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

[jbergler]

Long time lurker, first time poster checking in.
I’ve been a “holiday diver” for a decent while now. I did my open water before smartphones were something everyone had so I thought nothing of the plastic card. Fast forward to this week when my girlfriend got certified and I was somewhat dumbfounded to hear that you don’t even get the option of issuing the e-card. The only option that comes with the course cost is to have a physical card mailed to you.

You don’t have to look hard to see how frustrated folks are with this money grab. It’s really dumb, and I want to nudge them towards not being so greedy and wasteful.

I’ve seen businesses stop listening to their customers before, and my hope is that if we can get a bit of momentum and collect the frustrated voices in one place it might help PADI hear how we feel.

Sign/share this petition to ask PADI for two things:

• Make e-cards the default for new certifications (at no additional cost)
• Encourage environmentally friendly choices by providing replacement e-cards for current certified divers for free (or at a substantially reduced cost)

 

[MargaritaMike]

First of all, welcome to the other side of SB.

Can't sign it. While I agree that e-cards are the newest technology, I would be in favor of issuing an e-card with an option of a free hard card. I pose this question: What if a diver doesn't take his smart phone with him to the dive shop or doesn't even own a smart phone, what then? He can't prove his certification?

I also agree that it's a money grab. Over the years, I have misplaced some of my c-cards. I have wanted replacements for a few of them (OW, AOW, Rescue, MSD, DM). At $45 a pop, I have decided not to get them. Also, an e-card shouldn't cost hardly anything. If you can provide them with the data necessary for them to find the certification in their database, an e-card should be almost a flip of a switch.

I won't sign your petition. I know too many people who don't have a smart phone. E-cards are not the complete answer.

I will now brace myself for the onslaught of those who think I'm full of it. Before that occurs, I will remind those folks who think they have to slam me to remember that this is my OPINION. I have mine. You have yours.

Dive and let dive.

Cheers - M²

 

[jbergler]

No hard feelings, I think your position is a pretty valid stance to take. I’m not advocating for killing physical cards entirely.

What frustrates me is that (I assume) a significant portion of the ~900,000 certs that PADI issues every year are for hobby divers like myself. Ive never once needed my card as every shop I’ve ever dived with (a dozen or so across 4 continents) has insisted they just look up me up in a computer system. NAUI and SSI are both digital first, with physical cards available at a small cost (I think SSI is $5) which reinforces that it works pretty well for the most common cases.

If we estimate that a card is about 5g of plastic, thats around 4.5T of plastic every year. Might not seem like a lot, but we all see how much plastic makes it into the oceans.

 

[Rickk]

I just took pictures of my hard cards and added them to my dive app on my phone. I also have the pictures on the phone.(and laptop, and tablet and in the cloud and...)

Not going to Put Another Dollar In just to get an electronic card when I can snap a photo for free and it is just as good.

 

[CuriousRambler]

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?

 

[jbergler]

If you're saying you can't opt out of a card, then I agree completely - that's ridiculous

As I understand it, PADI sends you the card when you complete a cert. You cannot opt out. My partner did her open water a few days ago, asked her instructor if she could have an e-card and the response was that PADI doesn’t provide any options except to receive the plastic card in the mail as part of the paperwork the shop submits after you finish your cert.

 

[jbergler]

I just took pictures...

And so did I, years ago — which is the problem. PADI thinks they can get away with it and that we don’t really care.

 

[EFX]

Plastic cards are more convenient for the shops. Imagine a group of 12 divers signing in to take a charter dive. Each diver hands his phone for the shop person to read their cert (assuming the phone is charged). The employee grabs it and the image disappears or he has to expand the image but taps the image and it disappears. So he hands it back to the customer who has to open the picture. Meanwhile, you've got eleven other customers to process. Call me old-fashioned but I like the plastic cards.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Any padi shop can just look you up and confirm your certs. Instant and free E-card.

 

[tursiops]

Not going to Put Another Dollar In just to get an electronic card when I can snap a photo for free and it is just as good

Good luck with that.