We gave the strong British Champion, Matt Hill, time to calmly celebrate his great successes in CWT-BF at the CMAS World Cup 2025 in the Philippines, with -101m and new British National Record, and also in FIM with -114 m, also National Record. wow! We have asked Matt all about his start, passion, life, goals, and his collaboration with 2971, a British company that produces top equipment for freediving, and that deserves more attention considering the performance and quality of its product offer.
Carlo Forni: When did your passion for freediving begin, and what was it that first drew you to it?
Matt Hill: I first started freediving through spearfishing when I was 13 years old, living in Torquay, in the southwest of the UK—a small seaside town with some very beautiful coastline. I was always obsessed with fishing and fell into spearfishing after hearing my neighbour talk about it. My parents let me buy a speargun, and that was it. I would finish school in the summer and go straight to the beach with my gun, fins, mask, and surf wetsuit, catching bass and mullet in the shallows.
This spearfishing carried on into my later years. I did my first freediving course around 2017/18 to get better at deeper spearfishing and fell in love with it. I remember watching Tanya Streeter break records when I was a kid and being fascinated by freediving because of that. One thing led to another, and I kept going with it—now it’s a big part of my life. It was only after I left the Royal Marine Commandos in 2021 that I felt I needed a big challenge. I was diving to around 30 metres then—nothing crazy—but I said, I want to see how deep I can actually go. Three years later, I’m the UK’s deepest freediver.
CF: How does freediving shape your everyday life? How does it influence your mindset, habits, or daily routine outside the water?
Matt Hill: Freediving has totally transformed my life—not overnight, but slowly over the years. It led me into a new career teaching both freediving and spearfishing, and then to living and breathing freediving almost every day. I lived in Bali for the last year and a half, having moved there to work and train towards my freediving goals.
Because I’ve been pursuing this freediving dream—working and training—it’s transformed how I look after myself. I wouldn’t say I live like a yogi, eating clean every day and tracking everything, but I do believe life is about balance. I like to exercise, stretch, and practice mindfulness training—but I also like to drink a beer and lie around all day sometimes, eating cheese, pizza, crisps and more.
Freediving is about balance to me. I want to enjoy life at the same time and not let freediving totally take over my mind to the point where I stop doing the things I enjoy. Freediving is mostly mental, and your headspace plays a big role. Living a life that makes you happy has a direct influence on performance. Live a happy life—that’s the most important thing.
Carlo Forni: What role do competitions play in your freediving journey? How what it and what does it mean to achieve the UK record. Beyond the records and rankings, what motivates you?
Matt Hill: Competitions do play a big role in my freediving. I’m the kind of person who works best when I have something to aim for. As soon as I’ve paid the entry fee and booked my flights, that’s when my mindset shifts to: OK, this is happening—let’s start preparing. Without that goal, I do find it easy to lose motivation to train.
I don’t train all year round. I usually work in cycles and do around three build-ups a year leading to a deep dive. After that, I rest and just enjoy freediving for fun or focus on teaching. The mental headspace required to go deep is a lot—it can take everything from you if you’re not careful. It’s easy to burn out, so again, for me, it’s about living a balanced and healthy life.
I am a competitive person—I like to compete, and I like to “win.” What I love about freediving is that often, you’re just competing against yourself. You can self-validate and prove to yourself what you’re capable of. Breaking national records is an amazing feeling, and I think it’s important to say—it’s OK to be competitive. Healthy competition encourages growth. In freediving, the community is incredibly supportive, and that’s what makes it such a positive space. With that attitude, I think we’ll all keep going deeper together.
Carlo Forni: Can you tell us about the gear you rely on for training and competition?
Matt Hill: I wear 2971 equipment for all my diving—training, competitions, and teaching. I like to use the same gear every day so it becomes familiar and second nature. I really connect with 2971’s design—it’s clean, smart, and built specifically for freedivers. And as a UK athlete, I’m proud to represent a UK brand.
I also like their philosophy—freediving is more than just what happens in the water. It’s about how you train, move, and breathe on land too. The name 2971 says it all (the ratio percentage of the world land to water 29%/71% – editor’s note), and their gear supports me in pushing my limits, one breath at a time.
I really like the 2971 Mini Max blades with the DS1 foot pockets. They’re short carbon blades that I use for teaching and for deepish dives to around 60m. Then, when I switch to my competition XX blades, the dives feel much easier.
Carlo Forni: How do travel experiences impact on ypur approach to freediving?
Matt Hill: Travel has had a huge impact on my freediving. I’ve been lucky to dive in lots of different places, and every spot teaches me something new. Whether it’s stronger currents, different thermoclines, big swell, new depths, or just meeting other divers, I always come away with something that helps me grow in the sport.
Moving to Bali really changed things for me. I was suddenly surrounded by people who live and breathe freediving. That energy pushed me to train harder and take things more seriously. But it’s not just the diving—travel keeps me grounded and reminds me why I do this. Being in the ocean in new parts of the world keeps the passion alive.
Freediving isn’t just about depth for me—it’s about exploring, learning, and connecting. Every trip brings fresh perspective, both in and out of the water. You realise how different conditions, cultures, and ways of living shape the way people dive. It makes you more adaptable, more open-minded, and more grateful for what this sport gives back.
Carlo Forni: What are your upcoming goals in freediving — whether events, expeditions, or personal challenges — and how are you preparing for them?
Matt Hill: I’ve recently moved back to Europe after a year and a half in Bali, and I’m now based at Deep Med in Gozo, Malta. At the moment, my main focus is on teaching. I really enjoy sharing freediving with others, and it also gives me a good routine. I’m not training super hard right now, but luckily I can still get in the water and hit some depth in between courses.
I actually like this balance—when I train full-time, I find I get too much in my own head. Having work keeps me grounded and gives me something else to focus on.
I’ll be competing at the Freedom Depth Games in Cyprus this October, which I’m really looking forward to. And hopefully next year, I can make it to the World Championships. I’m just giving myself time to adapt back to the Mediterranean after training in tropical waters. It’s definitely a bit of a shift, but I’m excited to see where the next few months take me.
Photos Ben Yavar and Laura Mommicchi
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