From July 16 to 28, 46 of the world’s best freedivers will meet in the Bahamas for the 10th edition of the Vertical Blue, an AIDA (International Association for the Development of Apnea) competition initiated by world champion William Trubridge. The freedivers, representing 23 different nations, will dive into the world’s deepest blue hole: Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island, which reaches -202 meters!
During this « Wimbledon of freediving, » according to the New York Times, athletes can participate in one or more of the three offered disciplines: constant weight, constant weight without fins, and free immersion. They will have 6 dives per discipline.
The 10th anniversary of this international competition will be marked by a formidable duel between the 2 best freedivers in history: Alexey Molchanov et William Trubridge.
Five French freedivers are also participating in Vertical Blue 2018:
- Alice Modolo, vice-world champion in 2012 (Nice) and French champion in constant weight with 70 meters in 2017.
- Stéphane Tourreau, vice-world champion in 2016 with 107 meters.
- Thibault Guignés, 9th in free immersion at the AIDA World Championships in Cyprus in 2015 (82 meters) and winner of the Triple Depth in Dahab in 2015.
- Rémy Dubern, CMAS world champion in constant weight without fins in 2015 (65 meters) and 4th in the same discipline at the AIDA World Championships 2017 in Roatan (77 meters).
- Denis Grosmaire, champion of Polynesia in static apnea in 2017 (5’35) and participating for the first time in Vertical Blue.
For the first time, you will be able to watch each immersion of the champions into the depths of Dean’s Blue Hole thanks to Diveye’s camera and the installation of underwater drones. The divers’ performances will be filmed at the surface and underwater to allow everyone to accompany and experience every moment of the dive.