C-Card roulette

[Thalassamania]

I use my 1972 UC Berkeley Scientific Diver Card. Usually that creates a minor confusion, but is accepted. When it is not, I use my CMAS Three Star Scientific Diving Brevet, that is always accepted. I never use any "leadership" card(s) without a specific reason to do so.

 

[Bob DBF]

Good to see you back on the board.


Bob

 

[Thalassamania]

Thanks, I was not doing well there for a while, but I am fully recovered.

 

[sigxbill]

The problem as I see it is that I always want to show a high enough card so the captain will be more likely to park the boat in a more interesting and challenging spot. Unfortunately, that depends on everyone else showing high cards as well, AND that information actually being passed on to the captain. I have been on boats where it seemed like the operation didn't take the time to bother assessing the overall diving level of the load - which is very frustrating to me.

The thing you don't know is what card the captain or DM might be looking for. As has been mentioned earlier, some DM's don't know what to look for - which on a personal level I don't understand. If one takes being a DM seriously at all, it's not that hard to go on the internet and discover that there is more out there besides just padi! In fact, it's actually interesting!

So on one hand, since a pro card seems to be the most universally respected "highest level" (possibly ignorantly in some cases), one is tempted to show that. On the other hand, the fear of disclosing your professional level and being included in a lawsuit that you, other than randomly being there, had nothing to do with, makes one reluctant to disclose professional certification.

A representative of one of the other agencies recently told me he never discloses his pro level on vacation dives - to avoid being included in random lawsuits. He said random inclusion actually happens more often than you might think. So it sounds like @MargaritaMike 's experience is not unique, and his advice sound. What I didn't realize until Mike's post is that plaintiffs are able to discover professionals amongst the uninvolved from just their 'diver' certs on the manifest?! That sounds like some sort of privacy violation to me, so it would be interesting to know how that process works (anyone know?). I suppose maybe the solution to protecting discovery of professional certification might be to show your highest diver certification from an agency you are not a member of? Or maybe your NAUI card that has no cert number ...

It seems like the cards are stacked against the advanced diver getting to dive advanced dives - at least on open boats. The only sure fire way I know of to get advanced boat parking is to charter it yourself, or go on someone else's advanced charter ...

cheers

 

[jlcnuke]

There is the rub. I have pro insurance that covers me when I'm working for my shop. I don't have any professional insurance that covers me at any time that I'm not actively working for my shop. I.e. if I go down to NC for a fun dive, unrelated to my shop, I am not covered. I kind of feel like I should just go ahead and get my own insurance, but at the moment that's not in my budget.

That said, I go back and forth in my mind. I don't have insurance. If a plaintiff's lawyer talks to me, I will certainly make it clear that I was not "working" and, further, have no insurance coverage. Naming me in a suit like that would be pointless. There's no blood in this turnip.

If I get my own insurance, then I would be covered. But, at the same time, it almost seems like an invitation to be named in a suit. "Maybe his insurance will settle for some small amount rather than spend time going to court."

I imagine that a personal umbrella insurance policy would cover any such lawsuit against you if you weren't acting in a professional capacity. I'm personally a believer that anyone with any "significant" (to them) assets should have an umbrella policy and they're really quite affordable imo.

 

[Bert van den Berg]

Slightly off-topic but related....

The wife and I called ahead and chartered a small dive boat with skipper just for the two of us (my birthday present). We drove several hours to get to the town, booked a hotel room for three nights and showed up at the dive shop the next morning only to be confronted with 5 pages of questionnaires about our health, dive history, etc.

The wife checked "yes" to whether she was on prescription meds (controlled hypertension) and was asked to produce a doctor's certificate to prove she was fit to dive. We'll we didn't have one with us but luckily she was required to obtain one a month earlier in order to take her drysuit class. The shop accepted that her doctor's certificate was on file with another dive shop known to the operators and we were allowed to dive.

So what good was her OW certificate? She had to get a doctors OK to get her OW cert to begin with!

 

[Bubblesong]

I have emailed copies of my c-cards ahead of trips, asked if there are any other things Dive Shop needs to see and STILL get the health questionnaire the morning of the dive. I suppose I could have come down with a heart condition in the last 18 hours, but really it looks like they want a chance to keep the money while not providing the dive.

 

[rick00001967]

i agree it can be frustrating as a customer. i always like to contact the dive shop ahead of time and fill out any paper work via email way before going. sometimes it works out and sometimes you get there and they "misplaced" it and you end up filling it all out again.
but look at it from the shops point of view. they are trying to do their best to be as well informed about your "current" circumstances as they can. this should be applauded even though in your particular case it could have ruined a great day. many times when someone receives their OW cert they have no medical issues. but things change. so again, my advise is to do it all ahead of time so nothing comes up at the last minute that is unexpected.
remember, in today's world it is all about liability. businesses need to do all they can to try and prevent a law suit. at least in north america. sad but true. hopefully some shops are also interested in doing what is right / safe for the customer as well. and that could mean refusing to let anyone dive that they feel is medically unfit. or even questionable.

 

[Marie13]

Question flr those of us who are not pros. If you've got Rescue, what's better to show: Rescue or Advanced? I've been wondering about that.

 

[rick00001967]

as mentioned in this thread by someone else, i think your number of dives is more important than the level of cert card you present to the shop. along with that, how well you perform on your first couple of dives. especially if you are not one of their regular customers.