Back in December of 2011, Karen Schmitt’s husband Bob, who got certified in 1962, had just retired and was looking for new travel adventures. This is when he finally convinced Karen to “take the plunge” and get Open Water certified, and look how far she has come!
“When I began the Open Water course I was pretty sure I would be a drop out. The instructors at OE were patient and I made it through with the help of OE’s talented instructors” said Karen.
Karen took most of her certifications with PADI Master Instructor Ed Lavin, and also took a few, including Rescue, with PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer Ryan Mable (pictured with Karen above).
Because Karen finally let Bob convince her to dive, she has since dove in more incredible places in the world that most people can dream of diving in their lifetime! Her impressive resume includes New Caledonia, Fiji, Vanuatu, Borneo, Palau (x3), Komodo, Raja Ampat, La Paz, Belize, Philippines, Roatan, Marquesas Islands, Cook Islands, Bora Bora, Moorea, Fakarava, Cozumel, Los Barriles, and she will even be adding Cuba this month! Wow!
Since being Open Water certified, Karen has logged 183 dives and never imagined not only having that many dives 5 years later, but also never pictured becoming a Master Diver! When asked what her most memorable experience in diving has been so far, Karen said “Diving Raja Ampat was amazing, but the most memorable part of diving was getting to know fellow divers on the 10 OE dive adventures we have taken”. Pictured here is Karen on an Ocean Enterprises Travel group trip in Raja Ampat in February of 2015.
We are so proud of how far Karen has come and we are excited to see her continue her scuba and travel adventures with us here at Ocean Enterprises. Congratulations Karen!
