PADI C Cards

[Black Cat]

I did my OW and AOW back in 2000 and 2003. I unfortunately lost both plastic cards and just recently paid the asinine fees to replace them both. After forking over a ridiculous amount of money to get the replacements, I opened up the mailbox the other day to find 2 envelopes waiting for me from PADI- my cards. I opened up the envelopes and was beyond disappointed to find what I paid for. 2 flimsy, low quality, thin pieces of plastic replacement cards. Now...I'm hoping that what came in the mail are possibly just crappy temporary cards and that there are permanent cards that will be sent to me eventually that are like my old C Cards and high quality.

This is what came in the mail.

This is the kind I used to have.

Are the nicer cards just a thing of the past?

 

[Scott]

I do like the ones with images on them, but how much time do we spend looking at our c-cards?
Either one will get you an air fill and on a boat.
Why replace both? I would have just replaced the AOW and been done with it.

If you want to see crappy I can show you mine from '83

 

[boulderjohn]

I don't understand why you would even want to replace those cards if you still have a master scuba diver card. Even if you didn't have the master scuba diver card, why would you want to replace BOTH the OW and AOW cards? The AOW card is all most people need. My OW and AOW cards have not seen the light of day in nearly 20 years. If they were somehow lost, I would not give a thought to replacing them.

 

[Black Cat]

I don't have a Master Scuba card. I just pulled that image from google as an example. Do I need the plastic cards...of course not. I just wanted to replace them just to have them. I just like to have the plastic. If I would've known about the cheap, flimsy cards they were going to send me, I wouldn't have bothered.

 

[jstreetley]

Are the fancy ones with the pictures the one you get in exchange for a donation towards the Project AWARE charity?

CERTIFICATION CARDS & PADI ECARDS

 

[pconsidine]

In the future just take a photo of front and back of your C-Cards and keep them on you cell phone. You can show this as proof anywhere you go, plus all Padi Instructors can check your status as diver from your full name and date of birth info...

 

[Damselfish]

I'd guess what you got is it. The ones with criiter pics should be a choice when you order a replacement card online, if you didn't pick one you're not going to get one. They may not still have cards with the same image you had before, and they probably don't even have a record of which image you had before.

I can understand wanting to have one physical card around, but I too can't understand replacing both OW and AOW.

 

[pconsidine]

usually with Padi replacement cards -you have 3 options available- Stock, Project Aware and limited edition cards -I taught all came with fish images plus lamination on cards is not that flimsey- PADI | The Way the World Learns to Dive®

 

[Black Cat]

Are the fancy ones with the pictures the one you get in exchange for a donation towards the Project AWARE charity?

CERTIFICATION CARDS & PADI ECARDS

No they weren't AWARE cards. Just the standard cards that you were sent to you in the mail. And the actual material the cards were made of were higher quality and more durable. The cards I just received are flimsy and comparable to a grocery store shopper's card- just very cheap. Quite surprising that the card is of such quality for $45. Oh well...

 

[luscioman]

This should server as a reminder to everyone to take pictures of your cards and make a photocopy backup.