Is Master Scuba Diver "worth it" in your opinion

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Don't listen to them!

Get that card NOW!

It means you're a Top-level Amateur Professional! And it's the only way to prove it! Be the GOAT

Seriously, I did it*. How hard can it be?

YMMV

*actually it was to impress bar chicks that don't know any better...

 

[BabyLitigator]

While there is nothing wrong with getting a card, don't let that card lull you into a false sense of security that you are a Master Diver.

There's a saying that experience is a good teacher. I would encourage you to keep learning and taking useful courses and to continue to get out and dive as much as you can.

The more you dive, the better you will become, the more experience you will gather AND you will also realize that you haven't come close to scratching the surface of being a master of anything.

One last bit of advice, if you do get the card(s) and you are asked what's your highest level of diving experience, please do not say Master Scuba Diver. You will be met with eye rolls and possibly ridiculed. I've seen divers do this and while diving their bouyancy is all over the place, nothing about them says Master.

It would be purely a souvenir.

The experience and learning frankly all came from other stuff (mostly the Tec courses), and any further learning would be for things that don't count as PADI specialties (DM, Fundies, Intro to Cave, etc.). But there is some fun to the card, and the cost is only slightly higher than a tchotchke hat or something.

And my highest level is Tec 50 Trimix - this wouldn't change the highest level if asked.

 

[landphil]

$100 isn’t that bad for a PADI card. I was looking at getting one of my old PADI cert cards moved to an e-card so everything would be online. But they want $65 just to display my card in their app. Fortunately, everything I care about is a NAUI certification (including my MSD)- and they charge a more reasonable $15 for an e-card. So, IMO if you have to replace a PADI OW card, you might as well kick in another $35 for that MSD certification

I rarely break out my MSD card, because my NAUI advanced is so old that it doesn’t have a serial number. It makes filling out those liability forms much easier.

 

[TMHeimer]

I got the card back when it was far less than $100. I've never used it once. Would I do it again? Most likely not.

For me was $40 I think (2007). But, I got the free backpack ! Oh, back then it was a plastic card only.

 

[Centrals]

No right or wrong. It is entirely up to the individual.
I had done it yrs ago and the card was FREE.
It is NOT entirely worthless because I did learn something new eg. multi-level by using The Wheel and nitrox.
The card is practically useless because it does not list the courses completed. And I had never ever shown it to anyone.

 

[FF / EMT]

Exactly. Spend the $100 bucks on going to a new dive destination.

The tub?

 

[scubadada]

My son and I met the criteria for MSD in 2005 and obtained the card for $50. At the time, PADI offered a combo MSD/nitrox card, which we obtained. This is the only card I use for all recreational diving with the exception of solo diving, SDI solo cert from 2013. I"m sure my AOW card and my nitrox card would have the same effect.

 

[MntryDvr]

Probably stupid question, but not done with coffee.

Just got my 4th, 5th and 6th specialties (ice, advanced ice and altitude) and have rescue and plenty of dives. Is it 'worth it' for the piece of (not really) plastic to get the MSD cert? I think the only remaining step is to ask and pay ~$100, unless Padi does another waiver this year.

Thoughts?

Personally, I don't see the point of MSD cert. Yes, some specialty training is nice-- indeed, mandatory depending upon your intended diving-- but at the end of the day your training should be driven by the diving you plan to do with sufficient regularity to maintain proficiency. As I understand it with the MSD cert you need a requisite number of specialty certs, which it seems you have, and a minimum of 50 dives. Theoretically I could get run through a bunch the certs required for MSD and still be below or at least not much above 50 dives. Does that make me a master scuba diver in any meaningful sense? I think not, so why bother? This sounds more like a revenue driven certification than anything. Put the $100 towards actual diving stuff.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

$100 for the card!? Jesus H Christ O'Mighty! Find someone that does custom plastic cards and get one made for 20 bucks or less. You can even call yourself a super duper master scubie diver!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1661942276/custom-design-plastic-card-printing?gpla=1&gao=1&&gQT=1

 

[boulderjohn]

Years ago I encountered a dive student who was a college professor wanting to dive in some lakes In Yosemite for a research project. They told him there he couldn't do it unless he had a Master Scuba Diver Certification. Maybe they were confused. Whatever. We set up program to get him 5 specialty courses tailored to the needs of his research. He became a highly skilled diver in that process and got permission to do his research dives. Everyone was happy. He went on to become a certified cave diver.