Mike McKinnon
OWNER/GENERAL MANAGER
Mike is one of only seven active SSI Instructor Certifiers in Australia. This is the highest professional level you can achieve through the SSI system. Having dived in over 14 different countries and certified well over 800 people from Open Water level through to Instructors, Mike has a wealth of knowledge that puts him at the top of his profession.
YEAR I JOINED SCUBA WORLD:
2003
QUALIFICATIONS: SSI Instructor Certifier, Coxswain (Skipper), XR Instructor
SSI EXPERIENCE POINTS: 5720 (PLATINUM Pro 5000 Instructor)
NUMBER OF COMPLETED DIVES: 3000+
DIVING SINCE: 1997
FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN AUSTRALIA: Da Phat, Great Detached (GBR)
FAVOURITE DIVE SITE IN THE WORLD: San Francisco Maru – Truk Lagoon
I SCUBA DIVE BECAUSE: Every time you venture underwater, you never know what you might see! 70% of the world is water – why not explore it. My favourite quote is: ‘From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free’. Jacques Yves Cousteau.
WHY I ENJOY WORKING AT SCUBA WORLD (what makes Scuba World special): I started washing wetsuits at the age of 14 when my dad was running the show. After many years of blood sweat and tears (and a lot of non-paid ‘family business’ hours) I can honestly say I do this job for the love of it. Teaching someone to dive and seeing them progress through to Dive Master or Instructor and become absolutely addicted to the underwater world is a huge privilege. Seeing people smile after a dive and all the wonderful people I have met over the years is fantastic.
