What c-card do you show on vacation?

[Jorbar1551]

I flash my nitrox card.

 

[stardust]

I show a card with a high enough rating (my instructor card) to let the DM or Crew know that I don't need their attention under water. My feeling is that showing an AOW card only proves you have 9 dives and now you're taking the DM's attention away from someone who may need their help.

edit: Showing an AOW card and a full logbook should be acceptable proof of experience. However, I've never seen anyone asked for their logbook.

Miesemer: I never thought of it like that, that it might take their attn away from someone who needs it. From now on I'll show whatever the hightest one is to be helpful.

 

[Scuba Laura]

We own and operate a dive center in St. Thomas. We ask our guests what their level of certification is, not in search of "babysitters", but for our own information. Running dives, we see it all. It's nice when we have a DM or Instructor dive with us and we welcome them.

I would not ask for their assistance unless it was in an "unlikely" event, like life/death situation.

We've dived with many other operations and because we are well trained, we are enthusiastic and try to make the dive better for everyone. Not by helping the guides, but by being positive and fun. I have no problem what-so-ever telling my level. I feel it is my responsibility to be honest.

If you are diving with operations who do use you as babysitting, I would recommend you find others to dive with.

 

[fdog]

<snip> We ask our guests what their level of certification is, not in search of "babysitters", but for our own information. <snip>

Sadly, my experience places you as the exception.

As I noted earlier, if my Instructor card will get the dive op to stop babysitting me, I'll show it.

All the best, James

 

[Quarrior]

I'll usually show my Underwater Pumpkin Carving Specialty. Got some great looks with that one in Maui.

If the dive has other requirements, I'll show what is needed.

 

[TSherman]

I think it is usually better to just flash them, keep you cards in your pocket, they will be so confused they will not remember to ask you for you card again. Then you will be safe from all lawsuits because the courts will deem you unfit as a witness for fear of a repeated flashing.

 

[rigdiver]

If I'm where nobody knows who I am then it's a low level card. If something goes wrong I'll help as best I can. If I'm with a dive operator that knows my ratings then I show them the Inst card. If I'm paying, I'm playing. Not babysitting.
Bill

 

[stardust]

If I'm where nobody knows who I am then it's a low level card. If something goes wrong I'll help as best I can. If I'm with a dive operator that knows my ratings then I show them the Inst card. If I'm paying, I'm playing. Not babysitting.
Bill

If they "know your ratings," why do you need to show them any card? Just curious.

 

[divestoclimb]

In CPR I was taught that you stopped administering CPR if you became too tired to continue. In Rescue I was taught that the last thing you want to do is create a second victim. You can sometimes use that as a defense for stopping care after you began.

"I was too tired to go on"
"I didn't want to over-exert myself and get bent"
etc.

It's operating within your level of training to stop helping under certain circumstances, and luckily those circumstances are entirely up to you. How can someone measure exactly how tired you are or exactly how close to getting bent you are? If you say you couldn't continue, it's hard to argue with that unless you do something stupid like "I'm too tired to continue CPR. Hey you, let me help you take that tank off."

 

[Scuba Brian]

I show my Instructor card and remind them im on vacation. Also if you are on a boat and an accident happens, regardless of what card you showed you will be asked what you saw. As a Pro you had better not have seen something that went wrong and done nothing about it or they will suspend your teaching cert.