. “We had to deal with Murphy’s Law at the last minute. Since the place we practiced in had strong ocean currents that morning, we shifted to a second location. There were currents there too, but not as strong. It was the only option, so I had to decide to either take up the challenge or tank it,” recalls the cyclist, who decided to go ahead with the challenge. “Before I plunged into the water, all I was thinking is, ‘This is it! There is no looking back and that I had to get to the finishing line’. It was tricky as I had to focus harder and put a lot more weight in front of the cycle to prevent it from going up as the currents were changing. The tracks also changed as the bottled markers on the floor of the ocean started moving. During the stint, I came upon crevices and corals, so I had to change the route sideways to avoid damaging the fan corals and the cycle,” he adds.There was a dangerous point midway, where the excessive pressure almost caused Nishant to collapse. He says, “I felt my life flashing before my eyes as my heart rate escalated to 200 plus. It took a few seconds and then suddenly, I was able to cycle again with renewed energy. It was as though God gave me another chance.”Nishant managed to set the record. “The target was to complete at least 100 metres. Based on that calculation, everyone was prepared that it would take about 18 minutes. But I achieved this target of 100 metres in 6 minutes 47 seconds — which is way less than half the time! As a result, the team was not ready for me, as they didn’t anticipate that I would finish so soon. They were surprised when I did so,” he laughs.The record-making celebrations actually took place underwater right then. “I remember jumping on the cycle and dancing underwater,” he says. He also wants to pass on a message to those who want to take up any adventure. “You are an achiever when you are focused to make it happen. I was surrounded by naysayers trying to dissuade me by saying it was an impossible task, but in the end, they all commended me for achieving my goals. So, always go ahead and make an attempt,” he says.

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