LONG BEACH, California – James Hinchcliffe is used to G-forces in an Indy car sticking him to the ground. The Verizon IndyCar Series driver experienced a welcome opposite sensation when he conducted the first underwater news conference in Indy car racing history on Wednesday at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

An experienced scuba diver, Hinchcliffe made the 82-foot plunge to the bottom of the Honda Blue Cavern at the aquarium, mingling with the different fish species in the 142,000-gallon tank while answering media questions via an elaborate audio system inside his scuba gear.

The special event came from a collaborative effort among INDYCAR, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and Honda, the engine supplier for Hinchcliffe’s No. 5 Arrow Electronics SPM Honda racing on the streets of Long Beach this weekend.

“It’s like negative G-force down there,” Hinchcliffe said, still awash in a smile after emerging from the tank. “It’s awesome. In the car, we’re getting tossed around and there is a lot of force on the body. Down there, you are as light as a feather. You float around.

“It’s one step from being in outer space. It’s about as few G’s as you can experience on the planet.”

As he answered questions from media standing outside the tank, Hinchcliffe also “talked” with fish swimming past. He felt right at home in the Honda Blue Cavern’s waters set to represent those in the nearby Pacific Ocean, even if he hasn’t been diving on the West Coast.

“That was definitely cooler temperatures than I’m used to diving in, but they kept me nice and prepared and well-dressed for it. Getting to see (the wildlife) that is local to the area is very cool, as I haven’t really done much diving on this coast and this side of the country. To be able to have that (special full-face) mask on and be able to talk to everyone that was out there was really cool.”

Hinchcliffe, the star of a series of national Honda TV commercials currently airing, was pleased to help his team’s engine partner with the first-of-its-kind event at the aquarium.

“Honda is a sponsor of the Blue Cavern here at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, and it is awesome,” he said. “It proves that, yes, they are a car company, yes, we go racing, but at the same time they are involved in a lot of cool organizations and this is an example of that.

“They came up with the opportunity to do something like this. Getting in the water and doing a press conference underwater. I’m game for most things and I’m always game to dive so it made sense for me, for sure.”