Out of curiosity. Are you having trouble getting air fills or onto a dive charter? Can you get a new temporary card from your instructor while you wait for your PADI card? I haven't been "carded" yet so I almost don't see a big deal in having the nice shiny new piece of plastic with dolphins on it for myself.
Unhappy with PADI
- Thread starter durian
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tangfish
Contributor
It took me months to get most of my C-Cards, and then there was the time PADI had a problem with one of my instructors and withheld all his students' cards so that we would all get on his case. My take on that was that if there is a problem between and instructor and PADI, they should keep it between themselves rather than getting the students involved as middlemen. As far as the cost of a replacement card, I agree that the cost is exhorbitant. Those cards cost about 50 cents to produce and probably 37 cents to mail. They should keep in mind how much you paid by having to be forced to buy textbooks (yes, their new policy is not to accept photocopies of the chapter reviews, so two people cannot use the same book, thus selling MANY more books). All of this really detracts from what I otherwise consider a great organization that pioneered recreational diving. Well I guess thats why PADI stands for: Put Another Dollar In
nathan837
Registered
I am sure that the reason behind PADI ensuring all students have their own copy of the manuals is not solely profit driven, but to make sure divers (open water's especially) have a valuable resource on hand to refer back to once they have finished their course and not so they walk away from a course with just a C-Card (even if it takes a while to get it). Providing photo copy knowledge reviews to students so the manuals can be re-used is simply a cost cutting technique by LDS. I believe it reflects unprofessionally on PADI or any organisation and the instructor when a student is handed a tatty, dog-eared manual with a few photocopied sheets
JustinW
Contributor
funkyspelunker:It took me months to get most of my C-Cards, and then there was the time PADI had a problem with one of my instructors and withheld all his students' cards so that we would all get on his case. My take on that was that if there is a problem between and instructor and PADI, they should keep it between themselves rather than getting the students involved as middlemen. As far as the cost of a replacement card, I agree that the cost is exhorbitant. Those cards cost about 50 cents to produce and probably 37 cents to mail. They should keep in mind how much you paid by having to be forced to buy textbooks (yes, their new policy is not to accept photocopies of the chapter reviews, so two people cannot use the same book, thus selling MANY more books). All of this really detracts from what I otherwise consider a great organization that pioneered recreational diving. Well I guess thats why PADI stands for: Put Another Dollar In
I would argue that from a business perspective, it is expensive. A replacement card likely uses more resources as its not just people sending in the envelope many times. I wouldn't doubt that there is also an idiot premium added in there for people that lose their cards, and perhaps the original card is produced below cost so as to lower the barriers of getting certified (financially). IMHO, if you lose your card or dive so much it is worn out, sack up and pay for another one, so cost shouldn't be something to gripe about. However, crappy service, thats something to gripe about! Just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions :11:
Morg_NZ
Contributor
durian:
SSI....... 3days from order to getting...both Masters card and S&R, customer service has been 1st class.
I live in Spain .As I recall It took up to 1 month to recieve my open water and advanced open water certificates from PADI Europe ( switzerland )
Ironically I recieved the cards before getting an email to say congratulations on passing , we will be sending your card etc , etc.... (lol)
I had all the manuals on the first day of the course - no problems there.
hope to do a nitrox course and maybe the rescue course later on.
Probably leaver it at that unless I want to do something specific like dive beyond the recreational limit , but it would have to be something specific/special to see for that. Im not sure at this stage
Ironically I recieved the cards before getting an email to say congratulations on passing , we will be sending your card etc , etc.... (lol)
I had all the manuals on the first day of the course - no problems there.
hope to do a nitrox course and maybe the rescue course later on.
Probably leaver it at that unless I want to do something specific like dive beyond the recreational limit , but it would have to be something specific/special to see for that. Im not sure at this stage
Archer_Pensacola
Contributor
WaterDawg:
Ditto, our instructor told us our cards came before we finished the class. Of course our last OW dives were held up by Katrina.
durian:
They are expensive for replacement cards though. NASDS merged with SSI, and I called recently to get a replacement card. $35 or $40 (can't remember exactly: I suspect it was $35 plus shipping). They said most of the cost was in researching the validity of the request.
I just put my worn out NASDS (25yo) card in the drawer and pulled our my nearly never used NAUI card (23 yo), and saved myself $35 and the knowledge I didn't support extortion. Besides, the replacement would have been an SSI card I suspect.
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