Wind, Waves & Wells with Joe

For the 20th episode, I brought back the man who helped kick all this off. Chris Akehurst was the first guest on the podcast, the original guinea pig when none of this was really figured out.

We look back on how far things have come since that first recording and dig into everything from how the wind industry has changed to what life offshore really takes out of you.

Chris also shares stories from his time working in Asia, lessons he learned the hard way, and what balance actually looks like when your job is thousands of miles from home. It is honest, funny, and a reminder of why these conversations matter.

In this final part of the trilogy, Joe Leather sits down with George Highmoor to reflect on the highs and lows of a life spent in the oil industry.

From close calls and hard lessons to the unlikely road to writing a memoir, George shares what really stuck with him after decades offshore. It is a conversation about instinct, survival, and the kind of insight that only comes with time.

The stories behind the stories come out here. Raw, honest, and with a bit of that dry humour George does so well.

In this second part of my conversation with Leo Lindner, we go deeper into the night that changed offshore forever. Leo was there on the Deepwater Horizon when the unthinkable happened. In this episode, he shares more of what it was really like in the hours after the blowout the chaos, the impossible decisions, and the moments that still stay with him. We also spoke about: • What recovery looked like in the days and months that followed • How surviving an event like this changes your perspective on work, life, and everything in between • The impact on families and communities connected to the rig • Why Leo chooses to speak about these events when so many prefer silence It is rare to hear this level of honesty and detail about a disaster that has shaped modern offshore culture. If you have ever wondered what it feels like to be inside history as it unfolds, Leo’s account is as close as you will get.

In this episode, I sit down with Dik Barton a man whose career has taken him to the very edge of human exploration and the heart of offshore safety.

Dik has made an astonishing 22 dives down to the wreck of the Titanic, seen first-hand what most of us only glimpse in documentaries, and led safety operations in some of the most unforgiving environments on Earth.

We spoke about:

• What it feels like to be over two miles under the Atlantic staring at history • How the discipline and mindset needed in those depths translates to leadership offshore • His candid thoughts on the Titan sub disaster and why these stories resonate far beyond the industry • The evolution of safety culture and what still needs to change

It is not often you meet someone who has balanced adventure, risk, and responsibility on such a scale. Dik’s insights are a reminder of how far we have come in safety and how far there is still to go.

Part 2 of the Joe Meanen re-release, marking 37 years since Piper Alpha.

Joe talks us through the more of the night of the disaster.
What happened.
How he got out.
And what stayed with him after.

This episode is for the 167 men who never made it home.

This episode is being re-released to mark 37 years since the Piper Alpha disaster.

Joe Meanen was one of the 61 men who survived.

In Part 1, he talks about life before Piper.
The work
The culture
And the things that were already going wrong. 

Leo Lindner was on Deepwater Horizon
That alone should tell you enough about what this episode is about

In Part 1 of this conversation, Leo walks us through his life offshore
A man who escaped the rig on that fateful night

We talk about the job
The pressure the rig was under
And some of the things that were not right

Including the cracks that were there long before anything exploded

This is Part 1 of a two part series

This one was a real highlight for me.

Steve has been through a lot and come out the other side with a mindset that is hard to ignore. We spoke about offshore life, mental health, the pressure men face, and how he is using his own story to help others.

I have got a lot of respect for the way he looks at things. No ego, just honesty. And to be honest, I really enjoyed this one. It is a conversation I will remember for a while.

If you have worked offshore, struggled with the job, or just want to hear someone speak with real intent, give this a listen.