Neal Watson – Diving World Record Holder
In this episode of The League of Extraordinary Divers podcast I sit down over a few craft beers with Neal Watson. Neal is an icon in the Bahamas where he has had multiple diving operations. Today he brings thousands to Bimini at his Bimini Scuba Center to encounter Great Hammerheads and pods of wild dolphins. Neal also taught the Dutchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, how to scuba dive. And, he is also known for two major world records in diving. Neal is the Guinness World Record holder for a deep dive on compressed air to 437 feet. He also has an underwater distance record where he swam 66 miles underwater, non-stop from the Florida Keys to Miami – a total of 19 1/2 hours underwater. Neal has worked in numerous major motion pictures, and appeared in television shows including 20/20, Inside Edition and The Today Show.
Neal Watson has multiple awards in our industry. In 2004 Neal was inducted into the Fort Lauderdale Sports Hall of Fame. In 2005 Neal was inducted into the DEMA Diving Hall of Fame. For 15 years Neal has served as President of the Bahamas Diving Association and recently finished his third term as a DEMA Board of Director.
Items in this Podcast
- Becoming a diver at 13
- Training with Kitty Geisler for female deep air diving record (325 feet)
- Training with Jacques Mayol for freediving record
- Setting the Guinness World Record for Deepest Compressed Air Dive (437 feet)
- Challenges of nitrogen narcosis
- Salvaging the wreck of the Mira Via
- A hitman buys Neal a drink
- Gyrocopter world record
- Setting the Guinness World Record for Longest Underwater Distance (66 miles)
- Guest appearance on TV show “To Tell the Truth”
- Shark Week with Michael Phelps
- Teaching Sarah Ferguson, Dutchess of York, how to dive and taking her on a shark feeding dive
- Montezuma’s Revenge on a charter boat
- Great Hammerhead migrations in Bimini
- Tips for new divers
Resources
Neal’s website Bimini Scuba Center
Neal Watson on To Tell the Truth TV Show – YouTube
Funky Buddha Brewery in Fort Lauderdale
Sponsor
Special thanks to our episode sponsor Aggressor Fleet
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