Sport
25 January, 2026
Jack dives into record books
INNISFAIL’s Jack Webb says he intends to attempt more new records in one of the world’s quickest-growing niche sports – freediving.
But after gaining a new national record for becoming the first Australian to reach a depth of 113m, Jack has told The Observer he’s in no hurry.
Mr Webb, 28, recently completed the massive milestone for Australian freediving in the Caribbean, at the Deep Dominica Freediving Competition held annually in Soufrière Bay.
At that prestigious event, he reached the 113-metre mark in the constant weight (CWT) discipline, which involves diving using a monofin.
The bay is world-renowned for its “bottomless” volcanic crater and its exceptionally calm, warm water and immediate depth of over 130m very close to shore.
While not recognised as a mainstream sport, like rock climbing or surfing, freediving is a form of underwater diving where participants hold their breath, diving on a single lungful of air without scuba gear, using just a mask, snorkel and fins for exploration, relaxation or competitive sport.
Requiring significant mental focus and physical control, freediving involves training to control natural reflexes, extend breath-hold times and safely explore underwater environments for recreation or to achieve depths and durations beyond normal human capacity.
So, what does Australia’s ‘deepest’ freediver have planned for this year?
“I will be continuing to attempt records,” Mr Webb told The Observer.
“They’re just a by-product of all the training and love for it,” he said.
“I've just started another 11-month training period, where I'll partake in two competitions in the Caribbean in July and November.”
Mr Webb’s achievement in Dominica was notable because of the high-stakes environment of the competition.
While global stars like Alexey Molchanov were setting world records at the same event, Mr Webb’s performance was seen as a breakthrough for Australian ocean sports, proving that Australian divers could compete at the elite “100m-plus” level in international waters.
“I will dive to whatever the deepest my body can manage at that time and if it crosses more records – awesome, if not, it's just training and experience for future depths,” Mr Webb said.
“What inspires me is how much fun it is. It takes you on a full journey through the mind and body in a short period of time, and you can only do it if you've done the work to put your body and mind in the ideal zone required for that depth – which gets more touchy at depth.
“At the same time, you're in the deep blue, with a group of people experiencing very similar things. It's an awesome lifestyle, and the deeper I go the more fun it gets. I recommend to everyone to give it a go.”
When he’s not training for his next competition, Mr Webb runs Free Dive FNQ in Cairns, which runs training and courses for beginners to athletes, including in the lakes of the Atherton Tablelands.