How often are you asked for C-card and/or dive log?

[Walter]

There are lots of differences in how folks handle these issues. Most folks with whom I dive know me and don't ask to see anything. One charter knows me quite well and still makes a photo copy of my card every time (once per trip, not once per dive) I dive with them. Most operators who don't know me ask to see my card, a few don't. I remember one charter asked for my c-card which I happily provided, then asked for my nitrox card. I told them I was not renting a nitrox tank nor was I getting a nitrox fill. I was asked if I was diving nitrox. I told them I was diving air. I was then informed the crew would check my tank to see if it was air. The crew never checked my tank nor did they even ask about it. PADI once subpoenaed copies all my c-cards. For fills, it's pretty much hit or miss with folks who don't know me, folks who do know me, never ask for my card.

Logs are rarely requested. On deep dives, I've seen logs requested that show deep dives in the previous six months for folks who do not have an advanced card. I've had charters ask to see my log twice. Both times, I told them it was in my car, that I'd go get it and both times, they decided they didn't need to see it.

 

[Sas]

I used to be asked for a c-card for air fills, but I don't get asked any more at new stores. Not sure why I no longer get asked but I haven't been asked for a card in ages. Only had a few nitrox fills, at my regular LDS where I get 90% of my fills, so they never asked me for my card as they know me. Another store I was going to get nitrox fills through asked me to bring my card when I was to pick up the tanks but the site got changed to a shallow site so I never ended up getting the fills. I presume most local places would ask me for a nitrox card for those fills if they didn't know me given my friends' experiences.

The local charter I use asked to see my cert card the first time I used them. They also had me fill out a questionnaire about my diving history - last logged dive, what conditions I'd dived in, how many dives I'd done.

Been asked for a log book once - on an aquarium shark dive and the guy actually read all of the notes for the 15 dives I had at the time.

 

[JerseyRick]

I say Log 'em! I've been asked to see my log book only once - to verify number of dives (as a very new diver).

If you go on to higher levels of training, you may need to produce your log book to verify number of dives, type of dives, depth, etc.

Log Books are much more than just a count of dives. I've often looked back on notes made in my log book to review what I liked about certain dive locations or sites.

 

[OldNSalty]

... PADI once subpoenaed copies all my c-cards.

If that doesn't beg for a follow - up question I don't know what does. Is the story behind it as interesting as it sounds?

 

[sabbath999]

PADI once subpoenaed copies all my c-cards.

Care to share why?

 

[ScubaSteve]

I have never had to produce my dive log however I have had to show my CCard every time I dove with a charter of any sort. I know of one dive shop around here that demands a log book showing recent dives to certain depths (10 dives to 100+ feet in the past 6 months - Walter described omething like this) but other than that, I have never even been asked for it.

Log what you want but make sure it is easily excluded from counts/totals just in case it needs to be for any reason.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

When I first ventured into tech diving, my instructor-to-be wanted to see my log before he took me on as a student. Other than that, I can't remember being asked for my log a lot. I find that once I was past Master Diver and got my solo diver cert, most operators I went diving with were happy and stopped inquiring further. I could imagine, though, that there are dive sites with special circumstances, e.g. crazy currents, deep drop-offs, where you might be required to produce evidence of dives that similar in nature, regardless of how many dives you have total. Personally, I think that makes all the sense in the world and I think a diver with 50 dives, most of them in current, might be better suited for a current dive than a quarry diver with 500 dives.

 

[OldNSalty]

I could imagine, though, that there are dive sites with special circumstances, e.g. crazy currents, deep drop-offs, where you might be required to produce evidence of dives that similar in nature, regardless of how many dives you have total. Personally, I think that makes all the sense in the world and I think a diver with 50 dives, most of them in current, might be better suited for a current dive than a quarry diver with 500 dives.

But has it ever stopped anyone -No log book or 500 logged quarry dives and now you want to dive in the deep blue with wacky moving water? Wouldn't the Cpt just assign you a DM unless it was something very extreme?

 

[Gombessa]

I tend to ask for buddy names/sigs when I'm on vacation - that way I can more easily send them pics/videos from our dives together. My log is for my own enjoyment, I don't use it to provide proof/verification of dive number or type, and so I log anything that's of value to me (including pool "dives" spent adjusting equipment, etc.).

I'm almost always asked for a c-card everywhere I go. I've never been asked for my log, I believe because I don't usually sign up for "advanced" dives where proof of ability/experience is required.

 

[mlevi98]

I have only been asked for my c-card, never my dive log. My wife lost her c-card recently and the dive shops we dove with accepted her nitrox card instead.