PICS: SA freediver Beth Neale & partner’s Guinness World Record underwater kiss

Maldives on its own is extremely romantic, add to that an underwater kiss that will be documented in the history pages and you probably have yourself one of the most romantic Valentine’s Day stories to tell your grandkids.

Beth Neale, a 4 x South African National Freediving Champion, Ocean Conservationist and Filmmaker, and her partner Miles Cloutier, a Canadian freediver and filmmaker broke the Guinness World Record for Longest Underwater Kiss at LUX* South Ari Atoll, Maldives, on 4 February.

Although the record-breaking kiss took place ten days before Valentine’s Day, Beth said they felt that Valentine’s Day was the perfect day to share the new record with the world as it’s such a beautiful reflection of their love for the underwater world, and their love for each other in a place where they discovered she was pregnant.

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Previous attempts

The previous record for the longest underwater kiss (3 minutes 24 seconds) was held by Italian couple, Michele Fucarino and Elisa Lazzarini for 13 years.

Beth and Miles have previously attempted to break the record, but their attempts were initially thwarted when, while filming the TV series Freediving Diaries, Beth discovered she was pregnant with their (now) 18-month-old baby girl, Neve.

How to train for the longest underwater kiss

The couple have a shared passion for the ocean, and love for underwater filmmaking, which have seen them exploring and filming extensively – only coming up for air when necessary.

Beth and Miles spent two weeks training in their pool at home, but Beth explains that holding your breath in the comfort of your own home is one thing, but doing it in front of a crowd with an adjudicator is another – especially when emotions are greatly amplified.

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D-day

Having scouted many locations across the globe, the pair felt LUX* South Ari in the Maldives provided the most romantic backdrop for their Guinness World Record attempt for the longest underwater kiss.

Beth says that it was challenging at first to get into a relaxed position while staying together for the kiss and staying upright.

“You can feel each other’s diaphragmatic contractions, which is the body’s response to rising C02 levels in the blood.”

At the 3-minute mark, she pressed play on her underwater audio to listen to Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ to keep her mind distracted.

Beth did a lip sync to the track on her Instagram in January, which has gone viral.

Watch Beth’s viral lip sync video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beth Neale (@onebreathbeth)

In line with procedure, a top Guinness World Records adjudicator, Swapnil Dangarikar flew in from India to officiate the record on the spot, with two official witnesses and timekeepers present. A crowd of resort guests and staff looked on, with multiple camera angles established and Maldivian underwater cameraman, Mohamed Sir Ahmed, also known as Sidey the Shark, behind the camera.

*Compiled by Xanet Scheepers