When should a shop request your C-Card?

[lsorenson]

You can't dive or use any equipment without air/nitrox. I'd say every diver NOT KNOWN TO A SHOP/FILL STATION should be carded (initially) for a tank fill or to rent a filled tank. Without one of those two, you can't dive. I see no need to 'card' a diver for any gear purchases. Put the 'check' into the system where it's guaranteed to work ... at the one element required on every dive ... compressed gas.

Or ... don't worry about it at all. It's their life on the line. We get certified because we want to learn to dive safely and competently (at least that's why I got certified), not so that we can show our card off. I've rarely been 'carded', but it's typically by the dive operator (quarry or charter boat), only occasionally to get a fill.

Funny how so many people will blame others for their own faults and sue you for selling them air...!!! I would never take the chance if I was a shop owner...! lee

 

[Bob DBF]

Prior to certification, you could go to Sears and by dive gear, go out and kill yourself.

I'm not dead yet.



Bob
------------------------
"the future is uncertain and the end is always near"
Jim Morrison

 

[sgl308]

My first dive shop needed to see a c-card to purchase "life support gear". That included regulators, tanks, and air. I believe BCD's were included on that as well. They also filled tanks for paintball guns as well. The people brought their tanks in and had them filled through an adapter the store had. They would not fill a scuba tank for anyone unless they had a c-card.

A shop down in FL will sell you anything except air without seeing a c-card. There are definitely ways around this.

 

[Tropicalwolf]

...how about having the propane tank from you gas grill filled? With a scuba tank, you can kill yourself. A propane tank can take down a small office building...

That is a fact. And usually at tge same store you can buy a bright shiny lighter to facilitate the process, no ID required.

 

[Thalassamania]

You can't dive or use any equipment without air/nitrox. I'd say every diver NOT KNOWN TO A SHOP/FILL STATION should be carded (initially) for a tank fill or to rent a filled tank. Without one of those two, you can't dive. I see no need to 'card' a diver for any gear purchases. Put the 'check' into the system where it's guaranteed to work ... at the one element required on every dive ... compressed gas.

Or ... don't worry about it at all. It's their life on the line. We get certified because we want to learn to dive safely and competently (at least that's why I got certified), not so that we can show our card off. I've rarely been 'carded', but it's typically by the dive operator (quarry or charter boat), only occasionally to get a fill.

Funny how so many people will blame others for their own faults and sue you for selling them air...!!! I would never take the chance if I was a shop owner...! lee

There are two things that I learned whilst listening to Legal Aspects Lecture at the many, many ITCs that I staffed:

1. There has never been a lawsuit based on selling air that did not relate to the quality of the air.
2. You open yourself to greater liability when you check for certification than when you just sell a product.

 

[jupitermermaid]

I personally don't see any reason to "card" anybody for buying merchandise. However, if you were planning on diving with the op, then yes, you should be. If you are purchasing Nitrox, you should be asked to produce your Nitrox card, but air? I don't think there's a problem with purchasing air (and even a fill card......both could be a gift for somebody). But yes, if you plan on diving with them, any reasonable shop should request a C-Card if they don't know you.

 

[Thalassamania]

You mean Nitrox-21 is OK, but all others are verboten?

C-card doesn't mean anything, log book might yield more.

 

[jupitermermaid]

Air is not EAN.

 

[Thalassamania]

True, force of habit. I fixed it.

But the thought remains.

 

[soltari675]

I generally buy all my equipment from the LDS I certified with. I try to support them as much as possible. Great people. But because of this they know exactly what my certifications are. They issued them to me. Now the few times I have traveled so far, I only get carded for air fills, particularly because I use Nitrox a lot, and if I am there with a charter. They like to know when the last time I went diving was and my card number. Sometimes DAN info. But never been carded for any equipment.