Should a C-Card be Required to Buy Gear?

[SPG3K]

I would not have gotten certified nor spent 2k+ at my LDS if I had to be cert'd first to buy gear.

I wanted my own equipment with which I held the maintenance records, knew the history of, and was comfortable with before I would even put a finned-foot in the pool, let alone open water.

The LDS and/or diving in general would have lost a member had I been required to show a card before gear purchase.

Tanks, however - I completely agree with and understand needing a card to acquire. Thats common sense. Scuba gear in and of itself does not give me the ability to kill myself anymore than a swimming suit does. Compressed air, however, changes the argument.

 

[GA Under Water]

I would not have gotten certified nor spent 2k+ at my LDS if I had to be cert'd first to buy gear.

I wanted my own equipment with which I held the maintenance records, knew the history of, and was comfortable with before I would even put a finned-foot in the pool, let alone open water.

The LDS and/or diving in general would have lost a member had I been required to show a card before gear purchase.

Tanks, however - I completely agree with and understand needing a card to acquire. Thats common sense. Scuba gear in and of itself does not give me the ability to kill myself anymore than a swimming suit does. Compressed air, however, changes the argument.

So the Tank Fill at a SCUBA shop needs to be regulated, not the Tank?

 

[Oxy]

I would not have gotten certified nor spent 2k+ at my LDS if I had to be cert'd first to buy gear.

I wanted my own equipment with which I held the maintenance records, knew the history of, and was comfortable with before I would even put a finned-foot in the pool, let alone open water.

(snip)

This is what I am looking at now, and my feelings exactly.
Tanks and weights on the other hand can be had (used) almost anywhere.
All the more reason for LDS's to be diligent about fills.
I had a new friend explain how to buy a used tank, so I will consider a used tank to save a little money. Otherwise lead is about the only thing I will buy used.

 

[perdidochas]

That's exactly what I meant, I didn't consider buying for other people as gifts, and was thinking items such as tanks, BCs and regs, the main equipment that will get a new diver into the water.

I think only tank fills should be regulated, and then only by industry standards and not a law.

 

[SPG3K]

So the Tank Fill at a SCUBA shop needs to be regulated, not the Tank?

Well, the way I figure it is, (if I were freaking stupid) I could have ordered a tank from at least 3-4 places online I know of that don't require a card to purchase a tank.

Compressed air (whether suited for SCUBA or not) is readily available at pressures of 3440 and down from almost anyplace with a commercial compressor. (I REALIZE you can't breathe that under water, just saying)

Anyways, everything is readily attainable. Proper breathing gas is probably NOT unless you have a friend with a fill station/compressor.

 

[don Francisco]

There is no government requirement for having a C-card before purchasing dive equipment, nor should there be. However it is perfectly reasonable for a merchant to require a C-card before selling or renting equipment, since it might serve to reduce his exposure to litigation.

There are many liability lawsuits based on the theory of hidden risk, whereby lawyers claim that the seller has somehow breached his duty (?) to a customer by not informing him of risks inherent in the product. A recent example of this idiocy is a buyer of a high end sports car with low profile tires, who succeeded in getting re-imbursed for rims he dented by driving into a deep pothole. "Yo man, no one told me they wasn't indestructable"

The requirement of a C-card, removes (or at least might weaken) this argument because so much of the certifiaction process involves learning the risks, and the safe practices involved in diving. Obviously renting or selling to a student w/o a C-card is OK since that's what the course is about.

This C-card requirement can be taken to rediculous extremes. I once went diving with an active duty US Navy Seal, to whom the dive op wouldn't rent tanks. Seems his Navy ID card wasn't enough as the OP wouldn't recognize the USN as a certifying agency. (PADI/ NAUI yes, USN no) (I "cheated" and shared my tanks, but we had to make an extra trip for refils)

So far there has been very little government regulation of any aspects of diving, which is good. Decent self-regulation & reasonable business practices will help keep it that way. But you can bet the farm that some day some politician will have a relative killed or injured, have an "Oh-m-god" moment and introduce some kind of regulating legislation. Maybe besides the C-card requirement, we should require a signed statement that the purchaser has no Legislator friends or relatives.

 

[DiverBoyEd]

I was actually diving in the China Sea back in the early 70s before I even thought about getting a c-card. No I wasn't self taught, I had some friends who were Navy divers and they took me under their wings or should I say fins and taught me. Doing a 200' dive wasn't out of the question back then. It wasn't until 1980 my employer required me to get a c-card in order to be on the Underwater Search and Rescue squad.

There isn't a law any where in the US that requires a person to have a c-card in order to dive, buy air or buy gear: For the most part the sport is self-regulated, such as showing a c-card to have a tank filled, not all dive shops require it but some do.

Don't take the following wrong, I truly believe everyone should go through a class and dives by a certified instructed prior to entering the sport. C-cards are a commercialization by the industry. You want to be this or that, it will cost you this and that.

My first dive was in 1972. Since then I have logged well over 500 dives, have been certified as a law enforcement underwater search and rescue diver, dived off 4 continents, reached 216 feet and still going strong with just my PADI and NAUI from 1980.

I personally think you should train with your own gear. You can't do that if the requirement to buy gear requires a c-card. My vote was an obvious "no, don't ever go there."

 

[Belle67]

I was actually diving in the China Sea back in the early 70s before I even thought about getting a c-card. No I wasn't self taught, I had some friends who were Navy divers and they took me under their wings or should I say fins and taught me. Doing a 200' dive wasn't out of the question back then. It wasn't until 1980 my employer required me to get a c-card in order to be on the Underwater Search and Rescue squad.

There isn't a law any where in the US that requires a person to have a c-card in order to dive, buy air or buy gear: For the most part the sport is self-regulated, such as showing a c-card to have a tank filled, not all dive shops require it but some do.

Don't take the following wrong, I truly believe everyone should go through a class and dives by a certified instructed prior to entering the sport. C-cards are a commercialization by the industry. You want to be this or that, it will cost you this and that.

My first dive was in 1972. Since then I have logged well over 500 dives, have been certified as a law enforcement underwater search and rescue diver, dived off 4 continents, reached 216 feet and still going strong with just my PADI and NAUI from 1980.

I personally think you should train with your own gear. You can't do that if the requirement to buy gear requires a c-card. My vote was an obvious "no, don't ever go there."

very good point diver boy

 

[GA Under Water]

Well, the way I figure it is, (if I were freaking stupid) I could have ordered a tank from at least 3-4 places online I know of that don't require a card to purchase a tank.

Compressed air (whether suited for SCUBA or not) is readily available at pressures of 3440 and down from almost anyplace with a commercial compressor. (I REALIZE you can't breathe that under water, just saying)

Anyways, everything is readily attainable. Proper breathing gas is probably NOT unless you have a friend with a fill station/compressor.

Well, here is an example as to why they shouldn't be regulated. If we would pass on the price difference to the paint ballers we could possibly boost the LDS sales.
Compressed Air HPA and CO2 cylinder Refilling system

 

[seibert.kyle]

At my LDS they have a policy that i totally agree with.
They will sell you anything scuba related without a c-card except for air. That way, you can buy anything for anyone you want. But you can't go diving without air. And if you get it filled somewhere else or have your own compressor, then its your own fault for getting in the water. This saves the LDS lawsuits and tries to keep people safe without making life a giant jail.