C-Card roulette

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Chilly_Diver

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Scuba Instructor
Divemaster
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Location
Dublin
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I'm a Fish!
DMs and instructors, what C-Card do you typically present when on a charter for your own personal diving? I’m curious if you avoid presenting as a “professional” while not operationing in that capacity.
 
I quit presenting my DM card on my vacation dives in 2002, after a dive where I got "drafted" to bring up the rear on a 14 person group with one guide. On this particular dive, I had to "anchor" a diver who started shooting toward the surface. With afterthought, I decided that I didn't want that exposure. The DM card stays home when I'm on vacation.

Cheers - M²

Edit - Given the same situation where I see a diver shooting toward the surface, I will attempt to anchor them every time. I won't let them drown, but I will attempt to prevent an embolism or worse. - M²
 
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Most recently I've presented my trimix blender cert ...worked.

I've had a few shops show professional courtesy either in freedom or bonuses when it comes up I'm a instructor. Never have displayed a pro card... I'm extremely rarely diving with a shop though so I'm not one to have a well worked out system on this one.

As for being expected to 'work' while on vacation, that bad manners when it comes to any profession. Unless I volunteer I certainly won't be taking on any role. Liability wise, I don't know.

Regards,
Cameron
 
I quit presenting my DM card on my vacation dives in 2002, after a dive where I got "drafted" to bring up the rear on a 14 person group with one guide. On this particular dive, I had to "anchor" a diver who started shooting toward the surface. With afterthought, I decided that I didn't want that exposure. The DM card stays home when I'm on vacation.

Cheers - M²

Edit - Given the same situation where I see a diver shooting toward the surface, I will attempt to anchor them every time. I won't let them drown, but I will attempt to prevent an embolism or worse. - M²

I'm impressed you helped the diver in trouble but surprised you took on the job to begin with. You would likely have enjoyed yourself more diving with a more experienced dive partner(s).
 
You would likely have enjoyed yourself more diving with a more experienced dive partner(s).
My buddy was/is experienced and a joy to dive with. The diver mentioned was one of the herd of 14 that I was following. I guess I accepted the request to "act as a Divemaster" because I was co-dependent and felt that it was my duty to protect everyone that I could. I have since realized that I can only do so much and people have to be responsible for their own actions. Selfish maybe, but I can't save the world. I can barely save myself!!!!

Cheers - M²
 
Over the years, I provide my instructors card. If alone, I am usually paired up with an experienced diver, left alone as a solo diver, or just ignored. If diving with my wife, we are usually left alone. The only time I was asked for help as a DM (at dive sites with experience), I was comped for the day.
 
Good Question. I show my Decompression Technique card from NAUI. On occasions, my NAUI Nitrox Instructor Card as I found that on occaison when I show the Inst. Card, they want a nitrox card when I dive nitrox.
 
Compressor, good comment on C-card and nitrox. I always found it strange that active (or not) PADI instructors are not required to have a nitrox certification. Perhaps I should bring my nitrox card instructors card as well.
 
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Compressor, good comment on C-card and nitrox. I always found it strange that active (or not) PADI instructors are not required to have a nitrox certification. Perhaps I should bring my nitrox card instructors card as well.
Yes; its kind of funny isn't it.
 
DMs and instructors, what C-Card do you typically present when on a charter for your own personal diving? I’m curious if you avoid presenting as a “professional” while not operationing in that capacity.
Great question, with more than a few subtle nuances to several possible answers.

Early on, I used a non-professional card sufficient to do whatever dives I wanted to do - e.g. AOW if it was needed, OW otherwise. My thinking at the time was that I didn't want to be somehow labelled as an Instructor who might be available to insta-buddy with a less experienced diver. Over time, I moved away from that approach, and I show my 'highest / broadest' (OK, a somewhat vague definition) Instructor certification - my Tech Instructor card, for example - simply because I have found that doing so often results in the operator giving me a little more latitude and freedom. (That doesn't always turn out to be the case, unfortunately. I did a dive off St. Maartens last December where I showed that card at the desk, but the boat crew had no knowledge of what anybody's level of certification or experience was, and we were grouped up with several relatively newer Instructors who were leading the dives, and who were a bit tight on the control side. After listening to the Instructor's dive briefing on the boat before the first dive, I elected to simply not dive. My wife, daughter, and son-in-law did, and said it was one of the more un-enjoyable Caribbean dive experiences they have had.)
 
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