How often are you asked for a c-card?

[fisheater]

Two out of four places in my trip to LA last week.


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[tc]

Normal in California to be asked if they don't know you, once they know you hardly ever.

 

[scubadiver888]

I was in a dive shop last week, looking for 1 air fill and 1 nitrox fill... When the owner of the shop showed up, I was waiting at the door with 2 cylinders, one AL80 with no special markings and one HP119 marked with a Nitrox label. I told him that the al80 was to be filled with air and the 119 to be filled with 36%. No problem, started bleeding the gas from the 119 and hooked the al80 up to the fill whip. Filled the al80 and them began filling the 119 (which ended up at 40.3%). I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't bother getting it bled down and put at 36% like I had asked for. Anyhow, at no point during this entire process was I asked for not only an open water cert, but a nitrox cert... This was a shop that I had never been in in my life and had never met the shop owner in my life. At no point did he even ask me if i was even cetified!

In southern Ontario I only get fills at the place I do my training. So Candy never asks me for my c-card. When traveling I am always asked for my c-card.

Oddly enough, I was in St. Thomas in 2006. While waiting for the dive boat to bring us to the shop, I got chatting with a guy and found out he was from London, ON. He seemed like someone who had been diving a while and talked about diving at Innerkip, Lake Erie, etc. Dive boat shows up, asks for all our c-cards and to fill out the 'sign your life away' papers. Turns out the guy from London took a Discover Scuba course, had a Discover Scuba card (didn't know they gave out cards for resort course but apparently they do). They sent him packing. Scary thing is the guy took a resort course, thought he was certified and had been diving for at least a year in Ontario. Somebody was giving him tank fills.

 

[Sas]

Oddly enough, I was in St. Thomas in 2006. While waiting for the dive boat to bring us to the shop, I got chatting with a guy and found out he was from London, ON. He seemed like someone who had been diving a while and talked about diving at Innerkip, Lake Erie, etc. Dive boat shows up, asks for all our c-cards and to fill out the 'sign your life away' papers. Turns out the guy from London took a Discover Scuba course, had a Discover Scuba card (didn't know they gave out cards for resort course but apparently they do). They sent him packing. Scary thing is the guy took a resort course, thought he was certified and had been diving for at least a year in Ontario. Somebody was giving him tank fills.

Well... if he had been diving for a year in Canada with no harm done, why is it scary that he was diving with no cert card and being given air fills? Am I missing something here? I know a few divers who've never been certified and are perfectly fine in the water...

 

[fisheyeview]

Here in Fort Lauderdale a lot of the shops make you fill out information in a log every time they do nitrox fills. Unless they know you they always ask to see your c-cards. The logs usually ask for certification information.

As I usually dive the same boats I rarely get asked for a c-card when diving. I always get asked when I go on a dive trip.

 

[Blackwood]

I get asked for a C card when getting on dive boats. Never really see anyone get asked for their C cards here in North Florida, I guess they might ask if they got some sort of hint that you had no idea what you were doing....

In South Florida, they ask EVERY time.

I guess since I'm most always on the same few boats, I don't get asked any more.

I did some dives down in San Diego two weeks ago with a dive op I'd never been with and was asked for a card (probably good thing given that the first site was in 165' of water).

 

[jtivat]

Here in Fort Lauderdale a lot of the shops make you fill out information in a log every time they do nitrox fills. Unless they know you they always ask to see your c-cards. The logs usually ask for certification information.

As I usually dive the same boats I rarely get asked for a c-card when diving. I always get asked when I go on a dive trip.

Not at Fill Express, I walked in there rented doubles filled with 21/35 and two 40's one with 50% and one with 100%. I then went and dove the Hydro then the Lawrance the next day. I was never asked for a card by anyone.

 

[ligersandtions]

I get asked for a c-card more often than I get asked for my ID when I buy alcohol (and I still look pretty young....). Almost every dive shop asks for one until they get to know you....and one of the places I go most of the time asks for it every time because they have you record it in their fill log. Every boat I've been on has asked for my card.

 

[gr8fuldiverNC]

I always ask for cards as a pro. On the other hand, in over 4000 dives, ive only been asked for a card once that I can remember, at one shop where I was employed they pro checked me. I did have my own Halcyon rig right after my OW, over 10 years ago when this was very uncommon, and walking in with that gear may have had something to do with it. Currently, I am a cave diving guide here in Mexico, and still was never asked for a card for employment or to dive (the boss knows my old cave instructor, so its not quite the same. still.....).
I am anal about checking after running into uncertified divers trying to get on a boat with only DSD under their belts. everyone else should be anal too... if not, theyll learn after being sued by some uncertified victim.

 

[Kingpatzer]

My LDS, where I've been a regular customer for a long, long time, has me write my c-card number in the log every time I get a fill. Now, they don't ask to see my card as I got it there, but they do make sure it's logged. Every time.

On every trip to a dive resort, i've been asked for a card.

On ever charter I've taken on the Great Lakes I've been getked for a card.

There's a quarry near here where a diver needs a pass from the park office, where you have to show a card.

I honestly can't think of one time I've been diving where at some point in the process of going on the dive (from getting air to going under) I haven't had to show a card at least once.