Nitrox card required to dive, not just for fills?

[DivemasterDennis]

I don't carry log books, c cards or anything with me. I carry one card, my cave card, in my wallet. Do I need to start carrying a drysuit card, stage card, deco card, nitrox card, advanced nitrox card, scooter card and sm card just to do my normal dives now? The only reason I carry the cave card is for showing the park rangers if they ask. Ridiculous.

I have a bunch of cards too. No, I don't carry all of them. I carry basic DM cert card, and nitrox card if I am going to dive nitrox. And of course my DAN insurance card. If I am going to do some specialty diving that requires a specialty cert, I bring that but there are not many of those- probably caves (sometimes) and of course, closed circuit re-breather. I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill here. But then., I have other important things going on in my life. For some of you I guess this is a big issue that you have time to debate, bitch about, or turn into a cause. If so, you are luck.
DivemasterDennis

 

[JamesK]

I have a bunch of cards too. No, I don't carry all of them. I carry basic DM cert card, and nitrox card if I am going to dive nitrox. And of course my DAN insurance card. If I am going to do some specialty diving that requires a specialty cert, I bring that but there are not many of those- probably caves (sometimes) and of course, closed circuit re-breather. I think we're making a mountain out of a molehill here. But then., I have other important things going on in my life. For some of you I guess this is a big issue that you have time to debate, bitch about, or turn into a cause. If so, you are luck.
DivemasterDennis

Hmmm. Not sure how to take this. I have PLENTY going on in my life. Full time instructor for the army tends to take up a lot of time. 16-18 hour days. 36 days in a row without a day off. Yeah. And many many other things I will not go in to. I agree this is mountain out of mole hill stuff. However, you have plenty of post on SB as well so to say some has too much time on their hands or nothing to do better then this is hypocrisy.

I guess I am just used to my little area of cave country. I rarely, like maybe once every few years do boat dives.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I guess I am just used to my little area of cave country. I rarely, like maybe once every few years do boat dives.

I can relate ... I think people who dive a lot, and are used to making their own diving choices and decisions tend to be put off when someone imposes rules that are intended to "protect" you from yourself ... because those rules are usually based on the premise that you're incompetent ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[JamesK]

I can relate ... I think people who dive a lot, and are used to making their own diving choices and decisions tend to be put off when someone imposes rules that are intended to "protect" you from yourself ... because those rules are usually based on the premise that you're incompetent ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Agreed!!!!!!!

 

[ams511]

Owning a card only indicates that you went through a class. It says nothing about how thorough your instructor was, how much you retained after the class was completed, your mental approach to diving or your overally ability to use good judgment ... which is at least as important as your training.

or the diving environment your used to. For example my "deep dive" was freezing my butt off on the top of cement mixer (or was it a dump truck?) in the middle of a quarry. Yet I have some yahoo at a dive shop in Miami tell me I should dive the Spiegle Grove because they are running a trip and I am AOW certified. What even made this sadder was the fact that I clearly told them I did not dive for well over a year and was looking for something easier. Plus they hosed the reg rebuild too which is what I was there for.

 

[Capt Doug]

Sorry you had a bad experience with SW. Jay has always treated me very well and been a pleasure to deal with. Perhaps you cold give him another opportunity?

doug

 

[BVickery]

What a lawyer told me was those liability waivers are pretty much a joke in court. Even though you may feel it's off putting and an 'insult' to your diving abilities, the guy doesn't know you from a hole in the wall. Put yourself in their shoes. If something happens and your family decides to bring a suit against you they can pay 10's if not 100's of thousands of dollars just to prove they were not responsible. It boils down to is the money they make from your dive on the boat worth the potential risk of soemthing happening and the inevitable lawsuit that would happen? My guess is any wise business owner would go 'no'.

 

[Scubadude_LA]

Geez, Cheese!
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned in this thread, it is getting fairly winded and I'm tired too lazy to read it all my bad;

If the shop is so in the know, how the hell do you get a Full Cave Cert with no Nitrox training??
This sounds like my LDS that won't fill my nitrox tank (has nitrox decal) with straight air. Their response; " Well what if a diver thinks it is Nitrox instead of air? They may think they are breathing nitrox and might get hurt". They stick blend with Grade E so no excuse on PP cleanliness. No S**T, this is a real story. Same folks who don't know what the plus rating is on an LP tank, so hot fast fills to 2400 cooling to less than turn pressure on a cave fill . Sort of goes along with my regulator service rants in the past from same shop, Big time SP dealer and so in the know...

I'm fairly certain that if I presented a trimix card to them they would not realize that it trumps a nitrox card so no fill, seriously.... (we have dubbed it the mask, fins and snorkel shop, the are good at that). Ah, the times we live in...

 

[RJP]

Sounds like two distinct problems...

1.) A dive shop that did not communicate requirements adequately
2.) A diver that is too easily offended when they feel their abilities are being questioned

It wouldn't occur to me in a million years to bring a nitrox card with me to dive my own gas on a charter. And if I were to be asked for one I would be ticked about issue #1, for sure. But I would have focused the discussion on the boat - and in this thread - about the fact that the shop should have communicated that you needed to show proof of certification to dive the mix you bring. Getting in to everything else - what other cards, training, gear, etc you have with you - sounds an awful lot like the diving equivalent of the irate frequent flyer demanding loudly at the ticket counter "do you have any idea who I am!?!"

That said, the one card I carry when traveling is a tech/deep cert that says I'm good for deco and gasses up to 100%. I wouldn't rely on a boat op knowing that my cave card has an implied recognition of EANx/deco/etc.

On our boat the waiver includes a statement that you understand the depth, dive, conditions, etc and that you verify that your training, experience, gear, and gas are appropriate for the dive. We don't ask you to show any cards to that effect, other than an AOW card to get on the boat.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

I also dive with Scubaworks quite a bit and have always been well treated and felt welcome at the shop. I would note that the diving in Jupiter, at one of the most popular spots, can be 130-140'. This is at the absolute limit for recreational diving, and requires careful nitrox mixing (I get 28%, because even 32% would be too risky on this dive). Scubaworks will work hard to give you whatever mix you want. At the depths the Emerald dives (they almost always hit the 130' ledges), any error in the mix can be quite dangerous. This is not typical recreational nitrox diving, but diving that requires precise and special mixes, and care that the right mix is used.

Thus, I am not surprised the shop would ask to see the card even for someone bringing their own previously filled tanks, If I were at the shop and discovered you had 32% I would certainly warn you and offer to adjust your mix. Fpr this diving in particular, a shop would be justified in having you analyze the tanks you bring. It also might be a requirement of their insurance given the dive profiles in the area. I do agree they should have told you, but I carry my cards whenever I dive (in fact they stay in my wallet) and maybe they just assumed you would have it.

I know from your posts you are well trained and highly competent, but a shop meeting you for the first time can't necessarily take anything for granted. Anyway, they ultimate worked with you once you showed proof of advanced training and capability, so they were certainly flexible enough to accommodate you.

The issue with the cards is becoming more common. Just recently, I had two shops (who did not know me) say they would not take me on any dives deeper than 60 feet without an AOW card, even though I had, with me, log books of my last 200 dives including dives on the deep ledges, night dives, strong current, drift dives, shore dives, wreck dives (no penetration) etc., and I am OW since 1974 with going on 1000 dives.

So, am I thrilled to have to spend $400 for the "Advanced" card that you can get with a grand total of 8 dives in your life? No. But, as I travel, it seems to be becoming the price of admission for shops that do not know me.