Does TEC supersede REC?

[Mouth Breather]

I finished TDI Adv Nitrox/Deco recently (hooray for me!) and am putting my deco gear together still. Plans of a possible single-tank no-deco dive this weekend got me thinking about the typical charter boat waiver that asks your "highest" cert level and organization.

Sometimes I cater what I enter to the boat I'm on and if I want an insta-buddy, but that's not the focus of my curiosity. Especially while traveling, everyone wants to know if you know what you're doing and the c-card is the proof they accept. A buddy of mine even got a pass on the check-out dive in Cozumel after presenting his tec cert. I feel like technical training is a whole different branch of the scuba tree, albeit at a higher level. So, what do you answer when asked, especially on recreational level diving trips?

 

[BoltSnap]

Never needed to show more than "Advanced Scuba Diver" and "Nitrox" for recreational diving. I seek training and earn certification for my own safety and enjoyment not to show off.

 

[RainPilot]

Rescue card gets most benefit with least potential issues IME. That and a nitrox card have been enough for anything I've wanted to do. That being said my rebreather card does get a "oh never mind go do what you want" sort of reaction, quite undeservedly IMO

 

[PfcAJ]

I show the tech card but have a padi rescue in my pocket in case I get grief.

 

[tbone1004]

yeah, I ignore that, as do most people I know. I put the lowest cert card on the table that they'll accept for that charter.

I only have the following cards
NAUI Nitrox Diver
Rescue
Technical Cave
DPV Cave
Instructor

They ascent in that order. I only carry Nitrox, Tech Cave, and Instructor. Nitrox usually gets me anywhere I want to go in OW, and I have the Tech Cave if I need/want O2 fills, or they're being stupid about mandating AOW, which I don't have. I will only show big cert cards if I am not at risk of getting shafted with a bad instabuddy and want nice perks like being ignored by the DM or waiving check out dives.
The big certs give you a pretty high risk of getting stuck with the worst instabuddy, so choose wisely. NEVER a good idea to show leadership certs unless you absolutely have to. Yes I am an instructor, no I don't want to be an instructor today unless you want to waive my boat fee and pay me to be an instructor. They don't like when you tell them that, so I just don't give them the chance to try to take advantage of it

 

[stuartv]

Semi-related question: Assuming the charter operator does not have anything in their waiver or on their website or whatever that specifically says they forbid solo diving, if they tell you that you have to dive with a certain person, what stops you from saying "nope, I'm not diving with him/her"?

I understand wanting to avoid confrontation, hurting someone's feelings, etc.. But, I have never been on a boat where I got the impression that the boat crew felt like they had the authority to mandate buddy pairs.

I did get a Solo card partly just to be prepared to cover all possible bases in a situation like that.

 

[Mouth Breather]

I show the tech card but have a padi rescue in my pocket in case I get grief.

Grief, like Tbone alludes to regarding AOW?

yeah, I ignore that, as do most people I know. I put the lowest cert card on the table that they'll accept for that charter.

I only have the following cards
NAUI Nitrox Diver
Rescue
Technical Cave
DPV Cave
Instructor

They ascent in that order. I only carry Nitrox, Tech Cave, and Instructor. Nitrox usually gets me anywhere I want to go in OW, and I have the Tech Cave if I need/want O2 fills, or they're being stupid about mandating AOW, which I don't have. I will only show big cert cards if I am not at risk of getting shafted with a bad instabuddy and want nice perks like being ignored by the DM or waiving check out dives.

I hear you about the instabuddy. I didn't want to trash our tourists but some of them are the reason I advanced my training. The solo card usually gets me out of those situations, maybe tec gets me back. I like your phrase, "big cert cards" makes it sound like a "ace in the hole".

 

[PfcAJ]

Grief, like Tbone alludes to regarding AOW?



I hear you about the instabuddy. I didn't want to trash our tourists but some of them are the reason I advanced my training. The solo card usually gets me out of those situations, maybe tec gets me back. I like your phrase, "big cert cards" makes it sound like a "ace in the hole".

I show it because I'm likely to be left alone.

Grief comes if they don't know what it is or what it means. Typically a SE Asia problem. Occasionally in super tourist spots in North America.

 

[CptTightPants21]

I follow the same rule of thumb as Tbone. If I need to I show them the lowest possible cert. Then again, I usually do a lot of research and find the dive op that will cater to my desires.

 

[cerich]

meh..I had a shop in the keys not sell me a Nitrox fill because I didn't have a Nitrox C card on me, I DID have a Course Director Card, a Helitox Tech Instr and Gas Blender Instr card but no Nitrox for me... @NetDoc had to get me nitrox as my "instructor"..true story