Becoming a PADI Master Scuba Diver isn’t just about ticking off a checklist – it’s about the journey, the growth, and the personal milestones along the way.
From firefighters to photographers, students to retirees, each diver who completes the Master Scuba Diver rating brings their own motivation, goals and passion to the process.
In this article, we’re shining a spotlight on a few of the individuals who rose to the challenge of becoming a Master Scuba Diver, proving that no matter your background or starting point, with dedication and drive, you, too, can join the elite ranks of the top 2% of recreational divers.
Vasili Karalewich
Vasili Karalewich is a 22-year-old firefighter from New Jersey, USA. After completing his Open Water Diver course in February 2024, Vasili’s scuba skills and love for the sport accelerated at an impressive pace. He soon set a personal goal to achieve every scuba certification available to him. After joining his county’s dive team, he began taking every course he could find. This included Advanced Open Water Diver and the PADI Public Safety Diver™ course.
As part of his role as a public safety diver, Vasili also completed a number of professional-level certifications to aid this work, including Underwater Criminal Investigator (UCI), Vehicle and Body Recovery and Evidence Recovery Specialist.
When Vasili learned about the Master Scuba Diver Challenge in 2024, it quickly became his next scuba diving goal. To achieve it, he took courses on the weekends in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, working through the Dive Against Debris (collecting an impressive 75 pounds/34kg of debris along the way), Equipment Specialist, Digital Underwater Photography, Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver and Ice Diver Specialty courses.
“The Master Scuba Diver rating has changed my diving experience because I now feel more in control of my diving. I also feel a lot more confident as well in new situations I get put into,” Vasili told us. His advice for future challengers? “Find a mentor that you can talk to while you are on your journey.” And speaking of more specialized diving, he adds, ”I am comfortable underwater in 32-degree-Fahrenheit (0-degree-Celsius) water ice diving doing evidence recovery because I have the right equipment and training, that’s all it is!”
As for Vasili’s favorite dive spot in the world? He would only say it’s somewhere in Aruba, but it’s exact location will remain a secret! And as for what Vasili’s future dream diving involves? His answer was simple, “I would like to dive jumping off of a helicopter!” — a feat that just might be possible with the right PADI Distinctive Specialty course.
Angelina Planas
A big part of Angelina Planas’ decision to take part in the Master Scuba Diver Challenge was her Open Water Diver course dive buddy — her father. Since earning their initial certification together, Angelina’s love for the underwater world has only deepened, and her scuba journey has continued to grow alongside it.
Taking part in the Challenge was a particularly well-timed occurrence for Angelina. She was already working on her Rescue Diver certification as part of a plan to become a deckhand at her local dive shop, where she will also work towards becoming a Divemaster. This made the Challenge a natural step along the way.
For Angelina, the Rescue Diver course was the most enjoyable part of the Challenge. She explained, ”It helped me grow more confident in my diving abilities and my instructor was one of the best out there.”
However, one obstacle was meeting the required number of logged dives. As a middle school student, her time was often limited. And if she couldn’t reach her usual dive spots, she found more creative answers to reach her goal. “There were a few short trips made during slow weekends for school assignments to complete those needed dives,” she revealed.
She also shared one of her favorite memories from the Challenge, “I was completing my dive against debris and I found a glass Coke bottle in the sand. My grandfather worked for Coke, so it was a unique and special moment for me.”
And since completing the Challenge, Angelina has noticed a real shift in her skills and mindset. She said, “I have grown more confident in my ability to control and assess the situation should anything awry or amiss happen during our dives. I have also noticed that I’m much calmer and more aware of myself and my surroundings.”
As for divers thinking about taking on the Challenge? Her advice was simple, ”Do it! It has been the most fun and educational experience in my diving career. I enjoyed every second of it.”
Phillip Hogan
Phillip Hogan grew up in Long Island and earned his PADI certification in 1979, shortly after being discharged from the U.S. Navy. However, life took him in other directions, and his time underwater went on hold until 2021. Thankfully, a scuba refresher course in Roatan reignited his passion for diving — and brought him face-to-face with sharks in the process.
Feeling inspired after this underwater meeting with these apex predators, Phillip began diving more regularly and working through a range of PADI certifications. This re-ignition culminated in a liveaboard in the Galapagos. This experience further propelled Phillip’s love for diving and sparked a desire to share it with the world through underwater photography.
