Hairdresser dives underwater to prove he's a cut above the rest

A hairdresser has taken his second world record to prove that he’s a cut above the rest.

Andre Groenewald (South Africa) has held the record for most haircuts in 24 hours by an individual, with a total of 543, since 2024.

This time, he donned scuba gear to claim the most haircuts underwater in one hour by styling 28 people’s hair as it swooshed around in the water.

His attempt in Pretoria, South Africa, on 29 November 2025, surpassed the previous record of 27 set by David Rae (UK) in 2007.

Andre, who’s worked as a hairstylist for 30 years, said the whole thing was like nothing he’d experienced before.

The dad-of-two said: “It was surreal, especially because of the complexity of all the technical aspects and safety requirements for attempting such a record under water.

“I did not know how my body would react under such stress underwater, nor how the hair would react to buoyancy and the water.”

Andre, 49, even learned how to scuba dive for the attempt. He passed his mandatory Basic PADI qualification just three months before the attempt, but did have a qualified diver with him at all time just to make sure everything went smoothly.

“I do not do well in water, so diving wasn't a preference of mine and proved really challenging,” Andre admitted.

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He faced some issues during his attempt too, revealing: “My mask did not seal correctly underwater, so I had to do a mask clearance regularly. This took time and I was cutting against the clock.

“Breathing with a regulator underwater whilst under stress was also something I had to adapt to. Trying to regulate my body temperature and not lose some mobility in my hands due to water temperature was also a concern.”

It was also much harder to cut people’s hair underwater, with it floating around in all different directions and his visibility impaired.

Thankfully, everyone who signed up to take part was happy with their new ‘do.

They were all qualified drivers and had signed up after seeing an ad from Reef Divers in Pretoria, who helped Andre organize his record attempt.

It was all for a good cause too, with Andre being spurred on by his mission to raise funds for the Abraham Kriel Bambenani Langlaagte Children's Home.

Now, he’s working on another project in the hopes of claiming his third world record.