Watch: Alexey Molchanov Sets 136m CWT Freediving World Record
Alexey Molchanov descends 136 meters on a single breath in Constant Weight — the deepest CWT dive in history. This is what the frontier of human breath-hold performance looks like.
The following video, published by Molchanovs Freediving on YouTube, documents Alexey Molchanov's 136-meter Constant Weight (CWT) world record dive — the deepest CWT dive ever recorded at the time of publication. It is a benchmark in the history of breath-hold diving.
What Constant Weight Means
Constant Weight (CWT) is widely regarded as the purest test of freediving ability. The diver descends and ascends under their own power using fins (bifins or monofin) and body movement, with no assistance from a weighted sled on the way down, and no abandonment of weights on the way up. The same weight system the diver carries to the bottom must return to the surface with them. This discipline demands complete command of equalization, buoyancy, technique, and mental control across the full round trip.
At 136 meters, Molchanov descends well beyond the theoretical "lung crush" depth that once defined the presumed limit of human physiology. At approximately 30 meters, the residual volume of the lungs is reached — below that point, lung compression is only possible because blood shifts from the peripheral circulation into the pulmonary vasculature, filling the collapsing space. This mammalian diving reflex, shared with marine mammals, is what allows trained freedivers to reach depths that would be fatal to an unprepared person.
The Role of Training and Lineage
Alexey Molchanov is the son of the late Natalia Molchanova, widely considered the greatest freediver of all time and the holder of more world records than any other person in the sport's history before her disappearance during a recreational dive in 2015. He has continued her legacy, founding Molchanovs — a freediving education and equipment brand — and systematically pushing the CWT record in a career that spans multiple disciplines and depth categories.
This record serves as both athletic achievement and data point in the ongoing scientific exploration of human physiological limits. For freedivers at any level, watching the video provides a calibration of what is possible with complete dedication to the craft — and an appreciation for the technical and physiological complexity that a single breath at 136 meters represents.