NASDS -> SSI conversion

[siikik]

Hello all,

I was certified by NASDS in the late '80s through the Advanced Open Water and Expert courses. It's been a while since I've been diving and wanted to take a refresher course at the local shop, but can't seem to locate anything of importance to prove I was certified. I also seem to be getting the run-around from SSI... from my point of view, they just don't want to spend the time and effort looking for my records.

If it were as simple as going back to the dive shop, I would... but they have long since closed, not sorry because I didn't like the management anyways... loved the instructors though! SSI has a list of what they would consider validating evidence, however it's not going to be very easy to obtain any of that. I'm not living near the shop and have no idea of my instructors' whereabouts.

Does anyone have any suggestions or has anyone had any success with getting SSI to locate records? I would rather not start over...


TIA!


Ken

 

[=C=]

I was certified by NASDS and SSI sent me a new card last week!

Let them know that you were NASDS, the date you were certified, and the shop name. Instructor helps too... They will send you your cert number once they find you in the files. Then you download the lost card form fro the SSI site and fill it out with that info.

My contact was Shana McCartney ( c-cards2@ssiusa.com )

Good luck

o... and welcome back to diving.

 

[Lead_carrier]

Hello all,

I was certified by NASDS in the late '80s through the Advanced Open Water and Expert courses. It's been a while since I've been diving and wanted to take a refresher course at the local shop, but can't seem to locate anything of importance to prove I was certified. I also seem to be getting the run-around from SSI... from my point of view, they just don't want to spend the time and effort looking for my records.

If it were as simple as going back to the dive shop, I would... but they have long since closed, not sorry because I didn't like the management anyways... loved the instructors though! SSI has a list of what they would consider validating evidence, however it's not going to be very easy to obtain any of that. I'm not living near the shop and have no idea of my instructors' whereabouts.

Does anyone have any suggestions or has anyone had any success with getting SSI to locate records? I would rather not start over...


TIA!

Ken

Since it's been a while since you've been diving, how long is a while. 5 years? 15 years? Do you have any of the info that they ask for? Logbook, diploma or anything to prove you were certified? The instructor, you might be able to look up on the internet and call him. Without something you might be out of luck and have to redo the course. If it's been a number of years since you dived, redoing the course might actually benefit you. I've never had a problem getting stuff looked up but I keep a lot of records and copies.

 

[siikik]

Thanks for all the information. I've been talking with several divers about what has changed and the majority is the same. Some of the differences are ascent rate (not 60 fpm anymore) and a "safety stop" when there was none... I found a good article about the changes on Scuba Diving Magazine's site. Keeping records usually isn't a problem, but I've moved a few times over the years and things simply get lost each time. I do remember seeing my c-card recently so I'm hoping I've just put it in the wrong box or something during the last move.

For learning.... Equipment has improved, but it's still the same. Biggest difference there is the [almost] necessity of a dive computer... I was lucky to have a digital timer in my gauges in the day! Oh, and no more weight belts.... integrated weight BCs were very new when I got certified, now that's all you can get. I'm not going to be so arrogant to say I know everything, because I don't... and I'm willing to learn what's new... but I will say that I'm not going to be nearly as nervous getting in the water this time.

So as I said, I'm looking to take a refresher course anyways... just didn't want to have to start over. But in talking with SSI, no one has ever asked for shop name, instructor names, or the like. And it's not like I didn't give them the opportunity. I'm always going to remember my open water instructor... he was a hoot! He was also the one that taught us to bring hotdogs to feed the fishies! Maybe it would be good to look him up and go diving with him!



Ken

 

[dpbishop]

NASDS lost some records in a fire before the conversion; at least that's what I was told. I had a PITA getting my GF a replacement card from SSI as the store where she was certified was out of business also. I had copy of the original paperwork from mine, so I didn't have a problem.

Here is the SSI page on NASDS replacement cards: SSI Scuba Schools International: NASDS

 

[tep]

I cert'ed with NASDS in '78, and started diving again last year. I decided to go ahead and completely re-cert SSI anyway, but wanted to get the info from the original card.

After a few phone calls to SSI, I got a new card with the original "diving since" date in the mail after a few weeks. They had to search paper records, I'm afraid.

That said, the day after I got my new SSI card, I found the box with my old log book and original NASDS c-card.

So now I have three "current" C-Cards: NASDS original, SSI duplicate of original and new SSI I'm a triple threat!

(Maybe this means I'm cert'ed to dive three times deeper, or longer?)

 

[siikik]

That's interesting. I wouldn't have expected a "diving since" date, but that works for me as well. I got nowhere in my conversations with SSI so I went to the local shop and they asked me for information about where I was certified, instructor, etc. and managed to get much farther... far enough to find my AOW certification. (Doesn't seem to be any record of my Expert certification though.)

I did think about taking the entire class over but decided against it for a couple of reasons... 1) I finally managed to get the spouse to take the course and after reading through the "new" book, I am finding that I have retained a great deal of the knowledge and see that there is very little that has changed; and 2) the shop is going to let me sit in on her class and go on the dives, one of which will be my re-cert dive. And when I do, just for kicks, I'm going to bring in my NASDS books and show them off. (Yes, I still have those, but no c-card.)

So I will spend the difference of what I saved from a full class on a Nitrox class. Can't wait.



Ken



Don't know about the "triple threat" thingy you have going... might want to rethink it.