Black man sets up Scuba Diving World Record

On December 3, 2024, the 33-year-old Barrington “BJ” Scott wrote the story as the fastest person who dived on all seven continents. In just 19 days, 19 hours and 40 minutes, Scott traveled 27,000 miles to become a Guinness world record holder. His journey started in Australia and included Stops in Thailand, Egypt, Malta, the USA, Argentina and finally Antarctic.

“When I ended my last dive, I first called my sisters to share the good news,” he says. “I could feel the pride and excitement in their voices – it made the performance even more real. It was just as fulfilled to share this moment with them, to know that they were due to every high and low low in me like breaking the record itself. “

The Expat, based in Thailand, set out to complete the expedition with seven stops in 30 days, but thanks to the careful planning, it only took 19th Scott's first dive on November 13th in Sydney, Australia. In the next three weeks he took place in seven different countries instead of flew, some for the first time.

“The expedition introduced me to new cities in familiar continents,” he says. “I've been to Egypt before, but Alexandria was a new city. Malta, Argentina and Antarctica were all the first goals. “

Scott spent two to four days in every place and experienced some of the most breathtaking underwater landscapes in the world, such as the caves and blue holes in Gozo, Malta and the tropical waters near Miami, Florida. Scott is not a stranger to travel to over 35 countries, but his experiences inspired him to return to some of his diving sites.

“I would like to return to Malta, Argentina and Antarctic. Malta felt like the story, with her old stone streets, which led to the clearest blue water I've ever seen – every dive felt like a secret, ”he says. “In Argentina, it was like getting started in Ushuaia like reaching the edge of the world, surrounded by robust mountains and icy water. Knowing that it was my last stop before the Antarctic made it even more survey. Nothing prepares you for this kind of silence and width in Antarctic. It was beyond the world, humble and undoubtedly one of the most impressive places I've ever been. “

Part of what Scott's hike made so impressive was the risk of decompression disease that he had confronted by traveling between diving sites. Scuba divers reach depths of about 100 feet and have to absorb compressed air that contains nitrogen. Experts recommend waiting at least 12-24 hours before getting on a plane to give your body time, change to the extreme height and dissolve the nitrogen from your bloodstream. If SCUBA divers do not take precautionary measures, the nitrogen bubbles can cause decompression disease in their bloodstream. This disease can lead to dizziness, muscle pain, paralysis and in some very serious cases. Scott's remarkable performance included flying to diving sites over several time zones, and he leads his mental and physical persistence in the marines in some cases.

“My military background learned me to be fearless, adaptable and flexible for changes – splinters that were essential for dealing with the countless variables on this trip,” he says. “One of the airlines lost my bag, which all of my essential diving equipment had and forced me to move a dive. With such a tight time axis, every delay had broken off to my deadline and increased pressure that I didn't need. It was a memory that adventure, no matter how much you plan, always find a way to test it. “

Scott completed his last dive in Antarctica, a notoriously difficult and expensive place to travel. He had a fundraising campaign for Gofundme, which collected over 4,500 US dollars, but the entire company was still an expensive project.

“The trip itself – including flights, accommodations, food, diving, transport companies, training and equipment cost me over 28,000 US dollars,” he says. “But I don't regret it; I would do it again immediately. “

Scott's record is something special for several other reasons. In America, an estimated 64% of black children do not know how to swim because racism and separation have prevented black Americans from enjoying pools and public beaches. And there are even fewer black divers: only 5 to 8% of the divers are black, which Scott puts in a special category of athletes. He says he always loved the water.

“I was not afraid of open water, which could explain why I drowned a few times a few times when I grew up,” he jokes. “I overestimated my skills and underestimated the power of nature. It took some training, but at some point I got better. I dipped upside down in diving – Pun intended – and never looked back. “

Scott grew up in the Bronx and observed National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, who ignited his passion for exploring the world. His first dive was on the Bahamas in 2014, and since then he has been examined in over a dozen countries, including the Cayman Islands, Panama, Chile and Colombia. For everyone who wants to follow Scott's way, he says that he starts small and is not discouraged.

“Start with a discover Scuba diving course. It is a great way to see if you like it without fully signing, ”he advises. “You don't have to be the strongest swimmer to start diving. The most common challenge that I have seen in both new and experienced divers is to compensate for their earrooms [a technique to release air pressure in your ears]. Some new divers have to struggle with it and are discouraged, but they only need practice. Don't let it put it off. “

Scott wants to see more black divers in the water, which motivated him to write the children's book Trents Adventure: Deep Seer Discover. His trips inspired the book with photos that he has taken over the years. He says he has other projects in the works to share his love for diving.

“Trents adventure Was a passion project and I plan to create more children's books in the future, ”says Scott. “I would also like to get back into the diving and finally organize them while traveling to introduce even more people into sports.”

He is now back in Thailand, but Scott has plans to continue traveling and diving. Some of his goals of his Bucket List are Ito, Japan, the Galapagos Islands and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Although he has enough time to plan his next trip, he takes a bar to enjoy his performance and think about how his life led him from the Bronx to set up world records.

“If I could speak to this child in the Bronx, I would tell him that it is perfectly fine to be this quirky child with all these hobbies,” he says. “I would also say to my younger myself that he should always dream big, stay different and never deviate from the one you are.”