QR Codes and Diver # on Cert Cards

[Griffo]

Hi,
I downloaded an e-card the other day and noticed that they now have QR codes on them. I scanned it and it took me to my web based diver verification. Pretty cool.

Can I ask though why you still don't put the diver# on the card anywhere? It's listed on my profile on the web, but on none of the C-cards, and the C-card nunmber is far too long to write on most dive-ops registration systems.

Is there a reason SSI chooses not to put the diver# on their cards?

Thanks

 

[surfsidedav]

I checked a couple of recent certs and the number is on there. Maybe that's a US only thing.

 

[eponym]

In the US, the number at the bottom of the card (in the url) is the one you want. In this made-up example, 000001.



That number also shows up in the SSI database when your SSI shop looks at your info. It certainly could be featured more prominently on the card. Maybe divers sending comments to SSI on this matter would help . . .

I understand that the long "ID" number is a database record number for the individual card.

Do the Australian cards also show that diver verification url?

Bryan

 

[Griffo]

Hi Guys,

No the number is not on any of my 10+ physical cards. Although the newest is approx 6 months old.

On the e-cards, it is there on the Speciality cards, but not on the 'achievement' cards (whatever they are called) like the Master Diver card as they put another box over that spot.

I would have thought that the diver# was more important than the card #

 

[eponym]

Thanks for the picture.

Hi Guys,

the number is not on any of my 10+ physical cards. Although the newest is approx 6 months old.

On the e-cards, it is there on the Speciality cards, but not on the 'achievement' cards (whatever they are called) like the Master Diver card as they put another box over that spot.

I would have thought that the diver# was more important than the card #

I couldn't agree more. Again, the more divers who contact SSI on this matter the likelier they are to reconsider what they put where on their c-cards.

 

[Bandeko]

The c card is verification of scuba cert, so lets put a qr code to verify the authentication of what's on a printed card....seems circular logic. If you didn't have the card, you wouldn't have the qr code....cart...horse....chicken.....!!!

 

[eponym]

The c card is verification of scuba cert, so lets put a qr code to verify the authentication of what's on a printed card....seems circular logic. If you didn't have the card, you wouldn't have the qr code....cart...horse....chicken.....!!!

I couldn't agree more. Again, the more divers who contact SSI on this matter the likelier they are to reconsider what they put where on their c-cards.

 

[crosshairs]

The c card is verification of scuba cert, so lets put a qr code to verify the authentication of what's on a printed card....seems circular logic. If you didn't have the card, you wouldn't have the qr code....cart...horse....chicken.....!!!

not that anyone I'm aware of has yet to do it, but that card could be counterfeited in about 10 minutes, while accessing the online database would be pretty difficult , so the QR code is a pretty nice safety measure that insures you are who you the card say's you are

 

[Bandeko]

I think you'd be really hard pressed to find a dive operator that wants to check the validity of every card that comes into their shop. At our shop, we photocopy every card for every diver that we didn't teach, a big enough hassle for the staff. I look at the card, it has the person's picture on it, I trust that they are who they say they are and the card is legit.

I don't see this being a benefit for anyone. Mostly because I haven't seen a counterfeit card (that I know of I guess) or ever heard of anyone seeing one. The day I do, I may change my mind...

 

[Griffo]

I think you'd be really hard pressed to find a dive operator that wants to check the validity of every card that comes into their shop. At our shop, we photocopy every card for every diver that we didn't teach, a big enough hassle for the staff. I look at the card, it has the person's picture on it, I trust that they are who they say they are and the card is legit.

I don't see this being a benefit for anyone. Mostly because I haven't seen a counterfeit card (that I know of I guess) or ever heard of anyone seeing one. The day I do, I may change my mind...

I'm not 100% sure who you are replying to, but in my limited experience filling out a manual log-book where we have to write down the diver# seems far more common than photo-copying. So having the short diver# vs the really long card# is quite important.

As for fake cards, I've been told by multiple people who live in Asia that they have seen fakes. The Chinese will forge anything, and if they save $10 per diver cert that doesn't go to the agency...