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Freediving in Dean's Blue Hole
A near-circular marine sinkhole in a sheltered bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas. At 202 meters it is one of the deepest blue holes in the world, dropping vertically from a shallow turquoise lagoon, and it is the home of the Vertical Blue freediving competition.
Why here
Dean's Blue Hole is the most famous freediving site on earth. In a quiet bay off Long Island, the seabed opens into a near-perfect circle and plunges straight down to 202 meters, one of the deepest blue holes anywhere, ringed by a shallow beach and a limestone amphitheater. Because deep water sits a few fin-kicks from the sand, a freediver can drop along a weighted line into the blue and be back on the beach in minutes, which is exactly why it became the stage for Vertical Blue, the invitational depth competition run by world-record holder William Trubridge, where dozens of national and world records have fallen. You do not need to be a champion to dive it. The shallow rim is a calm, protected place to learn breath-hold diving, and the same warm, still, current-free water that suits record attempts suits a first freediving course. Standing on the beach watching a diver disappear down the line and rise a couple of minutes later is one of the quiet spectacles of the sport.
Best months
The blue hole is sheltered and almost current-free, with warm water year-round and no boat needed, since 202 meters of water is reachable from the beach. That combination is close to unique and it is why the depth records happen here. Conditions are calmest and driest from roughly April to July, which is also the competition window. Understand what the site is before you commit: the training infrastructure is not permanent. Line, counterballast and safety-diver cover are rigged for events and there is no published confirmation that any of it is available to a visitor outside those weeks. Treat a depth session as something to arrange and confirm in writing beforehand, not something to turn up and buy. The nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Nassau, roughly 265 kilometers away and reachable only by air.
Getting there & around
Long Island is reached by a short flight from Nassau to Deadman's Cay, then a drive to the blue hole near Clarence Town, where a handful of small resorts and guesthouses cluster. The site itself is free to visit from the beach, so the cost is instruction, coaching and lodging rather than boats. Instruction is enquiry-based rather than a published course calendar, so write first and get dates, depth support and safety cover confirmed before booking flights. The island's own logistics are part of the planning: the Vertical Blue competition was suspended in 2024 over power outages, road condition and reduced air service, and returned in 2025 in a much smaller form, so build in slack around flights and cash. The island fills during the competition window, so book lodging early if you want to train or watch then.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (1)
Vertical Blue Freediving School
SchoolVertical Blue is the freediving school at Dean's Blue Hole, founded by New Zealand world-record freediver William Trubridge, who has set world records here including unassisted constant weight without fins. The school teaches AIDA-syllabus courses from beginner to advanced in the sheltered, current-free water of the blue hole, and it stages Vertical Blue, the invitational depth competition where dozens of national and world records have been set.
Also good for freediving in April:
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