Going deep – an interview with freediver Guillaume Néry

From record to low

For more than fourteen years, Guillaume Néry’s name was synonymous with champion freediving. He dove to depths of over 120 meters, breaking one world record after the next. Then, in 2015, a serious accident put an end to things. After surviving a blackout, he decided to quit competitive diving altogether and to gain a new, deeper understanding of the ocean by exploring it in a different way. Today, he uses his talents to interpret the underwater world from an artist’s point of view and share his fascination with the deep.

Guillaume, you refer to yourself as an “aquatic human.“ Is water your true element?
To me, it feels good to be in the water, but also to be on land and in the mountains. I’m happiest when I’m in contact with raw nature. I grew up on the Mediterranean coast in Nice, but the real trigger was a bet I made with a friend when we were teenagers, about who could hold their breath the ­longest. I lost the challenge the first time around, but started practicing after that. I soon discovered that I was good at it and the sea became a place where I felt free and at ease.

Many people find the darkness in the deep sea frightening. Why doesn’t it scare you?
I can understand the fear because the deep sea represents the unknown. But as soon as you put on a diving mask and start feeling your way forward, you discover an extraordinary world, a weightless world. It’s a bit like being in a forest: There are dangers, of course, but if you confront nature with a sense of humbleness and respect, it becomes a wonderful place in which to find yourself.

The accident and his fresh start

What is it like to dive down so far?
When you’re deep down in the ocean, the pressure is intense. You have to learn not to fight the air ­compressing in your body, but to accept it, let go and relax. If you can do that, you start to feel like you’re surrounded by a protective sheath. So, when you’re deep in the water, your body is squeezed and you’re far inside yourself. At the same time, you feel connected to the immensity of the ocean. It’s a perfect state of being, an alignment of body and mind with your surroundings. A very meditative state.

You had a serious accident in 2015 when the organization you were diving with made a calculation error. While trying to beat your record of 129 meters, you ended up going ten meters deeper. What’s your perspective today on what happened?
For freedivers, accidents like that – we call them blackouts – are part of the sport. Watching myself on video was quite impressive, because I could see myself losing consciousness. It looked like I was going to die. But that moment became a turning point. I had spent fourteen years pursuing new records, trying to go deeper every year, but after the accident, I decided to stop. I haven’t lost my love of the deep sea, but now I dive for pleasure, to explore – not to prove anything. I still train every day, but it’s easier because the ­pressure is gone.

The Sea's Storyteller

Where did the idea to do film projects and underwater photography come from?
I started my artistic projects while I was still a competitive freediver. My first short film, “Free Fall,” was an incredible success, which was totally unexpected. It has been viewed around the world millions of times. That gave me the confidence to continue. Later projects included a music video for Beyoncé and my film “One Breath Around the World,” which I’m particularly proud of because the images in it are those I always dreamed of as a diver. These days my focus is more on writing, putting my passion for the silence of the underwater world into words. At the moment, I’m working on a book about Natalia Molchanova, the freediver who was a world champion at the same time as her son – an extreme rarity.

You share your knowledge with others today. Why is it so important for us to breathe properly?
When I founded the Bluenery Academy, I wanted to create a place that was not about breaking records – going as deep as possible – but about gaining new perspectives. These days, people are far too stressed most of the time and have lost connection to their bodies and their breathing. And this, despite the fact that breathing is the only one of our involuntary body functions that we can consciously control. Underwater, and through conscious breathing, we can experience real silence and emptiness away from today’s noisy world – a luxury that has become harder and harder to find.

You’re the father of two children. Have you passed on to them your passion for water?
My little boy has just started infant swimming. My daughter, who has traveled with us ever since she was born, has swum with sharks and sperm whales. For a while, she had trouble with the pressure in her ears, but she loves the water now and dives down 20 meters. I would never push my children in this regard. Either their love of the sea comes naturally, or not at all.