Kiwi Freediver Breaks Own World Record

May 3rd, 2016

Awake Goy

British born New Zealander William Trubridge has broken his own world record for diving to a depth of 400 feet in the Bahamas.

The amazing feat was achieved in four minutes and 24 seconds with just a minor hiccup.

A tag came loose on the athletes leg during ascent causing him minor concern and increased heart rate.

World record The Daily Mail reports:

William Trubridge, 35, achieved his 16th world record break at Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas, despite encountering problems on his way back to the surface.

During his descent the diver managed to reach his target in two minutes and 15 seconds but a malfunction with equipment insured a panicked finish.

Trubridge, who set a previous world record of 121m in four minutes and 13 seconds at Dean’s Blue Hole in April 2011, began to lose his cool when he could not locate a tag on his leg.

Speaking during a video posted by his company Verticle Blue, he said: ‘I had a beautiful descent, everything went well with the descent.’

But he described his journey back up as ‘terrible’, after he failed to secure the velcro tag picked up from the ‘plate’ – the point competitors dive to.

He said: ‘At that point I was completely out of the headspace that I need to be in for a deep dive.

‘With my focus off, I was not in the right head space, not in the place I like to be, to complete my dive with ease or confidence, in fact as I neared the surface I thought I might have a big black out at the top.’

Thankfully Trubridge prevailed and when his time was announced he was then seen punching the air as cheers erupted around him.

Freedriving is a discipline that involves competitors plunging to great depths without any equipment, apart from a guiding rope which they pull on during descent and ascent.

To put Trubridge’s incredible effort into context, the diver swam deeper than the height of Big Ben and the Statue of Liberty.

Trubridge, who was born in the UK but moved to New Zealand at just 18 months, broke his first world record in 2007 and has enjoyed a career of excellence ever since.

On his website he wrote: ‘I have a relationship with the depths, they beckon me beyond my means, cold dark vacant pressure, forever night, endless dreams.’ World record