How long does it take to get your C-card after certification?

[JC Fedorczyk]

Is this something that gets handed to you when you pass or does it get sent to some corporate office for registration, etc? If things go well our OW certification will be completed June 26th and we are headed down to Myrtle beach for the 4th of July weekend to visit family. Wasn't sure if we would be able to go out and practice our new skills that next weekend, or if we had to wait for cards to arrive in the mail. Do I sound eager or what?

Thanks in advance

 

[scubatoys]

Your instructor should be able to hand you temp cards on the spot. The actual cards can take a week - 10 days, depending on how they are processed.

 

[gfisher4792]

Yeah, what Larry said. And I believe that most agencies send the cards to your LDS. They will know.

BTW, eagerness is normal around here

 

[fins]

Yeah, what Larry said. And I believe that most agencies send the cards to your LDS. They will know.

BTW, eagerness is normal around here

My card was shipped to my home address. It arrived about 4 weeks after my cert dives.

Mark

 

[Mortlock]

For me it was the same as Fins.

Had a temporary card for the time in between though.

 

[Drew Sailbum]

Each agency may have its own procedures but PADI offers the instructor options.

1. The instructor may order permanent certification cards in advance of the final check out dives. If so, PADI will only mail them to the instructor or dive shop.

2. The instructor can process the certification paperwork after the last dive. This is often done on a mail-in form, but some dive centers are set up to do this over the internet. Either methods provides a temporary card to give to the student on the spot. Turn around time is shorter for web based processing. Card can be mailed to the dive center, instructor, or student as selected on the form.

 

[melfox26]

Is this something that gets handed to you when you pass or does it get sent to some corporate office for registration, etc? If things go well our OW certification will be completed June 26th and we are headed down to Myrtle beach for the 4th of July weekend to visit family. Wasn't sure if we would be able to go out and practice our new skills that next weekend, or if we had to wait for cards to arrive in the mail. Do I sound eager or what?

Thanks in advance

When you get your actualy card depends on a number of things. The packet that your instructor fills out, signs, and has you sign after you finish your cert has a few options on it. One of the options is whether PADI will send the card direct to the student or the instructor. If he/she checks the instructor box, they will receive it first then pass it on to you.

Also as part of the packet is a removable temporary card for you that has your name, cert. level, instructor name/signature, as well as cert. date which the temp card is only good for 90 days after that date.

Just remember to take it easy in the beginning, dive in waters similar to those you will be certified in, e.g, going from getting certified in a lake/quarry to diving in the ocean right away.

Enjoy and congrats in advance on your OW cert.

Mel
PADI Rescue Diver/Nitrox

 

[HammerNoMore]

Is this something that gets handed to you when you pass or does it get sent to some corporate office for registration, etc? If things go well our OW certification will be completed June 26th and we are headed down to Myrtle beach for the 4th of July weekend to visit family. Wasn't sure if we would be able to go out and practice our new skills that next weekend, or if we had to wait for cards to arrive in the mail. Do I sound eager or what?

Thanks in advance

If you are using PADI and the shop does not use online PIC's you should get a temporary stub off the PIC after dive 4. The regualr card will come back after about 4 weeks.

If you are using PADI and the sop does use online PIC's you will proably have to return to the shop after your dives to pick up a temporary card. (You can do this when you return any rental gear.) The regular card will come back in less than 2 weeks (usually around a week).

Either way just be sure to tell the shop that you will be diving the following weekend and they will make sure you have a temporary card you can use.

James

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

A few weeks is average. Our shop sends them all in at the end of each month. We issues temps which are accepeted. Bring your log book along with your temp, just in case.

 

[JC Fedorczyk]

Thanks folks.