C-Card Recognition: Myth or Fact?

[Atsbits]

Went to do a dive last year in a not so popular dive spot near Knysna. The guys who were running things that day had never seen a CMAS card before and it turned into a whole event where managers were called and photos were taken and where I got quizzed about my instruction and experience. It was not in a bad way, just that they were very inquisitive and wanted to be prepared for any future CMAS divers. At least I got a free beer for my troubles, sore throat from talking and having to show OW, AOW(1* and 2* in CMAS speak) and nitrox c-cards for a shore dive with a max depth of 11m. Oh, this was the afternoon before the dive the next day, I went to check things out before I committed.

 

[drrich2]

Trying to look at it from the dive op.'s perspective, I've got a question:

Is there an online webpage, or industry listing, of certification agencies deemed to be legitimate?

There have been threads about a non-credible 'agency' issuing cards in the past, and I imagine there's a risk such will prey on the gullible. This creates a liability hazard for the dive op. should a mishap occur. And for 'go to their web page and look at them,' a pretty web page can be had without being a legitimate agency.

Richard.

 

[Redshift]

I think that it's more natural for dice operators not to know exactly the standards of all the courses and not know what exactly a certain diver can do. But that could be checked online although I suspect it won't be an easy task.

The dry suit cert requirements are maybe what pisses me off more. Not all agencies have that as specialty, it can even be used from OW (it's done like that in cold places) and it's perfectly fine for someone to have a dry suit and use it properly without going through formal training.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I once had a dive op in Maui refuse me service because he said he only recognized PADI certifications ... and the only cards I could produce were NAUI, GUE, SDI, IANTD and YMCA. My dive buddy and I walked across the street and signed up for a trip to Molokini with his competitor.

I also once had a hard time getting a nitrox fill in Bonaire because I produced a trimix card, rather than one that said nitrox. I had brought it along in hopes of being able to arrange a dive on the clipper ship, and figured a sensible person would understand that if I was certified to use trimix, then I was certainly certified for recreational nitrox ... I finally had to ask him for trimix, but without any helium in it.

Oh, and FWIW - a NAUI OW cert is called "Scuba Diver" ... as is my old YMCA OW certification.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

---------- Post added March 18th, 2014 at 05:51 AM ----------

I think that it's more natural for dice operators not to know exactly the standards of all the courses and not know what exactly a certain diver can do. But that could be checked online although I suspect it won't be an easy task.

The dry suit cert requirements are maybe what pisses me off more. Not all agencies have that as specialty, it can even be used from OW (it's done like that in cold places) and it's perfectly fine for someone to have a dry suit and use it properly without going through formal training.

Some can ... those of us who hold YMCA cards will one day, I'm sure, start running into issues from people newer to the industry who never heard of them.

As an instructor, I've issued dozens of drysuit certification cards ... pretty much everyone in my area dives in a drysuit ... but I've never owned one. When I bought my first drysuit the shop gave me a free orientation that included about an hour in a pool. And although I've logged more than 3000 dives in a drysuit, I've never bothered getting a card that says I'm qualified to use it.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Pavao]

3 things I think are valid consideration within the subject of the thread

1) There are a lot of agencies out there, and what is popular here, may not be somewhere else, and what is actually a popular agency somewhere, may have never even been heard here.

2) What is written on the cards varies from agency to agency, and sometimes the same name may mean something completely different, also, some terms may not be recognized by everyone, thus increasing the difficulty for people to keep track of not only understanding what a certain level is, but also what their limitations are.

3) C-cards have no standards on how they should be written, even within the same agency it can vary drastically, they are free to present the info however they want, it would be virtually impossible to catch a fake C-card, specially when you consider the above.

 

[rhwestfall]

its that old PDIC card that gives me trouble......:joke:

actually, my O/W (1988) is a YMCA card, and that is the one I usually have shown, though here in the Great Lakes, charters only need $$, and every dive is at least AOW depths and conditions. They don't ask for anything (maybe if you are buying EAN or TriMix they will card you, IDK)....

I hold YMCA (Scuba Diver), PDIC (Advanced), NAUI (Nitrox, Rescue, MSD)...

YMCA card had "recreational limits" as the recommended maximum along with your brain...


---------- Post added March 18th, 2014 at 09:47 AM ----------

when i bought my first drysuit the shop gave me a free orientation that included about an hour in a pool. And although i've logged more than 3000 dives in a drysuit, i've never bothered getting a card that says i'm qualified to use it.

amen!

 

[Hawkwood]

Trying to look at it from the dive op.'s perspective, I've got a question:

Is there an online webpage, or industry listing, of certification agencies deemed to be legitimate?

There have been threads about a non-credible 'agency' issuing cards in the past, and I imagine there's a risk such will prey on the gullible. This creates a liability hazard for the dive op. should a mishap occur. And for 'go to their web page and look at them,' a pretty web page can be had without being a legitimate agency.

Richard.

I don't know about that, but the list that knotical put together is a real "eye opener" as far as the number of agencies.

SCUBA Agency Websites (Part 1A) - Independent Agencies - Blogs - ScubaBoard - Scuba Diving Forum - Diving Social Network

 

[Bob DBF]

... I finally had to ask him for trimix, but without any helium in it.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[video=youtube;6wtfNE4z6a8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wtfNE4z6a8[/video]



Bob
---------------------------
There are more ways than one to skin a cat, however the cat never likes it.

 

[tr3a]

The guy I mentioned had the current version of Scuba Diver (max 40' w/ a padi pro). Unfortunately for this guy, there's no official way to give him an OW card based solely on his dive experience. He was not happy that he'd have to "do some silly skills at the bottom of a pool" before he could do his AOW.




Sent from my SGH-I727R using Tapatalk

My NAUI card only says "SCUBA DIVER" & has no depth limits (from 1971)

 

[vann evans]

the only time I have been asked to actually produce a c card was when checking in at Insel Air for a flight to Bonaire. Insel air will allow an additional 10kg of luggage for "dive gear to certified divers".

I have been asked for c card numbers many times on registration/liability forms, but never checked the actual card.

I do carry the cards and the DAN cards with me .

Vann Evans
A4 Sand Dollar
Bonaire