SSI policy change

[dbsnyder]

Can anyone confirm if SSI is now charging for milestone certification cards. I.e. Specialty Diver, AOW, Master Diver. Those used to be free from SSI.

 

[1bubbleoff]

To the best of my knowledge..no....but I will check when I'm at work friday. I do know that ALL Cards have now gone into a "digital" format..I.E. no more hard card. The hard card IS available, but only if you pay for it now. That MAY be the source of your confusion.
The intent with digital cards is simple to have them available on whichever digital device you may have handy...probably Android or IOS. No more "can't find my card/logbook...etc etc etc" standing in the dive shop. Simply pull it up on your phone and done.

Bubs

 

[Dnaber]

I guess they’re not taking into account the millions of folks who still don't own a smart phone or device. But I guess if they are offering a physical card for just a few buck that not bad.....

 

[Adam Grose]

I recently got my SSI AOW, and was not charged for it. SSI sent it to my local shop, and I had to go pick it up, though.

Adam

 

[Wookie]

To the best of my knowledge..no....but I will check when I'm at work friday. I do know that ALL Cards have now gone into a "digital" format..I.E. no more hard card. The hard card IS available, but only if you pay for it now. That MAY be the source of your confusion.
The intent with digital cards is simple to have them available on whichever digital device you may have handy...probably Android or IOS. No more "can't find my card/logbook...etc etc etc" standing in the dive shop. Simply pull it up on your phone and done.

Bubs

I wonder what you do when standing on the dive boat where there is no cell service, like far north Australia or many places in the Maldives or the Dry Tortugas...

 

[RandomGuy1]

I wonder what you do when standing on the dive boat where there is no cell service, like far north Australia or many places in the Maldives or the Dry Tortugas...

The ssi app caches the certs locally, so as long as you have opened the app and pulled the cert card down, it should be there if you have service or not.

 

[CptTightPants21]

My understanding from an SSI shop owner:

They are giving the milestone cards out for free, but charging $40 for every other card no exceptions. A person used to just be able to do 4 specialties, the shop would do the paperwork all the once and the student would just receive his AOW card. Know the shop owner can't do that and he has to submit paperwork for each course and charge/be charged himself $40 for each card. I will admit that this owner does like physical cards, but I don't know if there is an exemption for e-cards, from speaking with him, it sounded like the $40 charge for a card was not negotiable---they were going to give you a card and you had to take it.

 

[dbsnyder]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think it a shame SSI needs to charge for the physical cards. I prefer the hard cards over the digital but that's just me.

 

[leviathann]

40 dollars for a c-card is absurd. SSI Europe charges about 10 euro (about 11 dollar) for a physical card. I cannot imagine it is different in the USA.

 

[tstormdiver]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I think it a shame SSI needs to charge for the physical cards. I prefer the hard cards over the digital but that's just me.

SSI has always charged for cards, it may have just been built into the courses you've taken.. Last I heard (& it has been a while), it was roughly $15- $20. $40 seems high & can't say that is what it is or is not,.... but then it may be used as an incentive to "wean" people off the plastic card to the digital.