Two more world records were broken yesterday, April 22, at the Vertical Blue 2010 freediving competition, currently being held at Dean’s Blue Hole in the Bahamas.
New Zealander William Trubridge and Austrian Herbert Nitsch set new bests in the free immersion (FIM) and constant weight (CWT) disciplines respectively.
In FIM, divers must retrieve a Velcro tag from a metal plate, which is lowered by rope to the announced depth. They are not permitted propulsion equipment such as fins but can use the rope to pull themselves down.
Trubridge, 29, dived to 116m below the surface and, despite taking a few extra seconds to pull the Velcro tag from the plate, completed the dive in 4min 9sec. The depth was verified by a Suunto D4 dive computer. This is Trubridge’s tenth world record and his first in FIM since 2008.
“It was hard to get the tag from the bottom as I struggled with some narcosis,” said Trubridge. “But it’s great to have the free immersion record again.”
Nitsch reached an incredible 124m to set the 30th world record of his career and the deepest self-powered dive of all time. In CWT, athletes must also retrieve a Velcro tag from the plate, but cannot use the rope during the dive. They are, however, allowed fins to assist them.
The 40-year-old took 2min 13sec to reach the bottom, and looked strong during his ascent. With 35m remaining, his legs appeared to tire and he resorted to alternate arm and leg strokes to successfully complete the dive in 4min 10sec.
Trubridge’s new record puts him ahead in the Suunto Dive-Off, a competition held during Vertical Blue to find the best all-round freediver. Divers score points based on the ratio of their dives in three freediving disciplines to current world records. Nitsch lies in second place with Australian Walter Steyn in third. American Carla-Sue Hanson leads the women’s table.
Vertical Blue 2010 continues until April 27.
Watch also video highligths from the competition at www.underwatervideography.com.
Images by DeeDee Flores
Additional notes on freediving:
At Vertical Blue 2010 athletes will compete in the constant weight no fins (CNF), free immersion (FIM) and constant weight (CWT) disciplines, which are recognised by the sport’s governing body, the International Association for the Development of Freediving (AIDA).
In CWT the diver descends and ascends using fins or a monofin for propulsion. In CNF, fins are forbidden and the diver must use his or her own muscle strength throughout the dive. FIM divers are also not allowed to use propulsion equipment but can use a rope to pull themselves downwards and upwards.
For each dive, a pre-moistened, stretched and measured rope with a circular base plate fixed at the target depth is set into the water. Velcro tags are clipped to the line with carabiners so that they sink down and sit on the base plate.
Divers must retrieve a tag with a single breath and their diving watch is checked to ensure they reached the target depth. A small camera is also positioned on the base plate to film the diver retrieving the tag. In case of a blackout, athletes wear a lanyard attached to the line, which is hauled to the surface, bringing the stricken diver with it.