John Wright is the godfather of New Zealand’s freediving scene. John has always been involved in sport and played rugby league for New Zealand in the 1970s. He eventually setup and owned a PADI 5 star IDC centre and was a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer.

He started freediving 1998, taught by Tanya Streeter, and began teaching in 2000, writing his own programs back in those days before the big agencies appeared on the scene.

John is an AIDA AI Judge, Padi Master Freedive Instructor and Apnea International Instructor and spends much of his time coaching and training budding, up-and-coming freedivers.

In this episode we discuss:

John is from Auckland, New Zealand.
He started off in the water world with a scuba shop in 1981.
John learnt his first freediving from Tanya Streeter.
Is John the godfather of New Zealand freediving?
Early development of New Zealand’s national records.
How was the Sail Sabang freediving competition in Indonesia?
Possibilities of a World Championship in Indonesia?
Time for freediving athletes to start getting paid in an appropriate way.
John’s own current career as a freediving athlete.
Advice on training efficiently as an older person.
John’s favourite disciplines are CWT and STA.
John’s coaching background.
John’s approach to coaching, his methodology.
What qualities set apart the best divers in the world?
John’s not to into the Branko Petrovich method of preparation for STA competitions.
How did John get into judging competitions?
What is the most difficult thing about being a judge?
What major evolution has taken place in the judging world in John’s time?
Remembering difficult decisions that he had to make.
New rules regarding compeition blackouts etc.
Is there a problem with the surface protocol?
Safety in competition and the 2018 CMAS World Championship incident.
How does John envision the future of freediving?
Could we have a Freediving World Series one day?
About John’s company No Bubbles.
John’s interests outside of freediving.
John’s breakfast and trying to keep the weight down.
What does John know now he wished he knew back in the day?
John’s plans for the future.
Why does John freedive?
The freediving tribe is a welcoming one!

John’s Links:

No Bubbles Freediving

John’s Facebook