dive card oops..advice please

[DandyDon]

I love back rolls. So much easier than walking to the stern. I've done back rolls off of boat big enough for walk & stride to avoid the walk - and with a 19 cf pony slung.

 

[cvchief]

I love back rolls. So much easier than walking to the stern. I've done back rolls off of boat big enough for walk & stride to avoid the walk - and with a 19 cf pony slung.

Dive with the right op and they will bring it all to you!

 

[Christi]

Not at all a crisis - honestly, you don't even need a card with your new married name as long as it's YOU - also, all of the "fancy" certifications beyond OW not even needed to be able to dive. Only one that would cause an issue if any (other than OW, which can be looked up online) would be a nitrox cert if you want to dive nitrox. Have fun and relax

 

[Fin59]

DWM will make it easy for you if you have trouble with the back entry. Don't worry about a thing and have a GREAT trip!

 

[cascas]

Sooo, 3 1/2 weeks ago I asked my local dive shop where I was certified to please help me get an updated certification card with my new married name and all the certifications I have since my open water cert. and logged dives. After telling them I was leaving for a dive trip in a few weeks they assured me that I would have my new card by trip time. After 2 weeks of hearing nada, I checked back with them and no one had done a thing. With new urgency, I reminded them I needed my card very quickly. A nice employee got on it. She called and told me to pick it up today, that it was waiting for me at the div e shop reception desk ( I leave in 2 days for Cozumel). After a long business trip and 5 hours of driving home, I head into the shop where no one can find my card It's lost. They offer to send it to my home address when and if they find it. Of course this does me no good and the dive shop is one hour from my house. After waiting around for 45 minutes and answering the same questions about 1/2 a dozen times, I leave the dive shop with a paper printout of what is supposed to be my new dive card. Can anyone tell me if this is going to be accepted? I am beyond frustrated.

You getting married and taking on a new name does not change your face... your C-cards will not loose their validity because you got married... I wouldn't spend the time/money to change a thing if I were you.... I't just not worth it. Except if it is a vanity thing .

 

[scubadiver888]

Don't sweat it artgirl. I went on a dive trip and forgot my c-card. So I know how you must feel. I was certified with PADI. I emailed them from the Caribbean the night before I was going on my first dive. They got back to me and emailed me a PDF letter which said I was good to go. Turned out the dive shop told me I didn't even need the letter. They could just look me up on the computer. They wanted my name and birthdate. They didn't ask for id. They just looked at the picture online, looked at me and i was good to go.

Don't know about other agencies but I would imagine a similar situation. Additionally, a dive shop is not just going to deny you. They want you to be happy and tell your friends about how great the diving is with DWM. They'll find the information for you. It costs me nothing to look up your cert info on the PADI pro site.

 

[Christi]

Don't sweat it artgirl. I went on a dive trip and forgot my c-card. So I know how you must feel. I was certified with PADI. I emailed them from the Caribbean the night before I was going on my first dive. They got back to me and emailed me a PDF letter which said I was good to go. Turned out the dive shop told me I didn't even need the letter. They could just look me up on the computer. They wanted my name and birthdate. They didn't ask for id. They just looked at the picture online, looked at me and i was good to go.

Don't know about other agencies but I would imagine a similar situation. Additionally, a dive shop is not just going to deny you. They want you to be happy and tell your friends about how great the diving is with DWM. They'll find the information for you. It costs me nothing to look up your cert info on the PADI pro site.

Yes, PADI certs can be looked up online by full name and date of birth - but they do not show the photos, only a listing of PADI certifications.

In lieu of a lost c-card, a log book with your training log signed off by your instructor can also be used to verify certification.

 

[artgirl]

Thank you for the responses. I have left the worry behind yesterday after the first couple posts and it's too late to do anything about wasted time energy and money now. I did want a new dive card with my new name and a new picture, but not for vanity reasons.. I don't look anything like I did 12 years ago. Women especially change their appearance; haircolor, style, gain/lose weight, aging, and sometimes the photo just is not a good likeness. Everyone told me that my original dive card photo looked nothing like me. In addition, I am interested in trying out the "more challenging" dive sites and assumed that evidence of advanced diver would be asked for. Someone carrying a dive card with only 6 proven open water dives is not much proof. Anyway, it's good to know that there are ways around the loss or absence of a c-card. Thank you everyone.

 

[morecowbells]

I think if you communicate your dive card situation ahead of time with Dive With Martin everything should be just ducky. My husband and I have been too cheap and lazy to pursue any of the other PADI certifications other than Open water and Nitrox. Typically, until a dive op has personally witnessed and assessed your skills, they typically do not take you on some of the more challenging dives.

I am a smallish woman at 5'4" and something something pounds. Initially the idea of doing a backroll off a boat had the appeal of attending a Michael Bolton concert. After 2-3 times backrolling, I immediately overcome my adversity. It is so much easier than the giant stride. I hear a lot of great things about Dive With Martin. My local dive op uses them and has referred many customers.

 

[artgirl]

More cowbells.... ahahahahahahah one of the funniest SNL skits EVER!!! Yeah, I've done the back(disaster)roll more times than I can count and seriously... I suck at it. I get all twitchy before it and my mask floods and I end up with lungs full of salt water and then the boat crew is usually about to jump in and save me. I'm a fish in the water, but I guess fish aren't very graceful doing backrolls either huh? Flippity, flop, flop, spluush!!
Oh well...