Certification card dilemma

[rsingler]

What are you smoking and not sharing? Any suggestion that there is an equivalency between members of a dilettante club and earned military rank is patently laughable . . .

I bet Mikey Millennial might be just as proud of his D.A.D. card as I am of my Iraqi Campaign ribbon. Mine gets me nothing, except for some street cred among those few that recognize the colors tucked in the corner of my car window.
So if flashing his card gets him respect among those that think there are only 12 years before Manhattan goes under water, then the equivalency is absolute, because there are lots of folks out there with no respect for my little bit of silk, too.
But it sounds like we're on the same side here. I'm just arguing for the fun of it.

 

[Eyegore]

Nope, OP just wants to have a "backup" card in case he loses his current card. Does not want to take any other courses or pay an agency for additional training. All the other stuff is SBers (including me) offering extraneous advice. Post #3 is still the best advice so far.

It'd make sense to just stick the YMCA cert. card on a wall and carry an equivalent AOW card issued by a respected agency and recognized all around.

 

[Angelo Farina]

During the last home transfer, all of my cert cards were packed somewhere by my wife (together with her owns) and never reappeared...
This includes our CMAS instructor cards, the license for boat driving, the license for marine radio telegraphy, the license as marine rescuers, etc...
When I needed yhem for booking scuba boat trips I had no problems, as I had scanned all these certs and licenses, and I emailed them to the boat owner when booking.
Then I was never asked to show the original.
During Christmas holidays I have plan to search for the document box again...
However, having done an hi res scan revealed to be very useful.
This is what I recommend...

 

[Scuba Scott]

It'd make sense to just stick the YMCA cert. card on a wall and carry an equivalent AOW card issued by a respected agency and recognized all around.

I would do exactly that and not carry the YMCA cert.
You can't replace it and nobody can earn one anymore. Put it with your other documents that can't be replaced.
An AOW card will meet your needs and your level of additional training will be obvious to those who dive with you.

 

[CT-Rich]

I was thinking about getting a new copy of my 1980 NAUI Cert a few years ago. I checked and it was expensive, they would have to go back into the paper records for an additional $20, totaling $65, half the cost of the entire course back in the day. I don’t take it with me any more, no one ever asks for it. I keep it in a sleeve that is in the back of my dive log, if I feel the need to bring it.

 

[divezonescuba]

Mine gets me nothing, except for some street cred among those few that recognize the colors tucked in the corner of my car window.

I smile, every time I use the veterans’ reserved parking space at Lowe’s. A small, but totally unexpected and much appreciated benefit of my service.

 

[Neilwood]

Personally I would scan the card, both sides, and save it in multiple places.

I have my original PADI cards (normally in my wallet) but I also have scanned on my phone, copies on my email accounts and on my home PC (which is backed up). That way I can always show my qualifications (almost always have my phone) and if my cards get lost I can always either get replacements (with my number from the cards).

 

[mmerriman]

scan and put on a dropbox account. you can get to it everywhere

 

[tridacna]

scan and put on a dropbox account. you can get to it everywhere...

...that has an IP connection. Not always possible where I go. Better to have it locally.

 

[oly5050user]

The YMCA OW included deep water and nav. and went beyond the ordinary cert. offered at the time. I opted for the OW and made the necessary extra dives for that endorsement.

If it does not have the word “advance ow” you will have trouble getting on a boat going to greater depths than 60’, especially in the keys