PADI and technology (what’s the deal with e-cards?)

[MargaritaMike]

I don't see the point in that.
Not every diver wants to "use" his highest certification at all moments.
E.g. my buddy is (aside from GUE diver) a PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
However, he almost never takes his highest certificate with when going on holiday. Why not? Because several times he got "hired" (for free) by local dive shops to help train/guide inexperienced divers once they know his level.
Nice? not really when you're on holiday and want to spent time diving together. Therefor he only takes his AOW + some useful specialties certificates along with him.

EDIT: I agree with this. On vacation I dive on my AOW card even though I have a higher certification. On more than one occasion I was asked as a DM to "bring up the rear and watch the group" because there were too many divers for the DM / Dive Guide to "control". I did once and it ended up where I had to react to a situation which could have ended up a rescue or worse. I will always watch for a bad situation, but I won't be put in the position of HAVING to be a nursemaid.

Cheers - M²

 

[doctormike]

From what I am reading, no further training or testing is required for "upgrading" a Jr AOW into a "full" adult AOW. Just paying 45 USD for the new card...

RIght, but the Jr card has some age related restrictions on it which are not present on the regular card. So the question is, would a 25 year old diver who showed a Jr AOW card and a drivers license still be subject to the restrictions of the Jr. card?

 

[jbergler]

The point was made a few times: “why start a petition when I could just email them?”
In my eyes, this comment sums that up well:

Why would PADI make available anything that would decrease their revenue?

PADI has made it clear that their priority is as a for profit company. The e-learning is atrocious, and while it’s true that this use of plastic isn’t a huge issue in the big picture it grinds my gears that they position themselves as this eco-friendly organization while milking things like the e-cards.

I will be voting with my wallet and doing future certs with another agency, but a petition isn’t just about the direct action it might be asking for. PADI gets away with their money grabs because they work, awareness helps more people make an informed decision up-front about who to spend their money with.

 

[TMHeimer]

The point was made a few times: “why start a petition when I could just email them?”
In my eyes, this comment sums that up well:



PADI has made it clear that their priority is as a for profit company. The e-learning is atrocious, and while it’s true that this use of plastic isn’t a huge issue in the big picture it grinds my gears that they position themselves as this eco-friendly organization while milking things like the e-cards.

I will be voting with my wallet and doing future certs with another agency, but a petition isn’t just about the direct action it might be asking for. PADI gets away with their money grabs because they work, awareness helps more people make an informed decision up-front about who to spend their money with.

You make some good points. I read somewhere that (I think) sometime in the '90s PADI got in trouble somewhere (in S. America?) and part of a settlement was that they founded Project Aware. This could be gossip, I have no idea if it's true. Nor do I care. Many companies do things for economic reasons then claim it is to be environmentally freindly. Our supermarket chain here just recently went the route of elliminating "single use" (free) plastic bags. For one thing for us they are not single use, and I've heard this from others. Perhaps they could've introduced the old school brown paper bags. Guess not, that would cost them money, like the free plastic ones did.
Another example-- When I was an active PADI DM I was automatically a member of the PADI Diving Society as part of the membership deal (no extra charge), and received the Sport Diver Mag., which is part of the Diving Society membership deal. At one point, all the pro members who got the mag. "free" were told that we would now only get the digital copy (less convenient bathroom material, IMO). We could continue to get the paper mag. if we paid the price that non-pros paid, which was included in their Diving Society membership. OK fine. But, if you're claiming (and they were) that this change is for environmental purposes, why not send the digital one to all the non pro members too? Perhaps because some may not like that and not pay to be members? At any rate, the motive to me seemed to be to cut the costs of printing & sending free paper mags through the mail to the pros, not to protect the environment--or they would have gone digital for everyone.

 

[Heat Miser]

Whenever I have been awarded a PADI certification, they have given me free temporary access to an E-Card, which after 1 month or 3 months you have to pay for. Just open up the free E-Card on your phone and screenshot it. Save the picture on the phone under a folder "Dive Certification" back up the folder to the cloud, you will never lose it. If you lose you phone you will have the cloud back-up.

 

[Angelo Farina]

RIght, but the Jr card has some age related restrictions on it which are not present on the regular card. So the question is, would a 25 year old diver who showed a Jr AOW card and a drivers license still be subject to the restrictions of the Jr. card?

I do not see the need for the driving license, what does it have to do regarding proofing your diving ability, or your age? An ID card is well enough for proving your age...
and in some countries the driving license is not a valid official document, and it cannot be used for proofing your age (or your citizenship).
Furthermore, many people do not have a driving license, as they do not own or drive any car.
Said that, my son had never problems with his Jr AOW card.

 

[doctormike]

I do not see the need for the driving license, what does it have to do regarding proofing your diving ability, or your age? An ID card is well enough for proving your age...
and in some countries the driving license is not a valid official document, and it cannot be used for proofing your age (or your citizenship).
Furthermore, many people do not have a driving license, as they do not own or drive any car.
Said that, my son had never problems with his Jr AOW card.

Proof of age. The difference between Jr AOW and AOW is your age. The cert card proves your training.

I used a drivers license as an example, but my point is that if there are restrictions on the Jr AOW card that aren't there for AOW, and you are going diving with an operator, you would need to show them a regular AOW card to avoid those restrictions. So the question is - would a Jr AOW card and proof of age over 15 count the same as a regular AOW card.

 

[Allison Finch]

My nitrox card is an e-card. I have to pay extra for a physical card which is SOOOO PADI!

 

[Allison Finch]

Not arguing here, but are you saying there's no option to receive *no* card? As you mentioned, shops can just look you up, so why need *any* card, physical or e-card? If you're saying you can't opt out of a card, then I agree completely - that's ridiculous. Especially if you also have to pay for it. I haven't picked up any new cards in ~14 years, so I assume things have changed?

Some places you may dive can be so far off the grid they may not have the ability to surf the web for your information.

I think this whole arguement is silly.

Phones are fallible. They break, get lost, fail to charge etc etc etc.

Go ahead and travel three days to get to Triton Bay in West Papua, get there and have phone failure, and spend your vacation sitting on the beach drinking.

 

[greeniguana]

RIght, but the Jr card has some age related restrictions on it which are not present on the regular card. So the question is, would a 25 year old diver who showed a Jr AOW card and a drivers license still be subject to the restrictions of the Jr. card?

No.

I dove with my Jr. OW card for 30 years.