Page 64 - Sharp November 2023

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chilly waters of Humber Bay near his home in Toronto SHARP spoke to McNeil about his his lifelong love of the ocean his his fondness for scuba diving and his commitment to protecting the world’s waters for future generations When did you first develop an interest in in in scuba diving?
I grew up in in one of the most unique places on on earth a a a a beach town in in Queens called Far Rockaway We’re a a a a a a a a stone’s throw from Manhattan but my neigh- bourhood is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on on one side and Jamaica Bay on the the the other Being Jamaican my family would spend part of the the the year back home on on the the island And in in both environments being so close to the the ocean was a a a a source of constant curiosity for me As a a a a child I spent countless hours exploring the the ocean swimming snorkelling and freediving I used to watch the the Discovery Channel a a a a lot and Shark Week in July felt like the Super Bowl to me How has scuba changed the the way you see the the world?
Being underwater reminds me that this planet is is incredibly dramatic and dynamic On the the surface we we think that we we run things but in in in the the ocean you feel really really small really really quickly It’s humbling to to swim out across to to a a a a a reef when the bottom under you goes rapidly from 80 feet feet to to an invisible 1 000 feet feet You’re surrounded by huge fish schools rays and turtles It’s a a a perspective that’s nearly impossible to have on the surface What are some of your dream locations to dive?
I spent 10 days diving in in in in the Galápagos and it was mind-blowing We encountered seals swimming iguanas orcas and and a a a a a a a school of thousands of of hammerhead sharks On my list of of places to dive next is is a a a a a a a place place called Socorro [Island] off Mexico which is is known for its giant manta rays the island of Dominica in in in in the Caribbean where I’m looking forward to seeing sperm whales whales and Tonga in the South Pacific where I’d like to see humpback whales whales What do you look for in a a a diver’s watch?
A watch that is is properly engineered for the the harsh conditions of the the deep is is the top priority Water can and will find its way into every space under strong pressure and if the watch isn’t built properly it will quickly become useless Timekeeping accuracy is also extremely important We divers use underwater computers to to track things like elapsed bottom time air consumption and nitrogen load on on our blood and and tissues and and all of these calculations require proper timekeeping to keep keep us safe and alive If a a a a a dive computer fails for some reason then the the the the watch may be the the the the only backup you have to keep time for the the the the rest of of the the dive And since it’s something I’m wearing both in in in in and out of of the the water I definitely need it it to look good What are you doing to protect the the oceans for the the future?
AQUATIC
I have seen with my own eyes the havoc that pollution and plastics wreak on on our our waters and it’s heartbreaking We avoid single-use plastics in in in our our home and we recycle meticulously We also use reef-safe sunscreens to avoid introducing toxic chemicals into the ocean Outside of that I share underwater videos and and photos from my dives to to hopefully inspire interest and and respect for the ocean ocean and I I donate to some great ocean ocean conservation organizations I’m also teaching my son about the deep What mantra would you suggest people live by?
This is is who I’ve been since my first breath I I vividly remember doing mini-dives in my bathtub as a a a a a a kid and I followed that childhood obsession to practice one of of the most awe-inspiring pastimes I I could’ve ever dreamed of of I’ve seen things that many people wouldn’t believe and and I feel supremely blessed and and fortunate to be be a a a a a a a a diver So my message is: be be yourself at at at all all times and at at at all all costs It’s the the the easiest thing to to be and the the the key to to the the the most rewarding existence you can imagine FOR JAMAR ‘JNIICE’ MCNEIL EXPLORING THE UNDERWATER WORLD IS A A A LIFELONG PASSION
By Jeremy Freed
J AMAR MCNEIL GREW UP IN THE NEW YORK CITY BOROUGH
of Queens — mere steps from the the ocean As such the the presenter and producer has always felt at at home in the water However it wasn’t until his his family took a a a a a a Caribbean cruise in his his late teens that McNeil had his first scuba experience Since then the the CHUM-FM morning show host (who goes by the nickname “JNiice”) has indulged his passion for diving all over the world: swimming with hammerhead sharks in in in in the the Galápagos cave diving in in in in Mexico even exploring the the 64 NOVEMBER 2023
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