(Most of this article first appeared in Scuba Diving Industry Magazine, January 2026)
Kenny Dyal of YouTube’s The Scuba Diving Channel has called Liz Parkinson, “The greatest underwater athlete in the world.”
After all, she’s a scuba instructor, divemaster, freediver, shark wrangler, manager of film and underwater production at Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas, and, most importantly for our June meeting, a Hollywood Stuntperson.
One Woman, Multiple Water-Related Careers
Born in South Africa, Liz started her “water” career as a high school competitive swimmer in England. She then excelled as a college swimmer at both the University of Hawaii and Florida State University.
When she moved back to Hawaii after college, she worked at the Outrigger Hotel on Waikiki Beach as a diver and a Divemaster.
“That’s when I started developing freediving skills that would serve me well in the future––with breath holds of up to 6.5 minutes––and as the eventual co-author of a PADI FreeDiver course,” Liz said.
Next, she moved to the Caribbean as a divemaster on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands for 16 months. But when she relocated in 2007 as a Divemaster at Stuart Cove’s Dive Bahamas in Nassau, she loved it so much that she spent 12 years there, amassing about 10,000 dives, which was about four dives per day.
“Stuart Cove’s was renowned for its exceptional water clarity and shark species,” she added. “I was fortunate to work closely with Stephen Frink, Stuart Cove, and others as an underwater model on various photo shoots, movies, and documentaries, especially for Shark Week on The Discovery Channel. There, I also obtained my dive instructor certification, and spent over 10 years as full-time Manager of Film and Underwater Production, and part-time shark wrangler.”
A Huge Career Transition: Hollywood Stuntperson
Liz’s life changed tremendously when James Cameron, Oscar-winning director of Titanic and Avatar, approached her because of her excellent reputation as a diver and a freediver.
After meeting with him, she boldly reinvented herself as a stunt performer to work on Avatar: The Way of Water in 2022, which she calls her true introduction to Hollywood, and more recently on Avatar: Fire and Ash. In fact, she and her team were SAG-nominated for “Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture” for Avatar: The Way of Water.
Since then, she worked on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Fast & Furious 9, the Thai Cave Rescue documentary, while conducting in-water safety, instruction, performances, and stunts for stars such as Sigourney Weaver, Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackson, and many more.
Now, besides diving with sharks, she’s become a shark conservationist through her involvement with nonprofits like Shark Angels. She recommends that a background in Marine Science or Conservation could be another viable path for those interested in ocean-related work.
Finally, she’s featured in the June 2026 issue of Alert Diver Magazine: “Camera’s Rolling, and… Action!”
Final Q&As with Liz Parkinson: These start on the Vimeo noted below at 60 minutes…
1) Have you ever had a dive injury, specifically getting bent and needing a hyperbaric chamber?
I have never been bent. I know several who have though. I have been in situations where I am doing a lot of diving, so I take extra precautions to prevent anything like that from happening. If I am on a job where I am either in a tank diving all day, not deep but can be heated, I don’t work out in the evenings on the mornings before/during. I hold back on the running, too. Hydration is huge, and I will take hydration salts. Safety is a large part of my job, so I set myself up for success, both for myself and my actors. Nitrox is also something I will use and certify people I am diving with on long jobs.
2) What is the scariest thing you ever did or saw underwater?
Nothing that I have necessarily seen or done have scared me. On a film, we rehearse and work through scenes so we are well prepared. In a cave, you are so focused on what you are doing, and marveling at what is around you that there really is nothing to get scared of. I have seen people do scary things, putting themselves in places underwater where they have no certification or experience to be there. I learnt from a young age to respect the water, and I try to live by that.
3) Have you ever portrayed a Kraken?
The closest was a Tsong on Avatar, but no ,I have not portrayed a Kraken.
Liz Parkinson
Freediving guru, PADI IDC Staff Instructor, Divemaster, Hollywood Stuntperson
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