News
SSI announces 2020 Master Diver Challenge Winner!
Each year, the culmination of the SSI Master Diver Challenge is always the Grand Prize drawing. This year’s winner for the 2020 Master Diver Challenge is Jordan Suits from Mermet Springs in Belknap, Illinois. As the Grand Prize winner, Jordan will enjoy a 7-night Liveaboard Dive Vacation for two aboard the Roatan Aggressor! The Roatan Aggressor is known for diving the best sites of the Bay Islands, Honduras.
“Congratulations to Jordan and Mermet Springs” states Jeff Saenger, SSI Director. “Mermet Springs has been one of the most impressive and top producing SSI Master Diver centers in the country every year. With the amount of Master Divers they produce each year, Glen and I would wonder if one of his Master Divers would be selected in this random drawing.”
“Are you serious?” stated Glen Faith, owner of Mermet Springs, after being told. “We have waited for years for this and it could not have been a more perfect person to win. She and her husband learned to dive with us and are the nicest people you could ever meet. We are so excited for Jordan. We love creating Master Divers, and each year here at Mermet Springs, we celebrate our Master Divers by hosting a formal steak dinner in their honor. The steak dinner is served by the Mermet Springs Instructors and staff for a fun-filled evening celebrating this great accomplishment!”
Grand Prize winner Jordan Suits took the fast track to become a Master Diver, having earned her SSI Open Water Diver certification just over a year ago in 2019. Through her open water course, she discovered her love for diving and moved quickly to achieve the Master Diver rating! Mermet Springs loves utilizing the SSI Master Diver program to create life-long divers.
Jordan Suits is a school teacher, mother of three, and is in the process of completing her Master’s Degree; way to go, Jordan! As an avid diver, Jordan spends as much time as she can underwater with her husband Aaron, who just completed his Divemaster certification at Mermet Springs. Jordan and Aaron are the shining example of a happy and active dive family.
THERE IS ONE MORE PART TO THIS STORY!
Winning the Master Diver Challenge has extra meaning for this excited couple. After getting married, Jordan and Aaron never had the chance to go on a honeymoon. This trip will replace the honeymoon they never had! And what honeymoon could ever top doing what they love on one of the most beautiful reefs in the world aboard luxury accommodations? Congratulations, Jordan, and bon voyage!
Last Thursday, Oyster Diving transformed Mercers Lake into a hauntingly unforgettable underwater realm for their inaugural Halloween Scuba Party. Approximately 20 intrepid divers plunged into the darkness, weaving through a mesmerising scene of spectral decorations, glow sticks, and eerie underwater pumpkins.
After the thrilling night dive, participants gathered to feast on a ghoulish spread of pumpkin soup, chilli con carne, and decadent fudge brownies, perfect fuel for the frightful festivities.
With a resounding success, Oyster Diving is excited to announce plans for this event to become an annual tradition. Next year, look forward to a fully licensed bar and live music, promising an even spookier celebration under the moonlit waters.
Join us next Halloween for an experience that promises to be a haunting delight!
Find out more about Oyster Diving at oysterdiving.com.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
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