PADI and technology (what’s the deal with e-cards?)

[tursiops]

Instead of creating a petition why not just write PADI a letter and ask for the option - physical card or eCard.

Because that is not nearly so "feel good," no matter the actual impact.

 

[Ripley]

First of all, welcome to the other side of SB.

Can't sign it. While I agree that e-cards are the newest technology, I would be in favor of issuing an e-card with an option of a free hard card. I pose this question: What if a diver doesn't take his smart phone with him to the dive shop or doesn't even own a smart phone, what then? He can't prove his certification?

I also agree that it's a money grab. Over the years, I have misplaced some of my c-cards. I have wanted replacements for a few of them (OW, AOW, Rescue, MSD, DM). At $45 a pop, I have decided not to get them. Also, an e-card shouldn't cost hardly anything. If you can provide them with the data necessary for them to find the certification in their database, an e-card should be almost a flip of a switch.

I won't sign your petition. I know too many people who don't have a smart phone. E-cards are not the complete answer.

I will now brace myself for the onslaught of those who think I'm full of it. Before that occurs, I will remind those folks who think they have to slam me to remember that this is my OPINION. I have mine. You have yours.

Dive and let dive.

Cheers - M²

Any Padi dive shop can perfectly check your certification online.
Last September we were on Kea for a dive holiday and my occasional buddy at that moment couldn't find his certificate(s) due to multiple house swaps. He didn't even know his Padi number.
With only his name and his date of birth they could find what certificates he obtained, when and where he got them and which instructor issued them.

 

[Nemrod]

Is this for real? Plastic pollution from a card? I do not want an e-card. To many places do not have internet or will not look up an e-card. You do realize, most of your dive gear is plastic, more plastic, and mostly not made from material that are easy to recycle. Why pick on a plastic c-card when your regulator is plastic, your fins are plastic, your BC is loaded with plastic including a plastic bag, buckles, D-rings? We could do away with the BC(D) and insist on metal regulators, metal buckles and I guess we do not really need fins?

The best thing the diving world could do, just from my poor vantage point, learn some buoyancy skills and keep off the reef. A plastic c-card is way down my list of environmental impacts.

N

 

[Pedro Burrito]

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[doctormike]

Is this for real? Plastic pollution from a card? I do not want an e-card. To many places do not have internet or will not look up an e-card. You do realize, most of your dive gear is plastic, more plastic, and mostly not made from material that are easy to recycle. Why pick on a plastic c-card when your regulator is plastic, your fins are plastic, your BC is loaded with plastic including a plastic bag, buckles, D-rings? We could do away with the BC(D) and insist on metal regulators, metal buckles and I guess we do not really need fins?

The best thing the diving world could do, just from my poor vantage point, learn some buoyancy skills and keep off the reef. A plastic c-card is way down my list of environmental impacts.

N

Another great thing the diving world could to for the environment would be to dive more locally! Trip to the Caribbean? Leaving aside the carbon footprint of the flight itself, getting one cup of water on the way is more single use plastic than in a C-card...

Of course, I understand that not everyone has that option...

 

[Angelo Farina]

Now I have a question.
One week ago my son was pickpocketed, and in his wallet, among documents, credit cards, etc., there was also his PADI Jr-AOW card.
Whilst all the documents and credit cards were replaced for free, now PADI asks for something as 45 bucks for a new card. Luckily, I had a scan of the card, shown here:

So the question: do you think that he will ever get troubles not being able to show the plastic card, showing instead a print of the scan (or the image above on his smartphone)?
A second question: as he is now almost 25 years old, do the note saying "must dive with certified adult" yet apply?
When asking PADI to issue a new card, would it be a "JR" card, or will he get a standard "adult" AOW card?
In the second case it could be worth the 45 bucks....

 

[Angelo Farina]

I answer to myself. Found the info on Jr AOW upgrading automatically to standard AOW, on the PADi web site:

Need to upgrade your PADI Junior Diver certification?
At 15 years old, you can upgrade your certification card so that you no longer have age-related restrictions while scuba diving. Order your replacement card online and the system will automatically produce an upgraded card based on your age.

It is clearly written here: Certification Cards & PADI eCards | PADI

So I suppose that we will give them those 45 bucks... PADI is really great in grabbing money!

 

[doctormike]

Interesting question for PADI.

If your actual certification (not just the plastic card) automatically upgrades when you become 15, is a Jr AOW card plus a drivers license the equivalent of a regular AOW card? It's not like there is another class to take, and if you had Jr AOW and are over 15, you should be fulfilling agency guidelines regarding training and certification for AOW.

So if they are saying that you are only certified if you send them $45, that would definitely fit into the bad rep that PADI has in some circles. Hopefully that's not the case.

 

[scott stanton]

Unless I'm missing something, an e-card should be free. Can't cost anymore to generate than sending an e-mail, right?
That said....
I'll take physical cards thankyou. None of mine have made it into the waste chain yet. And my phone is just that and ONLY that. A phone.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Interesting question for PADI.

If your actual certification (not just the plastic card) automatically upgrades when you become 15, is a Jr AOW card plus a drivers license the equivalent of a regular AOW card? It's not like there is another class to take, and if you had Jr AOW and are over 15, you should be fulfilling agency guidelines regarding training and certification for AOW.

So if they are saying that you are only certified if you send them $45, that would definitely fit into the bad rep that PADI has in some circles. Hopefully that's not the case.

From what I am reading, no further training or testing is required for "upgrading" a Jr AOW into a "full" adult AOW. Just paying 45 USD for the new card...
This is quite normal also for other licenses, for example the license for driving motorcycles. My older son got the motorcycle driving license at 18 years, and this was limited to 35 kW max power. After three years, the driving license "upgrades" automatically to motorcycles of any power. But for getting the new license card, he had to "loose" the old one, so that he received the new one, with the proper markings...
Indeed this is free, the Italian DOT does not ask money for the new card, when you "loose" your one...