Pro-5000 Diver How Many On Board? When Awarded?

[mkutyna]

Aw crud. I've got less than 5000 dives. I guess I can't post here anymore.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

I was looking for the date of my SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Diver Award for a resume template. What's funny is that the displayed award is just 10 feet away from me on the shelf, but I'm so used to using Google to find info that I Googled instead.

This thread came up in a Google search. Even though it is 10 years old, I decided to rehash Sam's thread since some members may have achieved the honor in the last decade.

I received my SSI Platinum Pro 5000 Award on November 7, 2014. Funny thing. I didn't know SSI also put me in for the Platinum 1000 Diver Award a year later in 2015 and never told me.

 

[Lake Hickory Scuba]

I received mine November 18, 2016, but missed the induction ceremony at DEMA. #70411

 

[cerich]

As I recall I listed my credentials for you after recieving your PM concerning my absence in the "Who's Who of diving". What do you think? Is it ok for me to talk about diving?
.

there's a "who'who" of diving???, I imagine I am not in there..I am a plat pro 5000 however

 

[Remy B.]

how does SSI audit and verify those dives, because 99.99% of the instructors don't log dives, are as well the swimming pool lessons and 10' dives included ?

 

[The Chairman]

It intrigues me and repulses me at the same time. I would love to not need the notoriety, but I do. Maybe one day I'll qualify and do something important for the industry.

 

[BoltSnap]

There is a formula for how SSI instructors/dive center owners qualify based on a "merit" system without actually having done 5000 dives as far as I can remember.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

You can also qualify for the award if you have completed 2500 dives and made significant contributions to the sport. For example, Dr. Neal Pollock received his award the same year as I did for a 2500+ dive count and his important on-going research at DAN.

You need to get at least two sign-offs by SSI Platinum Pros. I was verified by Lamar Hires, Marcus Werneck and Dave Valaika.

 

[Lake Hickory Scuba]

I was nominated by Joe Gaydeski, owner of Open Water Adventures in Charlotte NC, and by Tom Jefferies, Instructor Examiner for SSI. To answer the question of how does an instructor reach such high numbers, well its really not that difficult. If you consider it takes 4 check out dives to become certified, an Instructor would only have to certify 1,250 students and he would reach 5000 dives himself. Plus, I dive 7 days a week year round. Minus Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, I stay wet. Christmas and Easter for the obvious reasons, and Thanksgiving is the heart of deer season, and to be honest, I have to have my priorities straight. God-Family-Slaying Bambi-Scuba Diving. Also as stated, 2,500 dives and a significant contribution to the dive industry is another possible way to receive the award.

 

[Trace Malinowski]

Right. When you consider some pros have done time living the dream in the islands doing 3 or 4 dives a day in places where they rarely give you a day off, the dive count adds up. For divers who are not pros, liveaboard dive trips bring counts up. My attempts at "living the dream" made me a scuba slave.