Electronic C Card

[DougK]

My certifying agency, SSI, has a neat app for the phone that has an electronic version of your C-Card. I downloaded the app and got my card.

Do any of you use this method and do most locations accept the card in place of carrying a physical card?

In my particular case, my card was issued before SSI kept a scanned image of the card, so I have the information and a card image that is generic. A note says: card issued before electronic database was created. Is that likely to give me any trouble? My info shows: C-Card number, date and certifying instructor and shop location and the above mentioned generic card image.

I will keep the actual card as a backup but I wanted to know if this will be sufficient going forward? What has been others experiences?

 

[flylow47]

I have an SSI card that I was issued in 1995 and have even used a fax replication of it in a pinch. The card is laminated, blue and yellow with a glued on pic. Ah, the old days.

Never once had a problem diving in a dozen or so countries. However I started diving a lot lately and have subsequently obtained more certs, which is a great thing to do! So the problem is moot.

 

[spectrum]

Asking the experieince of other is valid and I have none to offer.

However, given the "do as they will" mode of dive operators I would not bank my vacation on them buying into an app. A self evident card is universally recognized.

Pete

Pete

 

[616fun]

I don't use the SSI app, but I have scanned all of my cards and added them to my DiveLog app on the phone. I've yet to be turned away using it in the 2 years I've provided it as certification verification.

 

[tplyons]

I have scanned copies of all my cards in Dive Log on my phone and have never had a problem or been asked to produce physical copies.

 

[reefduffer]

I've got several PADI certs. Similar to others above, I have scanned my (and my wife's) C-cards and carry them on my iPod as backup.

What annoys me is that (as of 2010, at least) the information side of the card (Name, cert #, dates etc.) doesn't say what the cert is for (e.g., OW, AOW, ...) and the side that does (preprinted) has no ID information. I often have dive ops make copies of my cards when I present them, but I wonder what good they are beyond assuring basic OW. Some situations require AOW or nitrox certs; how would they know from their copy, or the scan on my iPod?

I actually printed the cert "types", cut into little strips, and taped it to the ID sides of my cards in a blank space. But aside from trust, that's like taping my photo over somebody elses' on their C-card in terms of authenticity.

I once had a chance to talk briefly with a PADI rep at a dive show and mentioned the issue, but I'm unaware of any changes being made.
One of my pet peeves, I've griped about it here before.

 

[agilis]

How about having them tattooed on your ass? Discretely, of course, in a quadrant that some swimwear often harmlessly exposes? This will be power failure proof and also provide a decorative element that might come in handy if the police ever discover your decapitated body back in the glades somewhere.

 

[tplyons]

What annoys me is that (as of 2010, at least) the information side of the card (Name, cert #, dates etc.) doesn't say what the cert is for (e.g., OW, AOW, ...) and the side that does (preprinted) has no ID information. I often have dive ops make copies of my cards when I present them, but I wonder what good they are beyond assuring basic OW. Some situations require AOW or nitrox certs; how would they know from their copy, or the scan on my iPod?

PADI OW and Nitrox C-cards have text that tell you what they are... unfortunately AOW and the specialties do not...

PADI OW reads: "This qualification meets ISO 24801-2: Diver Level 2 - Autonomous Diver Standard"
PADI Nitrox reads: "This qualification meets ISO 11107: Enriched Air Nitrox Diving Standard"

 

[tdtaylor]

Loaded mine in to DiveLog before the SSI app was available, and had no problems. You could download the images from the SSI website (both sides) and bring them into DiveLog. I've used them several times, especially for my daughter, who seems to often forget her card. With the new app, I don't see where it would be a problem. And also, all of my cards are updated on the app with my latest info as put into my profile on the SSI website.

But I always do have a hard copy of my card- just habit.

Terry

 

[reefduffer]

PADI OW and Nitrox C-cards have text that tell you what they are... unfortunately AOW and the specialties do not...

PADI OW reads: "This qualification meets ISO 24801-2: Diver Level 2 - Autonomous Diver Standard"
PADI Nitrox reads: "This qualification meets ISO 11107: Enriched Air Nitrox Diving Standard"

FWIW, neither my OW (2002) or Nitrox (2009) cards have such text.
All of my cards are the same: "This diver has satisfactorily met the standards for this certification level as set forth by: PADI [address and url]".

Thanks, nice to know there's some progress.