C-Card Recognition: Myth or Fact?

[Tigerman]

He probably read NAZI instead of NASI and that woulda made me look "quizzical" too

 

[oreocookie]

The guy I mentioned had the current version of Scuba Diver (max 40' w/ a padi pro). Unfortunately for this guy, there's no official way to give him an OW card based solely on his dive experience. He was not happy that he'd have to "do some silly skills at the bottom of a pool" before he could do his AOW.

Nope, Scuba Diver is basically half an OW, you can only dive to 45' and MUST be accompanied by a professional.

Really really back then, PADI intro course was called Scuba Diver, that has created some problems in todays date, PADI will not reissue a card for someone who holds one of those and change the wording to OPEN WATER, but at the same time, it's basically a liability, since the standards today define Scuba Diver differently, I don't understand either, I would think it would be easier to distinguish the 2 by it's issue date, by apparently not, I have talked to PADI about extensively.

A gentleman visiting Florida from UK, showed up with one of those once, issue date was like 60's-70's, can't remember, but I couldn't let him dive as an OW diver, even though his training was probably better standards/quality than today, it was still a risk from a liabilities point of view, luckily he was not a guy with ego issues (like many reading this now, frothing on their chairs I'm sure), so I sat down with him, did an oral examination on his knowledge, (which was much better than most newly certified divers today if I were to ask the same questions just a month after completing training), asked him to describe step by step about how to perform certain skills and certain scenarios, he was spot on in everything, then I went on 2 dives with him.
PADI instructors has/had an option to "give" a C-card to someone who though has not have had formal training, does posses enough experience and show they can dive safely, you must be very, very, very discrete about it, I can't remember the full details on how it works, maybe someone can clarify, but anyways, I "gave" this gentleman an OW card so he wouldn't have this problem anymore.

---------- Post added March 17th, 2014 at 10:58 PM ----------



I meant to quote this

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[Tigerman]

The guy I mentioned had the current version of Scuba Diver (max 40' w/ a padi pro). Unfortunately for this guy, there's no official way to give him an OW card based solely on his dive experience. He was not happy that he'd have to "do some silly skills at the bottom of a pool" before he could do his AOW.

It may not be official, but there is a way.. just not recognized by the agencies

 

[Bob DBF]

Nope, Scuba Diver is basically half an OW, you can only dive to 45' and MUST be accompanied by a professional.

Really really back then, PADI intro course was called Scuba Diver, that has created some problems in todays date, PADI will not reissue a card for someone who holds one of those and change the wording to OPEN WATER, but at the same time, it's basically a liability, since the standards today define Scuba Diver differently, I don't understand either, I would think it would be easier to distinguish the 2 by it's issue date, by apparently not, I have talked to PADI about extensively.

A gentleman visiting Florida from UK, showed up with one of those once, issue date was like 60's-70's, can't remember, but I couldn't let him dive as an OW diver, even though his training was probably better standards/quality than today, it was still a risk from a liabilities point of view, luckily he was not a guy with ego issues (like many reading this now, frothing on their chairs I'm sure), so I sat down with him, did an oral examination on his knowledge, (which was much better than most newly certified divers today if I were to ask the same questions just a month after completing training), asked him to describe step by step about how to perform certain skills and certain scenarios, he was spot on in everything, then I went on 2 dives with him.

At one time in the distant past, a Scuba Diver was trained to a level equal to or higher than an OW diver today, and an OW diver would have been advanced diver training, at the time. With the new courses moving students through, and selling up the next class, there isn't much time for SCUBA history today.


Bob
-------------------
I may be old, but I'm not dead yet.

 

[Redshift]

This recent thread http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/q-...iving-because-their-certification-agency.html went over this same subject.

 

[Frosty]

Ive never been turned down by a dive shop/boat but alsway asked first time with them to show the card to them

 

[eelnoraa]

Once in Thailand, showing my GUE fundandamental card didn't allow me to dive nitrox. They also grouped me with 2 other PADI Open water students.

 

[rivers]

In the UK, I've only ever been asked for a card once and it was a drysuit card. I wasn't even hiring a drysuit... Haven't been diving away on holiday yet. I'm off next month to see my other half who is working on a cruise ship at the moment. I'll be diving 2 days. I wonder if my fundies card will be accepted...

 

[eelnoraa]

I also know a instance that a GUE instructor in Monterey, got denied dysuit rental in Monterey by showing his GUE instructor card when his own drysuit had a rip neck seal on the day of a fun dive. Yeah, sounds ridiculous. In this case, it is more of a reliability concern from the shop than ignorance.

 

[drrich2]

Never had a problem, but it's all PADI except my SDI Solo Diver card, and I dive Florida (getting started with that) and the Caribbean (mainly), plus a local quarry, so PADI is universally recognized.

An interesting follow up question for people would be 'Do you have any seldom heard of brand cert.s you think some dive op.s may have never heard of?' That'll vary somewhat by what part of the world you dive in.

Richard.