Outer Banks’ Madison Bailey And Rudy Pankow Share The Story Behind Preparing For And Filming The Intense Scuba Diving Scene In Season 4

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Spoilers for Season 4, Part 1 of Outer Banks are ahead! If you aren’t caught up on the first five episodes to drop on the 2024 TV schedule, you can watch them with a Netflix subscription.

The cast of Outer Banks finds themselves in some wild and action-packed sequences every season. However, in Season 4, Part 1, they really stepped up their game by doing a massive scuba diving sequence in Episode 2 that saw JJ and Kiara battling for their lives in a sunken ship. So, when I had the chance to speak with Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey, I had to ask them about the story behind this epic moment.

Madison Bailey And Rudy Pankow Break Down How They Prepared For The Scuba Scene

Knowing that this was likely a beast of a scene to shoot, I had to ask Bailey and Pankow about how they prepared for it.

Bailey specifically explained that she was nervous about it all when she got the script that said JJ and Kie would be diving down for the treasure. However, having a “fearless scene partner” like Rudy Pankow helped:

Seeing that on the page, I was like, ‘Me? Why me?’ But I think going into that scene with the most adventurous scene partner, fears were definitely assuaged knowing I was doing that scene with Rudy.

So, with her worries assuaged, Bailey and Pankow told me that they actually learned how to scuba dive to pull off this big set piece. The Kiara actress talked about that and how it helped her face a big fear by saying:

The prep for that was, I mean, scuba diving in the ocean – which is so scary, because I have fears of the ocean and being at depth, and you're life is at risk.

Meanwhile, as Bailey noted, Pankow was excited to film the scene. He also loved that they had to get scuba certified for it, as he told me:

I mean, well, one, we had to get scuba certified, which was, honestly, I enjoyed that. I like having my…scuba certification. And that was a lot of fun.

Overall, the scene featured both JJ and Kiara in classic OBX life-threatening, death-defying action, and it sounds like it was a lot to prepare for. However, they had a good time doing it and have a new skill too. Plus, what made this whole situation even cooler was where it was filmed.

The JJ And Kiara Actors Explain The Set They Filmed The Sequence On

While they learned how to scuba dive in the ocean, as Bailey said, the actual scene was filmed in a tank. Pankow broke down exactly what it looked like during our interview too, saying:

Now, the set they made was insane. That was all in a tank, very dark, blacked out, and it was massive. It was like a good what, like 20 yards by 30 yards wide and thick, and it was pretty, pretty deep.

Meanwhile, Bailey opened up about the ship they swam through. While they weren’t at an actual sunken ship, the crew did build a set that resembled one, as the Kiara actress told me:

And then when you're filming the scene in a pool, you just get to have fun with the breathing underwater part of it. It's a lot more fun. And the set was just incredible. Like, I don't know how they made that ship, or with what. I mean, that is a talent I truly, truly appreciate.

As a viewer, I also appreciated the amount of detail and training that went into this incredible scene that involved both these actors and stunt doubles working hard underwater.

Rudy Pankow Opens Up About How They Shot The Sequence

Rudy Pankow also told me how they shot the scuba diving as well. While stunt doubles were working with them, of course, he and Bailey got to film quite a bit of it themselves. The JJ actor broke down how all that was shot too, telling me:

We kind of shot in sections. And I think it was like JJ’s coverage, [Kiara’s] coverage. And then when the fight broke out, that's when the doubles came in, and we had to, you know, kind of tag team that that scene. But yeah, up into that part it is mainly us.

Overall, I love that these two got to get scuba-certified and really into the action to pull off this epic moment. Outer Banks is known for its thrilling set pieces, and this one in Episode 2 raised the bar once again.

Now, I can’t wait to see what kind of action lies ahead as we inch closer to Season 4, Part 2’s November 7 premiere on Netflix’s 2024 release schedule. I obviously want to know if JJ and Kiara’s relationship will continue to flourish, and I love seeing this new grown-up version of the Pogues. However, what makes my jaw drop while watching OBX is the action, like this scuba diving scene we just broke down, and I really hope we get to see even more moments like it.