On December 3, 2024, 33-year-old Barrington “B.J” Scott made history as the fastest person to scuba dive 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 U.S., Argentina, and finally Antarctica.
“When I finished my final dive, I called my sisters first to share the good news,” he says. “I could feel the pride and excitement in their voices—it made the achievement feel even more real. Sharing that moment with them, knowing they’ve been with me through every high and low, was just as fulfilling as breaking the record itself.”
The Thailand-based expat set out to complete the seven-stop expedition in 30 days, but thanks to careful planning, it only took 19. Scott’s first dive took place on November 13 in Sydney, Australia, and over the next three weeks, he flew to seven different countries, 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 first-time destinations.”
Scott spent two to four days in each location, experiencing some of the world’s most stunning underwater landscapes, like the caverns and blue holes in Gozo, Malta, and the tropical waters near Miami, Florida. Scott’s no stranger to travel, having journeyed to over 35 countries, but his experiences inspired him to return to some of his dive locations.
“I’d love to go back to Malta, Argentina, and Antarctica. Malta felt like walking through history, with its ancient stone streets leading to the clearest blue waters I’ve ever seen—every dive there felt like uncovering a secret,” he says. “In Argentina, stepping into Ushuaia was like reaching the edge of the world, surrounded by rugged mountains and icy waters. Knowing it was my last stop before Antarctica made it even more surreal. Nothing prepares you for that kind of silence and vastness in Antarctica. It was otherworldly, humbling, and hands down one of the most awe-inspiring places I’ve ever been.”
Part of what made Scott’s trek so impressive was the risk of decompression sickness he faced from traveling between dive locations. Scuba divers reach depths of roughly 100 feet and have to ingest compressed air containing nitrogen. Experts recommend waiting at least 12-24 hours before getting on a plane to give your body time to adjust to the extreme altitude change and dissolve the nitrogen from your bloodstream. If scuba divers don’t take precautions, the nitrogen bubbles in their bloodstream can cause decompression sickness. This ailment can lead to dizziness, muscle aches, paralysis, and, in some very serious cases, death. Scott’s remarkable feat included flying to dive sites across multiple time zones, and he attributes his mental and physical tenacity, in part, to his time in the Marines.
“My military background taught me to be fearless, adaptable, and flexible to changes—skills that were essential for handling the countless variables on this trip,” he says. “One of the airlines lost my bag, which had all my essential dive gear, forcing me to reschedule a dive. With such a tight timeline, every delay chipped away at my deadline, adding pressure I didn’t need. It was a reminder that no matter how much you plan, adventure always finds a way to test you.”
Scott completed his last dive in Antarctica, a notoriously difficult and expensive place to travel. He had a fundraising campaign on GoFundMe, raising over $4,500, but the overall undertaking was still a pricey project.
“The trip itself—including flights, accommodation, food, dives, transportation, training, and gear cost me over $28,000,” he says. “But I have no regrets; I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
Scott’s record is special for several other reasons. In America, an estimated 64% of Black children don’t know how to swim due to a history of racism and segregation that has prevented Black Americans from enjoying pools and public beaches. And there are even fewer Black scuba divers: only 5 to 8% of scuba divers are Black, which puts Scott in a special category of athletes. He says he has always loved the water.
“I had no fear of open water, which might explain why I nearly drowned a few times growing up,” he jokes. “I overestimated my abilities and underestimated the power of nature. It took some training, but eventually, I got better. I dove headfirst into scuba—pun intended—and never looked back.”
Scott grew up in the Bronx, watching National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, which ignited his passion for exploring the world. His first dive was in the Bahamas in 2014, and since then, he’s scuba-dived in over a dozen countries, including the Cayman Islands, Panama, Chile, and Colombia. For anyone hoping to follow Scott’s path, he says start small and do not get discouraged.
“Start with a Discover Scuba Diving course; it’s a great way to see if you like it without committing fully,” he advises. “You don’t have to be the strongest swimmer to start scuba diving. The most common challenge I’ve seen, both in new and experienced divers, is equalizing their ear spaces [a technique to release air pressure in your ears]. Some new divers struggle with this and get discouraged, but it just takes practice. Don’t let it deter you.”
Scott wants to see more Black divers in the water, which motivated him to write the children’s book Trent’s Adventures: Deep Sea Discover. His travels inspired the book, which features photos he’s taken over the years. He says he has other projects in the works to share his love of scuba diving.
“Trent’s Adventures was a passion project, and I plan to create more children’s books in the future,” Scott says. “I also want to get back into scuba instructing and eventually host trips to help introduce even more people to the sport.”
He’s back in Thailand now, but Scott has plans to keep traveling and diving. Some of his bucket list destinations include Ito, Japan, the Galapagos Islands, and Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Though he’s got plenty of time to plan his next trip, he’s taking a beat to enjoy his accomplishment and to reflect on how his life has taken him from the Bronx to setting world records.
“If I could talk to that kid in the Bronx, I’d tell him that it’s perfectly okay to be that quirky kid with all these hobbies,” he says. “I’d also tell my younger self to keep dreaming big, stay different, and never stray from who you are.”