Unassisted free diving world record set by William Trubridge

 [June 5] Plantation, FL -- William Trubridge set a new world record in unassisted free diving at Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island in the Bahama Out Islands. On April 11, 2007, with a dive time of 3’09” and without the assistance of fins, ropes or weight belts, Trubridge reached an unassisted free dive depth of 82 meters at Dean’s Blue.

      Two days prior, Trubridge made free diving history by reaching 81 meters, shaving a meter off the previous record set by Czech diver Martin Stepanek in 2005. The 27 year-old from New Zealand is now known as the man that holds the new world record for free diving.

(click here to enlarge photo)

     Dean's Blue Hole, plunging 663 feet into the ocean floor, is the world's deepest blue hole and the second largest underwater chamber. Lying just offshore of Long Island, Bahamas, Dean’s attracts Bahamas diving vacationers worldwide. Dean’s is enclosed on three sides by a natural rock amphitheatre, and on the other side by a turquoise lagoon and powder white beach.On a clear day, with the sun shining straight into the hole, it is like diving in an immense underwater cathedral.

    Located just off the shore of Long Island, Bahamas, there is never any swell or waves inside the Hole, and visibility is usually between 15 - 30 meters (50 - 100 feet). At the surface the Blue Hole is 25 x 35m (80 x 120 feet), but opens out after 20m (60 feet) into a cavern with a diameter of at least 100m (330 feet). Dean’s, harboring all kinds of tropical reef fish, is a diver’s dream offering the most amazing diving experience to those seeking a Bahamas diving vacation.     
     William Trubridge, the man that holds the world record for free diving, learned to swim at the age of 18 months and was free diving to 15m by the age of 8, however he did not begin serious training for the sport until 2003.

(click here to enlarge photo)

     In 2004 he became the first non-Italian instructor at Umberto Pelizzari's prestigious Apnea Academy. Since then he has trained extensively with Pelizzari, and written the translations of Manual of Freediving and the Instructors Manual. William trains exclusively for the discipline of Unassisted Constant Ballast (UCB), and can dive to over 75 meters (250 feet) without the use of fins, rope, weight, or any other form of assistance.

   The Out Islands of the Bahamas include the Abacos, Acklins, Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera/Harbour Island, The Exumas, and Long Island. The Out Islands is the adopted homeland for William Trubridge and part of free diving history.
   To learn more about free diving in The Out Islands of The Bahamas, please visit www.MyOutIslands.com or
call 1-800-OUT-ISLANDS.