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Vertical Blue is probably the world's most famous freediving competition. Dean’s Blue Hole, located in Long Island, Bahamas, is where the competition takes place. This blue hole has a diameter of 25-30m and is more than 200m deep. The conditions are therefore always perfect. No current, but also no waves as it is well protected from the wind. No wonder why all the top athletes have been gathering almost every year to participate in this competition, organized by William Trubridge, multiple World Record holder in several disciplines.
To get there, you get an invitation if you performed one of the 10 best performances in the world, during the previous year, in one of the depth disciplines. Then, if some of the 44 spots are left, the organization will invite other top athletes. They still keep some spots for some newcomers, but they are rare.
The safety team lead by Marco Consentino is another asset of the Vertical Blue competition, as it is made of very experienced safety divers, strong divers themselves and they keep researching and innovating in the freediving safety field.
Last but not least, the Diveye system which allows us to watch live the whole dives will be there. Stay tuned for the link that will be shared before the competition. It is making the sport exciting to watch and it is also a great asset for safety as you can see the diver at all times.
Alchemy freediver Thibault Guignes is currently training in the Bahamas and looking forward to participating in this year's competition. This is how he spends his time out there.
"This year has been very special, just like for everyone. I was lucky to spend the winter in Dahab and Sharm, in Egypt, where I could train. Although I discovered that water in Egypt is substantially colder than in the Philippines where I live !! It was, in the end, very good training. 3 years ago in Vertical Blue, I managed to get cold on one of the comp days with a 3mm wetsuit but this year I am very confident I will feel ok in 1.5mm.
I did 2 competitions already so far. One in Dahab and one in Sharm, where I built a slow but steady progression, which is a little bit unusual for me. I am used to training deep all year round in general. Now it is time to really go for depth!
I arrived in the Bahamas on the 8th of June, 5 weeks before the beginning of the competition. I have now been training here for 2 weeks. I am enjoying warm water again (27 degrees with a slight thermocline at 40m… water dropping to 25 degrees !) and focusing on deep dives. No need for volume as I have been training and teaching a lot in the previous weeks. I am staying in my comfort zone (around 105m) and will start increasing the depth next week. I also keep working out and running regularly for a little bit longer and I will reduce these activities when getting close to the competition to be fully rested. It keeps me busy, fit, and in a good rhythm. Vertical Blue is not the end of the season, so I need to stay in shape throughout the training and competition periods. I also stretch a lot and practice mental preparation through breathing exercises, meditation, and a mental coach.
Life in the Bahamas is quiet. Long Island has 3000 inhabitants, with maybe 3-4 restaurants, a few churches, and grocery stores, that’s it. The people are very welcoming and remember us from the previous year so it feels very easy to get back to training mode right when you arrive. You already have your habits for groceries, restaurants, and all other things you might need. The beaches are beautiful. You can find white sand beaches (incredibly thin white sand) like at the blue hole, but also cliffs and beautiful views. A bit of novelty this year, there is a gym, which will make a lot of freedivers happy for their dry training.
One of the best features is buying fresh fish from the fishermen. Tuna, mackerel, all fresh from the day.
I share a house with my friend Denis Grosmaire, he is a French Polynesian freediver. We live in a small residence with other athletes such as Alessia Zechinni, Vincenzo Ferri, Daniel Koval, Kristin Kuba, and Sahika Ercumen. The atmosphere is a bit of a youth camp !!! Good vibes, diners together regularly, and all supportive of each other’s training. That’s what helped me perform in such a way during the last time I was here, and I am really happy that we managed to recreate this as soon as we arrived.
We also see the other athletes at the Blue Hole, and for lunch. Everyone is just so happy to be able to attend. In this period it feels like a privilege and we are committed to make the most of it and enjoy the water as much as possible. Some athletes are already performing impressive deep dives before the comp. I am really impatient to watch them perform in the coming weeks. Very inspiring.
For me, it is not the first time diving in the Dean’s Blue Hole. In 2018, the darkness did not bother me. I am using a small lamp attached to the top of my head, in order to be able to see the line. As for the rest, I am in my own world during the dive, and light or darkness, is just a piece of information, amongst others. It has the importance you give to it. As for the depth, let’s say that with 200m+, I am definitely not at risk of hitting my head on the bottom. More seriously… darkness is a small price to pay to be able to have virtually infinite depth with never any current or waves. In addition, the platform is so stable, and the line so weighted, that in Free Immersion, it feels like you are pulling on a rigid pole instead of on a rope. It makes a noticeable difference on both the ways down and up.
On the D-day, my objective will be to perform at the best of my current abilities. Now of course I thought about performance and what I would like to achieve in terms of depth this year in general and more specifically in Vertical Blue. I will be focusing on Free Immersion and Constant Weight with Bifins. I have big objectives in Free Immersion that should mean at least a new National Record in this discipline. As for bifins, I am just getting reacquainted with the discipline. So far, the dives in training are going well but it is a bit early to talk about the depth I would like to reach. Sharing this kind of thoughts makes you accountable, which in a way is good in terms of motivation but can put a lot of pressure on you as well so I will keep these thoughts for myself for now. Indeed my motivation is bottomless when my capacity to handle the pressure has more limitations".