This autumn, Cyprus has become the centre of the freediving world. From September 20th to October 3rd, 2025, the island’s warm waters hosts athletes from more than 40 nations, all chasing depth, silence, and the thrill of descent.
The stage is set just a mile off the coast, where the sea drops to 170 meters. Temperatures hover between 25–28°C, creating near-perfect conditions. Beneath the surface, divers will test themselves in four disciplines: Constant Weight (CNF, CWT, CWTB) and Free Immersion (FIM). Each day is dedicated to a new challenge, with women and men competing separately, the rhythm of the schedule carrying them deeper until the closing ceremony on October 2nd.
The championships fall under the Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée (AIDA), the global body that sets the rules and keeps records for competitive breath-holding events. More than an authority, AIDA has become a symbol of freediving itself, the standard by which the sport measures its achievements and its limits. For decades, its name has been tied to world records, legendary dives, and the pursuit of pushing a single breath further into the deep.
The competition demands strong lungs and flawless technique, and also unshakable nerve. Many divers announce depths shallower than what they can truly achieve, a strategy to release the burden of expectation. Every attempt begins in the mind before it moves through muscle. Currents complicate that focus, tugging and shifting the sea around each descent, a reminder that conditions change with every dive.
Safety wraps around the event like an invisible net. Sonar and video systems track each diver. Teams with underwater scooters wait in the dark, ready to intervene. Oxygen stations and medics stand prepared on the surface. The danger never disappears, but every measure is in place to let divers surrender to the silence of the deep.
Cyprus provides the stage. The divers provide the story. The Mediterranean sea decides how far they go.