PADI's 20 Million Certification

The PADI contest "Countdown to 20 Million" is over, and Alexandra Swanson is the recipient of a dream dive trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. PADI Americas processed Swanson’s winning 20 millionth certification on September 4, 2011.

Swanson was ecstatic to learn that she earned the 20 millionth PADI certification and won the dive trip of a lifetime. “Earning my PADI Open Water Diver course certification was a great experience. My instructor was great and the diving was unbelievable. I was happy just to receive my scuba diving certification, so winning the trip to the Great Barrier Reef has made this experience legendary,” says Swanson.

Additionally, Swanson’s instructor, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Timmothy Aguon, and PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Micronesian Divers Association in Guam, also win trips to the Great Barrier Reef. Both the instructor and dive center were aware of the campaign prior to certifying Swanson and worked diligently towards the goal. “We were happy to hear of the 20 millionth diver certification campaign. The contest encouraged customers to earn their open water diver course certification or continue their dive education and enroll in a specialty course. Plus, we jumped at the chance to win a trip to Queensland and experience the MV Spirit of Freedom live-aboard,” says Micronesian Divers Association President/ owner Lee Webber.

Swanson and a guest, along with Aguon and a representative from Micronesian Divers Association, receive four night of accommodations in Cairns, Queensland, Australia and a three-night excursion on the live-aboard dive vessel MV Spirit of Freedom. During their visit, they will dive iconic Great Barrier Reef dive sites like Cod Hole and the Ribbon Reefs. Tourism Queensland graciously provided the land and air portions of the prize packages to the Great Barrier Reef -- the world’s largest reef system and one of the natural wonders of the world. The MV Spirit of Freedom generously sponsored the dive portion of the prize package.

The “Countdown to 20 Million” launched in August 2011 to celebrate this PADI milestone and supports Queensland’s dive market by highlighting the excellent travel and dive opportunities available. “This is great news for our tourism operators along the length and breadth of the Great Barrier Reef as PADI promoted our natural wonder of the world” says the Minister for Tourism, Manufacturing and Small Business of Queensland, Jan Jarret.

With more than 6000 PADI Dive Centers and Resorts and 135,000 dive professionals around the globe, PADI Members have trained and certified more scuba divers than any other organization, making PADI truly The Way the World Learns to Dive®.