Underwater Kiss: Beth Neal and Miles Cloutier locked lips for an astounding 246 seconds. Photo / Guinness World Records; Sidey The Shark
Underwater Kiss: Beth Neal and Miles Cloutier locked lips for an astounding 246 seconds. Photo / Guinness World Records; Sidey The Shark
On a romantic holiday to the Maldives a couple chose to mark the occasion with an unusual activity - attempting to break a world record.
Beth “One-Breath” Neal and partner Miles Cloutier - AKA Canadian Aquaman - have had their smooch certified by Guinness after a stay at the LUX resort, South Ari Atoll.
On February 14 the couple locked lips in the resort swimming pool for an impressive 4 minutes 6 seconds.
The record smashed the long-standing previous record (3 minutes 24 seconds), set thirteen years ago as part of the Italian TV show Lo Show dei Record.
It wasn’t easy. With butterflies in their stomach, Neal said she was struggling to maintain focus for the record.
“Three days before the record I could just not hold my breath,” she told Guinness.
Beth and Miles prepare pre-record at the Lux* resort, in the Maldives. Photo / Guinness World Records
The World Record was years in the making. It’s not something you can just dive in at the deep end, the couple have spent weeks preparing before they even booked their trip to the Maldives.
Neal, 40, who is a freedive champion in her native South Africa says something about location gave her nerves.
“It was very interesting for me because I’m a freedive instructor,” Beth said. “And all the things I tell my students, I wasn’t able to follow myself for the first time in my life.”
In the end she said music and underwater headphones where the key to pushing through and focusing.
Recycling air passed mouth to mouth, from Neal to Cloutier, the couple had to remain calm as carbon dioxide built up.
Cloutier, 33, - who is sometimes mistaken for look-alike Jason Momoa - said he had to fight the urge to swim for the surface.
The couple broke the long-standing record for longest underwater kiss. Photo / Guinness World Records
“The longer you’re in the breath hold, the higher the level of discomfort rises, so it was a bit disorientating,” he said.
As a record set on Valentines day the couple were obliged to share their ‘meet cute’ story.
The couple met five years ago while working on a youth diving programme in Bermuda, restoring coral reefs.
Neal said she had sent a call out for volunteers to help, which are normally responded to by local retirees who want to help out.
“I wasn’t prepared for when Miles walked in.”
The couple are now engaged and live in Cape Town with their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Neve.
