PADI? A necessity?

[asaara]

A dive card is nothing more than a low-tech ID badge from what I can tell. I could scan mine and easily reprint it on a badge-printer at work... adding to it as I like.

Would take a surprisenly little amount of effort to do. I've never heard of anyone actually calling the agency to verify anything.

I have my DM cert on a file on my computer, I suppose to save them the trouble of reprinting one should I lose mine, with access to a badge printer, I could reprint mine at will...

 

[In-Hoc]

I can tell you from experience that I did not get my OW cert. from PADI. I went with my local instructor who is both PADI & SDI. The SDI course was great and is more geared to using dive computers rather then the dive tables. The material is reviewed at home at your own pace and then you have class with your instructor. I have been to a few different dive locations since and have never had any problems with getting in the water. I have since taken the PADI AOW course and I am now working on some Technical Courses with SDI again. PADI is not the say of of end all.