New Zealander William Trubridge has emerged from the Cook Strait jubilant after becoming the first person to complete a channel crossing by swimming underwater. Trubridge used his incredible breath hold diving ability to swim under the surface, like a dolphin, before surfacing, and diving under again, all the way across. He followed conventional channel crossing rules, such as not resting on a boat or float, except for two changes: all propulsion had to take place underwater on a breath hold, and the use of a wetsuit and fins/monofin was permitted. “We had strong currents and cold water patches, rough seas, it was like being in a washing machine at times,” he says. “I was getting cramps, cold, blisters, the usual stuff. But I still feel like I got off lightly; there were so many things that could have been different, and for each one of those I probably wouldn’t have made it. I’m feeling a lot of relief and jubilation at the end to make it.” The Cook Strait separates New Zealand’s North and South islands, and is considered one of the world’s most unpredictable and treacherous stretches of water. At it narrowest points, it’s a mere 22 km across. But what it lacks in lengths it makes up for in fierceness: wild unpredictable weather and powerful currents, chilly water that can cause hypothermia, stinging jellyfish and a population of curious sharks. “Crossing the Cook Strait is like trying to hit a bullseye, with the target on the back of a bucking bull,” Trubridge says. “The currents are so powerful, and reversed direction at least three times during the swim, mean that hitting the closest piece of land (Perano Head) required constant calculations and course corrections. I’d heard many tales of channel swimmers coming within 500 m of land and battling against currents for another four hours before succumbing to cold and fatigue without reaching the shore.” The decision to attempt the first “human aquatic crossing” was made suddenly when a good weather window coincided with advantageous low tides. Trubridge had previously done only a few six to eight-kilometer training swims to prepare. “I knew I wasn’t really built for this kind of thing,” he says. “My sport (depth diving) is primarily anaerobic fitness, so I don’t have well developed aerobic muscle fibers. My body type is pretty much the exact opposite of what you need to have for this kind of cold water swimming.” Thoughts about the plight of New Zealand’s Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins, and wanting to save these precious and intelligent animals, kept Trubridge moving forward despite the challenging conditions and 15-18 degree water. “The main reason for doing it has always been to bring more awareness to the situation with the dolphins,” Trubridge says. “These are the two subspecies of New Zealand dolphin that occupy the North (Maui's Dolphins) and South (Hector's Dolphins) islands. Both subspecies are threatened by extinction.” Trubridge is calling on the New Zealand Government to act quickly to save the dolphins. The fishing industry must be better regulated to protect the dolphins. He invites divers around the world to put pressure on the New Zealand Government to act before it’s too late. “I made it across about five times slower and with five times as many dives as it would take a Hector’s Dolphin to make the same crossing, but it showed that if we can swim like a dolphin between our two islands then they too should have the freedom to do the same.” WATCH NOW: Will Trubridge crosses Cook Strait "like a dolphin"

Kate Middleton teaches freediving and offers yoga teacher training courses. © Heather Bonker Living on Gili Trawangan, a small island close to Bali, Kate Middleton spends her days freediving, doing yoga, writing poetry and training yoga teachers. It’s a dreamy life in paradise. But training for freediving demands focus and discipline. Middleton regularly competes in elite freediving competitions, such as Vertical Blue, and takes home wins and new records. Her yoga practice helps her stay relaxed, supple and strong. “Perhaps the biggest draw to freediving is the peace that comes from total immersion in nature,” Middleton says. “You might call it oneness, presence, connection, or, the ‘state of yoga’. At the heart of both yoga and freediving lies this gift of simultaneously being in contact with the inner and outer world.” © Mike Board It’s not just about fancy poses Yoga involves much more than the physical postures, called asanas, most commonly associated with it. Aside from asana, there’s also pranayama and dhyana, breathing exercises, and meditation. Each play a key role, Middleton says. The asana, or physical practice, results in greater physical strength, flexibility, mobility and body awareness. Pranayama, which is traditionally believed to enhance the life force or prana, increases body awareness, lung flexibility and C02 tolerance. Meditation fosters greater self-awareness, compassion, curiosity, focus, and self-kindness. “The greatest way yoga supports my freediving journey is how it prioritises relationship to self,” Middleton says. “When self-love is there, anything is possible. Without it, nothing is enjoyable. “If I let my inner critic run my dive session then no depth will feel like enough. When I dive from the heart, for the pleasure of being in my body and in the water, depth is irrelevant and it’s a spiritual experience.” Press play to do a simple yoga class with Kate Middleton Here are three reasons why yoga is a perfect compliment to freediving: Your personal