2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth

On August 15th, the freediving world’s competition season continues with the opening ceremony of the 2026 CMAS World Championship Freediving Depth. The organizers are the experienced 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝘁á𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 & 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 managed by Esteban Darhanpe, who is hosting the CMAS World Championship for the third time. Previously, the CMAS World Championships took place at this location in 2019 and 2023.

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲
Roatán is the largest of the Bay Islands, located in the Caribbean Sea approximately 65km (40 miles) off the northern coast of mainland Honduras. The island stretches about 59km (37 miles) from east to west and reaches a maximum width of 8 km (5 miles), covering an area of approximately 83km² (32 sq mi).

Roatán sits atop the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef—the second-largest coral reef system in the world. The island\\\'s population is approximately 110,000, with Coxen Hole serving as the capital and largest settlement.

West Bay is the beach where the event takes place. The diving platform is located 0.70 miles (5 minutes by boat) from the shore. Diving conditions there are favorable for athletes and relatively stable (for the open water):
° Air temperature: 25–30°C (77–86 °F)
° Water temperature: 27–29°C (80–84 °F)
° Thermocline (water temperature decrease): about 2°C at 100m (328ft)
° Currents: null to moderate
° Visibility: 24–40m (80–120ft)

The World Championship follows CMAS regulations. Spanning eight competition days, athletes will showcase their skills in four different depth disciplines of competitive freediving: Constant Weight (CWT), Constant Weight with Bifins (CWT-BF), Free Immersion (FIM), and Constant Weight with No Fins (CNF).
Each athlete will have a single attempt to perform in each discipline. It is crucial for athletes to be mindful of their limits because, under CMAS rules, blacking out during a dive results in disqualification for at least 1 day (and, in more severe cases, from the rest of the competition).

To account for unpredictable weather conditions, the World Championship organizers have designated two reserve days. Additionally, there is a rest day in-between (which is particularly important for athletes competing in all four disciplines).