For the last two weeks he’s been adjusting to the different water conditions in Cyprus, the location of the AIDA Depth Diving World Championship happening this weekend. Is world champion freediver William Trubridge now ready to battle his great rival Alexey Molchanov?
When Will Trubridge arrived in Cyprus two weeks ago to prepare for the AIDA Depth Diving World Championship, he got a surprise. He discovered he’s about 300g lighter in the water of Cyprus than in the Caribbean, his home turf.
“The waters of Cyprus are the saltiest in the Mediterranean,” Will explains.
Saltier water means denser water, which is made denser again due to the water in Cyprus being cooler than the Caribbean.
“This means I am more buoyant than I am in Dean's Blue Hole at the same depth,” Will says. “This makes my descents a lot longer here, 14 seconds longer for the same depth.”
During one recent dive, Will was 20 seconds slower than he would have been in the Caribbean and, as a result, he had his first surface blackout since April.
But, after some mathematical calculations – something Will enjoys – he worked out that diving with an extra 300g lead weight on his neck balances out his extra buoyancy – problem solved. He’s now ready to battle his great rival, Russian freediver Alexy Molchanov.
Click here to read more about Will Trubridge and his love of the ocean
Alexy has just arrived in Cyprus after training for some time in Croatia where the water condition is similar to Cyprus.
“I’m sure Alexy is going to give me a good run for my money,” Will says. “We get on very well, but we definitely want to beat each other.”
Despite wishing he had more time to train before the competition this weekend, Will’s confident he will do well in FIM and CNF, the Free Immersion and Constant Weight Without Fins disciplines of freediving.
“My fundamental goal is to do three clean dives,” Will says. “If I do that, then I’m guaranteed three medals. I would like to win gold if possible.”
Aside from winning, Will’s most looking forward to seeing how he responds to the extra pressure of diving in a high profile competition.
“In training, my dives are discovery of my potential,” he says. “In competition it’s more about staying focused and steady in mind and stepping up to the plate to win under tough psychological conditions.
“In most other sports, the adrenalin you get from performing in front of spectators and media can be used to your advantage, whereas in freediving anything that lifts your heart rate isn’t helpful.
“That’s the big psychological test of competing at this level.”
The AIDA Depth Diving World Championship is from September 11 to September 20. Stay tuned for the competition results!
