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Jere Hallenbeck |
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| Email: mike@nationalaquatic.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jere Hallenbeck was one of the worlds diving pioneers. He started diving in 1956. By 1993, he had reached the prestigious Platinum Pro 5000 level, indicating that number of logged dives and having made significant contributions to the industry. He was presented the Platinum Pro award at its first induction along with such luminaries as Jacques and Jean -Michel Cousteau, Sylvia Earle and Scott Carpenter.Jere founded National Aquatic Service in 1960. Jere's formal education was in psychology and with that background was the first in the nation to bring a humane approach to the training of recreational divers. Both international certification agencies, NASDS and SSI, have used Jere's talents in the production of open water level textbooks, curriculum design and instructor training. materials. He lectured and wrote widely about diving, especially to other retailers on how to build and maintain a successful business.Jere was the past editor of "Dive Retailer" a trade publication for dive industry. He was the creator of the International Divers Experience Card. He sat on the Board of Directors of the Platinum Pro Foundation, was chairman of the Northeast Scuba retailers Association and a member of the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association. Despite a demanding consulting and speaking schedule, he still found teaching entry level students the most rewarding part of his job.He and his staff have been very proud of building one of the largest training programs and dive centers in existence. The NAS staff certifies well over 1000 students a year and teaches credit bearing courses at some 16 colleges and universities. In February of 2000 NAS certified its 30,000th. NAS will be quick to point out proudly, all those students and not a single accident.Jere had the good fortune of diving most of the planet. His favorite local dive stop was the St. Lawrence River, especially off Carlton Island. His Caribbean favorite was Cozumel and world pick would be the Indian Ocean's Maldive Inlands, off the SW coast of India. Jere Hallenbeck passed away August 9, 2003. While he will be missed, his spirit and passion for the sport of diving continue to be an inspiration to us all. |
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