Will Trubridge has broken numerous freediving records but below, he reveals why he dives for the sense of exploration.
Are you training for anything special?
The fall is always the period of the year when I try and peak my training, so if everything has been going well over the summer then I will try to focus my efforts on one of the disciplines and see where I can get to.
Is Molchanov's CWT record breakable?
Every record is breakable! I worked hard on my CWT technique between 2012-2013, and I had an attempt in 2012 at the world record which failed by a whisker –forgetting to remove my nose clip on the surface. That dive was 125 m, and the record is now 128 m, so it is now an even bigger challenge, but not out of reach. My speciality has always been the no-fins discipline though, and it is also the one I enjoy the most. This year I'm concentrating more of my energy there.
Remind us why you freedive and what the sport means to you.
I do it mostly for the sense of exploration and the challenge. By diving deeper than the human body has ever been we are redefining our limits as a species, and it is exciting to be on this frontier. I'm also the kind of person who needs to be challenged, mentally and physically, and freediving is a sport that supplies both.
Beyond both these answers, the sensation of merging with the water, and sinking deeper into a place where sounds, light, and all other stimuli are muted is an other-world experience that I am blessed to be able to enjoy.
It must be tough having to train in all these locations like the Caribbean, Honduras...
Tell me about it. I often long for a cold drizzle or snowfall... not! In fact I try not to forget that being able to combine a passion with a career and to be able to travel to all these magnificent places and dive in them is a dream. I'm grateful for every day and every second underwater.
It seems freedivers must lead very pure lives. Do you have any vices?
I get so much fulfillment and nourishment from what I do that I really don't feel the need for anything more, especially something that comes at a price, like a vice does! However, could you call drinking hot sauce from the bottle a vice?
Looking ahead, where do you think the sport is headed? Is it going to get more popular?
Yes, I think it is. Some say our generation is living in an environmental and spiritual revolution, and freediving is a sport that ties in well with both those ideas. It simultaneously brings you back into touch with yourself and the environment in a way few other performance sports do. It is also the only truly aquatic (immersed) sport, so it offers an experience that is unparalleled in any other activity. A lot of people are discovering this, and finding a rewarding sport that leaves a light impression on our planet while drawing us closer to it and ourselves.
Main image and portrait ©Samo Vidic. Underwater image ©Agustin Munoz