Pierre GOBINET Wins $10,000 as PADI Europe 2007 Go PRO Challenge Winner

When PADI Professional, Pierre GOBINET, started his diving career early in 2007, his only goal was the PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor rating. Fueled by passion and a desire to teach diving, however, Pierre recently exceeded that goal by becoming the winner of PADI Europe’s’ 2007 Go PRO Challenge Professional Ratings Contest. Having achieved the most professional level ratings in the PADI Europe region during 2007, Pierre, who is now a PADI IDC Staff Instructor, is being recognized by PADI Europe for his accomplishment and rewarded the $10,000 US Go PRO Challenge cash prize.

Pierre, who currently works and enjoys his new dive life with Euro-Divers in El Gouna, Egypt, learned to dive in France and in the US during his childhood. “I grew up daydreaming over Cousteau movies and Skin Diver magazines like so many of us. I had always been a scuba fan but had never realized how gratifying it would be to actually make a living out of it ».

Having spent most of his professional life as a French gendarmerie officer, in France and abroad, he felt very confident about teaching scuba and started instructing immediately after passing his PADI Instructor Examination. When he first heard about the Go PRO Challenge during his PADI Instructor Development Course, Pierre felt he had a pretty good shot at winning, particularly because of the support offered by his PADI Dive Center, Instructor Training College in Cannes, France. At IT College Gobinet learned the ropes of the recreational dive industry with their very successful VIP program. Soon, Gobinet had achieved the PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer rating and was well on his way to racking up Go PRO Challenge contest points by earning additional specialty instructor ratings and issuing corresponding student diver certifications.

Now holding over 20 PADI Professional level ratings, Pierre GOBINET credits his success to PADI Course Directors Jan Oldenhuizing and Daniela Goldstein. Through careful planning, lots of encouragement and plenty of teaching opportunities, the team at IT College helped Pierre ascend the ladder to success. “The Staff at IT College were keen to develop our diving knowledge and I’m also grateful to have been able to start my career immediately with Euro-Divers to build on what little experience I have gathered so far ».

Pierre is proud of winning the contest, but that’s not what motivates him to teach diving. “In the end,” Pierre reflected, “the greatest satisfaction you get out of this job is sharing your love of diving with a wide range of people, from beginners to advanced divers, and learning new things every step of the way”.

Four additional PADI Professionals have been recognized as Go PRO Challenge winners in PADI territories worldwide:

• Joo Hee Han, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer from Seoul, South Korea (PADI Asia Pacific)
  
• Andrew Statler, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer from Liberty, US (PADI Americas
  
• Doug Barr, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer from Aberdeen, Scottland (PADI International Limited)
  
• Nobuyuki Higashiura, PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer from Aichi, Japan (PADI Japan)

Collectively, the winners of PADI’s 2007 Go PRO Challenge Professional Ratings contest received more than $40,000 US in cash rewards and prizes.

The Go PRO Challenge contest continues in 2008 with two contests to enter: the Go PRO Challenge Professional Ratings Contest, where divers can earn points for getting PADI Professional ratings and issuing diver certifications, and the Go PRO Challenge Testimonial Contest, which will reward $10,000 US to the PADI Professional who submits the most compelling story via video or captioned photo as to why he became a PADI Pro.

For complete details and contest rules, visit the Teach Diving Section at padi.com.