laboratory “You can think of freediving as field research and your yoga mat as the laboratory,” Middleton says. “It’s here, back on land, where you can empty all of your findings and start to sort through them, or let them sort themselves out, one breath at a time.” Better breath holds “If you prefer a simple and clear outlook on the yoga for freediving movement, consider the fact we cannot be at peace and stressed out at the same time. Yoga reduces stress, which lowers metabolic rate and oxygen consumption. More yoga, therefore, results in a longer breath hold. You will also have more comfortable breath holds and longer dives. Oh yeah, and it’s also hard to have fun while feeling tense, so more yoga equals more fun!” Know your body better “Yoga also teaches greater body awareness. We can break that down into interoception and exteroception; the awareness of your inner body and your body in space. This helps you tune in to how you’re feeling on a dive so that you can relax into the process and also know when you need to safely surface. “As far as physiological adaptation, yoga asana is an immensely effective way to increase your lung flexibility as well as your mobility and strength.” How to get started Middleton recommends finding an authentic teacher who you connect with and feel inspired by. Sometimes that might take a while. Until then, here are four tips to get started: Learn online If you’re totally new to yoga, try doing yoga with Middleton in the video above. And check out a few free online classes on Youtube or a platform like yogaglo.com. That way you can try a few styles and see what you like. Start slowly Many of us have a tendency to push too fast, too soon. With yoga this can sometimes lead to injury. Take your time; start gently, learn to relax and breathe well first before trying more demanding asanas or sequences. Get one-on-one Sometimes the fastest way to learn is to have one-on-one classes. That way you have the teacher’s full attention, and can work specifically around your goals and to support your freediving. Immerse yourself If you are looking for an immersive experience, go and learn yoga and freediving with Middleton! She hosts yoga and freediving retreats and training camps on Gili and Bali. Lead images: © Mike Board More articles about yoga and freediving: Say namaste to the freediving island yogi Finding harmony in the deep blue sea The one thing every freediver needs

With so many contested views, what we should and shouldn’t eat has become a touchy, and often confusing subject. In this third instalment of our series on nutrition, we offer a simple approach for athletes that cuts through all the noise.     Eating well is essential for athletes. The bigger your goal, the more nutrition has to play a central part of your training plan. Take shortcuts on how you eat, and you’ll eventually pay for it. But the topic of diet, what we should and shouldn’t eat, has become touchy and confusing. There are all sorts of diets out there – paleolithic, vegan, gluten-free, low carb, high carb – each one with advocates claiming their way is the one true way.   Matias Anthoni prefers a common sense approach to nutrition.   “Nowadays it’s become a big topic, and everyone has his or her own opinion, and it seems hard to find the real truth,” says Matias Anthoni, Suunto’s in-house personal trainer. “It’s become trendy to follow a kind of diet.” Anthoni, 26, has a Bachelor in Sports and Health Promotion, and gives nutritional advice to Suunto employees, as well as personal fitness training. He takes a simple, “nonsectarian” approach to nutrition, rather than buying into the hype of one diet over another. “As long as you get the nutrients it doesn’t really matter what diet you follow,” he says. “You can teach your body to thrive on different diets. The body is quite adaptable. But we do need certain basics. The question I always ask is, would my grandma recognize it as food?” Here are Anthoni’s five down-to-earth tips for good nutrition: 1. Start with your meal rhythm This is the first topic Anthoni’s raises with his clients during a consultation. Just improving how often you eat can improve what you eat. Many of his clients skip meals or have long breaks between meals; this results in blood sugar levels dropping, then tiredness, and then cravings and impulses for unhealthy snacks.“With a more steady meal rhythm you avoid big spikes in the blood levels, make better decisions, and are less likely to just reach for a chocolate bar,” he says. Meals should be about three hours apart, and consist of a good breakfast, lunch and dinner, with smaller, healthy snacks in between. “It leads to healthier choices and you’ll have more energy,” Anthoni says. 2. Plan ahead “You can’t be a top athlete if you are eating poorly; it’s not just about training, it’s about eating as well,” Anthoni says. “It really helps if you plan your meals like you plan your training. Know what you are going to buy and know what you are going to make. When you come home from work, or after a training session, it’s all ready to go.” 3. Follow the Nordic plate model Anthoni says in Finland there’s a traditional “plate model” or a way to divide your plate into three sections: one half should be salad and vegetables, one quarter should be carbohydrates, and one quarter protein. This balanced plate ensures you will get enough of all the key nutrients.   4. Eat quality food Quality can seem like a vague notion, so Anthoni recommends a common sense approach here, too. “Have a look at your plate – are there all the colours – red, green, yellow?” he asks.  “Are you eating the same thing every day?” Anthoni suggests finding and following basic nutrition guidelines. “They provide a good start, and then make small changes to fit yourself from there,” he says. 5. There’s no one size fits all diet Deciding what to eat depends on your goals. “The more you move the more you need,” Anthoni says. “If your goal is building muscle mass, then you need more protein. If you are an endurance athlete, eating enough carbohydrates becomes more important. There is no one size fits all, no one plan can fit everyone. You need to have your own plan.” Lead image: Photo by Roosa Kulju on Unsplash.     READ MORE Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with ultra runner Lucy Bartholomew Fuelling the engine: talking nutrition with triathlete Mel Hauschildt

Suunto has joined Mission 2020 , a global initiative of diving companies to change their business practices in order to help to protect the oceans. The diving industry has a unique opportunity to lead the responsibility work by example, says explorer and Suunto ambassador Jill Heinerth . We are committed to protecting the environment and preventing pollution in our operations. "Our guiding principles are the use of sustainable materials, reduction of waste, reduction of energy consumption and co-operation with the supply chain to foster human rights and working conditions," says Erika Rautavaara, Sustainability Manager at Suunto. The most visible part of the responsibility are, in fact, our products. "We only design and manufacture durable devices that can be used for a long time in very demanding conditions. In addition, all our equipment can be repaired, and maintenance and repairs can be easily done anywhere in the world. This is very exceptional in the world of electronics."     Juha Ala-Laurila, Dive Business Unit Director at Suunto, points out that responsibility work is a never-ending task. "We are on a path that goes forward and changes its shape as the world around us changes." Right now, we are expanding our responsibility operations beyond the limits of our own business. "The plastic waste in the oceans is a huge problem, and, as a part of the diving community, we want to be involved in solving it," Juha says.   Mission 2020 sets targets We participate in Mission 2020, a global initiative by organizations within the diving community to change their business practices in order to help protect and preserve the oceans for the future. Every company in the Mission 2020 community has agreed to make a binding commitment. "Suunto commits to minimizing single-use plastics in the packaging and to select durable materials to ensure a long lifetime for products and capability for maintenance. We also commit to optimize deliveries and compensate carbon emissions from all deliveries. Through our certified and audited environmental management system we are and continue to be committed to save our common playground," Juha says. With a primary focus on single-use plastic, the project sets ambitious short-term targets of changes to be made before World Oceans Day 2020. "In the future, all our actions, operations and messages must be environmentally credible", Juha says.   Net-zero is not enough Divers see the damage caused by human activity on the ocean environment more clearly than anyone else. Many divers are also committed to solving the problem. One of them is Suunto Ambassador Jill Heinerth, a pioneering Canadian-American underwater explorer and filmmaker. She says that diving companies have a unique opportunity to lead the responsibility work by example in their daily practices. However, diving companies have also more wide-spreading opportunities. "Diving companies meet new environmentally-curious customers every day. Dive briefings can have an environmental message, and manufacturers can employ responsible packaging and process ethics. It is not just enough to talk about "net-zero" carbon impacts. We have to lead with net-positive actions," Jill explains. "If we all talk about those efforts and recognize organizations that have a good ethic, then we can spread the word. Education, process and activism are all important prongs in the environmental ethic."   Daily choices affect ocean health The problems associated with plastics, climate change, and water quality are massive. "But I have to believe that we have hope to turn the tide. We don't have the luxury of time anymore. Action has to be swift and bold. Every consumer needs to downsize and vote with their wallets. Whether that means buying local, reducing packaging or making product choices that support the environment, every action will help," Jill says.   In her projects, Jill Heinerth has studied the importance of water to all of us.   "The most important message that I want to convey is that the issues we see in the ocean are connected to our everyday lives. Everything that we do on the surface of our landscape will eventually affect our water systems including the ocean. Choices we make in our daily lives affect ocean health. The effort to using fewer drinking straws is admirable, but it is just a start. We need to seek out alternatives to any plastics and move to use natural, biodegradable products as much as possible, even if they are more expensive. We need to lose the love affair with the golf course style lawn and stop using fertilizer, pesticides, and insecticides on the ground as much as possible. Those materials soak into the ground and flow toward water bodies creating massive algal blooms that kill wildlife and sicken people just like we are seeing in Florida right now."     www.IntoThePlanet.com www.mission2020.org All images: © Jill Heinerth   READ MORE Ocean plastics are a problem and no one knows better than divers Under thin ice: Jill Heinerth caputures climate change