With his preference towards recreational diving, the Master Scuba Diver title — and the Master Scuba Diver Challenge — was the perfect path for Phillip to walk. He elaborated, ”At this point in time, I didn’t want to become an instructor. Being a Master Scuba Diver works for me, it gives me the confidence and the skills to be in the water in various scenarios that I’ve been trained to handle.”
With his aspirations of becoming an underwater photographer, Phillip chose his PADI Specialties carefully, focusing on skills that would support his creative goals. Digital Underwater Photography, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Wreck Diver provided Phillip with more of these skills.
While Phillip enjoyed the Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course from a technical and educational perspective, the Deep Diver Specialty course stood out for pure excitement. He remarked, “I was really able to push my body to 130 feet (40 meters) and really feel what it was like to be at that depth.” He also appreciated the mental game and subsequent learning experience built into the course. Plus, the course built a sort of community, because, as he explained, “We all kind of sucked at depth.”
But the course that left the biggest impact was Rescue Diver. “Rescue helped me to develop another part of me as a diver,” said Phillip.
Phillip’s advice to future Master Scuba Diver Challenge entrants is thoughtful and practical. He said, “Really take your time in selecting the five specialty courses. Ask yourself – by taking this course will I be able to implement the certification I’ve acquired in my diving life?”
Looking to the future, beyond a planned trip to Anilao in the Philippines, Philip told us the Pacific was his next dream destination, “I would love to film humpback whales in Fiji or French Polynesia next”
In addition to diving, Phillip is committed to inspiring the next generation of divers. He is part of an outreach program that introduces schoolchildren to diving. He added, ”We get the chance to go into the school system, where you have about 10 to 15 minutes to present your material to the students.” Wearing a wetsuit and with his camera rig in hand, Phillip teaches 4th and 5th graders about the different types of jobs that can come from being a scuba diver, sparking plenty of curiosity — and hopefully some future Master Scuba Divers — along the way.
Angela Orlando
Growing up in Waianae, Hawaii, Angela Orlando was captivated by the underwater world. Inspired by watching Jacques Cousteau, she always dreamed of following in the legendary explorer’s footsteps. However, it wasn’t until the age of 59 that Angela completed her Open Water Diver course with Dive Oahu. Her Advanced Open Water Diver and Rescue Diver courses also followed soon after.
Now 61, Angela has logged more than 80 dives and earned an array of PADI Specialties. They range from AWARE Shark Conservation Diver to Underwater Naturalist.
Taking part in the Master Scuba Diver Challenge was more a case of good timing for Angela than a long-held plan. When she learned about the Challenge, she “was already just about complete with the required items for Master Scuba Diver. I thought it was a bonus to join this Challenge.” And while completing the Challenge was fun, she explained, “I was not only able to complete the Master Scuba Diver rating, but also add more Specialty certifications prior to its deadline.”
When asked about the biggest challenge she faced, Angela remembered one particular moment, “For me the Rescue Diver course was the most challenging, specifically the in-water skills of an unresponsive diver at the surface and exiting the unresponsive diver. People may think it sounds easy, but when you are in open water with choppy waves, 75 or more yards away from a steep and slick stair exit surrounded by rocks, and need to perform the needed tasks (removing equipment while keeping the unresponsive diver afloat, doing rescue breathing, and heading towards the exit), it requires a lot of concentration and focus to perform these skills effectively.” Thankfully, a great team and good communication allowed Angela to overcome the challenge.
A major takeaway for Angela was that it’s never too late to make dreams come true. She said, “It showed me that I could make a childhood dream come true even at 60 years old.” And unsurprisingly, she has this encouragement for anyone considering the challenge in the future: “I would say go for it as you’ll expand your experiences and diving enjoyment”
Angela also says she never dives without a goal, “A goal for every dive is to see aquatic life I haven’t seen before.” In terms of her goals for diving in Hawaii, Angela has an exciting one to come, “I would like to dive with the manta rays off the Kona coast of the Big Island of Hawaii”
Ready To Join Recreational Diving’s Elite?
Feeling inspired by these incredible stories from Master Scuba Divers? Then it’s time to take the next step and become part of the top 2% of recreational divers. Click below to learn more about how to earn your Master Scuba Diver rating.
