Freediver's two records in two days

William Trubridge dives without propulsion, with only a rope to assist his descent into the deep blue and ascent to the light.

William Trubridge, freediving champion and former Hawke's Bay man, has smashed two records in as many days.

Following celebrations of a new world record on Monday, the 16-time world record-holding freediver took it 2m deeper to achieve his 17th world record with a free immersion dive of 124m.

The current freediving world champion was not assisted by propulsion equipment but used a rope to assist with his descent and ascent during the free immersion dive.

He achieved the back-to-back successful attempts at Deans Blue Hole in the Bahamas during the Vertical Blue event.

The former Havelock North High School student's latest record is a different discipline to the one he will be attempting in July, which will be the ultimate sequel to a dive not achieved in 2014.

The goal he has set his sights on next is a freedive, unassisted to 102m in a single breath, into the deepest blue hole on Earth.

Steinlager Pure stepped up to sponsor the freediver in 2014, helping to bring him to the attention of New Zealand in December that year as Kiwis and fans around the world held their breath as he plunged into the dark waters of Dean's Blue Hole.

Steinlager Pure will be with all of New Zealand, rallying the support to will our world champion to the depths and back.

In January last year, the freediver beat his personal breath-holding record after lasting for 9 minutes with "empty lungs".

He told Hawke's Bay Today that before that attempt he inhaled pure oxygen for 10 minutes but began the exercise having exhaled fully.

Mr Trubridge operates a freediving school at Dean's Blue Hole in Long Island, Bahamas. He is also the Suunto Vertical Blue champion and 2010 and 2011 World Absolute Freediver.

It has previously been reported that Mr Trubridge learned to swim when he was just 18 months old and was freediving to depths of 15m by the time he was 8. When he turned 22, he took up deep-diving competitively and has never looked back.