Technical and cave diving professional Gemma Smith is just about ready to hop into a pool for her first dive since a terrible accident seven months ago that left her body smashed. Now she wants to share diving more than ever before. © Jukka Saarikorpi Surgeons and specialists who’ve carried out 12 operations and other procedures on 27-year-old Gemma Smith since a car crashed into her have been astonished at how quickly she has recovered. Smith believes it’s in large part due to the massive kindness and support she has received from the diving community. Fellow divers, for example, created a fundraising page for Smith to help her with her long recovery. At the time of writing they have raised nearly $10,000 USD. Click here to support Gemma. “The biggest thing I want to say to everyone is thank you,” says Smith, the first woman to dive the world famous Antikythera Shipwreck. “The support I have received from all over the world, from many people I’ve never met, has been so mind blowing. It’s beyond what I could have ever imagined.” © Nina Baxa When an elderly man died of an aneurysm at the wheel while driving in the Faroe Islands in March this year, his foot slipped on to the accelerator and the car veered off the road and into Smith and her friend as they were walking home from the shops for a movie night together. Thrown four meters by the impact, Smith, lucky to have survived, woke up in hospital, completely unaware of what had happened. She suffered a bleed on the brain, a broken neck, a broken coccyx, both legs and both feet broken. With two e coli infections, Smith nearly lost a leg. Doctors doubted she would walk again, let alone don scuba gear and drop underwater.  But Smith is walking again, going to rehabilitation twice a week, and training to fulfill physical requirements set by doctors before they will allow her to dive again. Her determination is unshakeable.  Listen to Gemma talk about why she dives in the video below Smith started diving when she was 17. Since then, this is the longest she has gone without a dive, and it hasn’t been easy accepting that.  “Not being able to dive is like losing a limb,” she says. “It’s not just that I’m missing my hobby, but part of me is missing. I'm really lucky, and I will never forget how lucky I am, but at the end of the day, my overriding goal and aim is to get back in the water.” The harrowing experience, the loss of her ability to dive, the outpouring of support she has received from the dive community, has shifted Smith’s vision of her future as a diver. Diving will always be her life, but now she wants to focus on sharing diving with people who could really benefit from its healing qualities. “When something this random and out of the blue happens, you definitely reassess what’s important and what’s not,” Smith says. “Whereas before the accident diving was driven solely by exploration and discovery, what I wanted when I was lying in hospital for weeks was simply to get into a swimming pool and just have that quiet. “I learned to appreciate that more than I had done before. “My focus right now is to look at how to help people with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) or who have been in horrible accidents, or had horrible experiences, through diving. I want to give people the opportunity to experience the wonder, freedom and calming influence that diving can bring to your life.” Over the next year Smith’s plan is to get dive fit. First it will be a single tank dive in a pool. Then baby steps from there. And despite a warning from a neurosurgeon not to start anything new, Smith couldn’t resist beginning a degree in archeology. “I thought, ‘if I can't dive, this is not the end for me, I'm going to come at it from an archeological point of view’,” she says. Everyone at Suunto wishes Gemma a speedy recovery and a wonderful first dive.  Lead images: © Jukka Saarikorpi

Take a ride with world champion freediver William Trubridge as he guides us all below surface appearances into the depths of the ocean and the human mind.  Ask any freediver to explain what the experience of freediving is like and they will tell you words cannot do it justice. It's a transcendent sport – one that transforms our experience of the mind and our limits – and the subtlety of poetry is better suited to communicate what this unique experience is like.  “There’s nothing happening in your body that resembles any other sport or activity,” Suunto ambassador William Trubridge says in the video below. “What you are doing is perhaps the most alien thing the human body can do. Sure, if you went on a space walk, you are off the planet and weightless, but a free dive transforms you into another creature altogether.”  In the TEDx Talk below, Trubridge, who holds the world record for the deepest dive, guides his audience on a free dive, riffing poetically about the experience, how it feels, what happens to body and mind, and why he and other free divers are drawn away from the surface and into the deep.  Lead images: © Alex St Jean / Vertical Blue   Read more about freediving here: How deep can we go? You haven't understood freediving until you've read this. William Trubridge talks record attempts and the art of freediving.