William Trubridge, BSc, MNZM
AA Instructor, AIDA Instructor Trainer
Born May 24, 1980
Nationality New Zealand, UK
Height 185cm (6’)
Weight 80kgs (176lbs)
Lungs 8.1L (2.1Gal)
Languages English, Italian
William learnt to swim at the age of 2, and could freedive to 15m at 8 years old, but didn't begin serious training for the sport until 2003. Initially he studied in Italy under Umberto Pelizzari and other members of the Italian Apnea Academy, helping to found Apnea Academy International with English translations of the texts.
In 2005 William was the first freediver to dive at Dean's Blue Hole, now recognised as the world's premier freediving venue, and site of the annual Vertical Blue event. There, in April 2007, he broke his first world record in the discipline of CNF (Constant Weight No Fins), diving to 81m.
Since then he has broken this record multiple times, and in 2010 he became the first human to descend to 100m (330 feet) during Project Hector, an event aimed at bringing awareness to the plight of New Zealand's critically endangered Hector's and Maui's Dolphins.
In July 2016 he furthered this record to 102m (334 feet) as part of the Steinlager Born to Defy project, broadcast live to NZ television.
William has also broken the world record multiple times in the Free Immersion discipline, most recently with 124m (406 feet) at Vertical Blue, in May 2016.
In 2019 he became the first person to complete an 'underwater crossing'
of a major channel, swimming only underwater over the course of
934 breath holds to cross the Cook Strait between New Zealand's
North and South Islands in 9 hours 15 minutes.
PERSONAL BESTS IN COMPETITION
POOL
DNF 186m horizontal distance no fins
DYN 237m horizontal distance with monofin
STA 7:29 stationary breath hold
DEPTH
CNF 102m (331ft) diving no fins
CWT 121m (397ft) diving with monofin
FIM 124m (406ft) pulling on rope
TIMELINE OF WORLD RECORDS
9/4/2007 – 81m CNF
11/4/2007 – 82m CNF
4/4/2008 – 84m CNF
8/4/2008 – 107m FIM
10/4/2008 – 86m CNF
11/4/2008 – 108m FIM
10/4/2009 – 88m CNF
3/12/2009 – 90m CNF
19/4/2010 – 92m CNF
22/4/2010 – 116m FIM
26/4/2010 – 95m CNF
10/12/2010 – 96m CNF
14/12/2010 – 100m CNF
16/12/2010 – 101m CNF
10/4/2011 – 121m FIM
30/4/2016 – 122m FIM
2/5/2016 – 124m FIM
20/7/2016 – 102m CNF
World Record Attempts
Vertical Blue 2008
Vertical Blue 2009
AIDA World Championships
Vertical Blue 2010
Project Hector
Vertical Blue 2011
Vertical Blue 2016
Steinlager Born to Defy