PADI Card renewal ripoff

[vimaldude]

My son just turned 15 and I get a letter in the mail from PADI to change his OW and AOW cards from Junior OW to normal OW cardsand the would do it for ONLY $30/- for each card!!! Is that a ripoff or what??? What does it take to print a new plastic card?

I know that, at this point, I don't have an option but to shell out the money but a guy needs a place to vent:light:

Are SSI and NAUI also equally greedy? I may just get my next speciality cert from them instead of PADI!!

 

[mattroz]

why don`t you just get the aow card? woo hoo half price

 

[mike_s]

I think that they all charge about the same for "card replacement".

 

[PePaw]

Spending quality time with your teenage son...
PRICELESS !

 

[Reef Man]

Hmmmmm sounds like a deal to me!!! But why not just get the AOW??? Do you have to carry both???

 

[amascuba]

Nobody say's that you have to do anything. Nobody is forcing you to purchase new cards. $30 is pretty much the going rate for card processing with PADI and SSI atleast.

 

[plwtwo]

Why don't you and your son do the RESCUE Class then he'll get the Rescue card to show !!!!

 

[JohnW]

Hmmmmm sounds like a deal to me!!! But why not just get the AOW??? Do you have to carry both???

Good Point

Or go one step further and sign him up for Rescue Class, comes with a great PADI Card also.

Edit: OOOPS someone beat me to it.....

 

[RonFrank]

$30 seems to be the going rate.

I doubt anyone is going to stop him from diving with a Junior Cert card, at least in the near future. Replace the AOW card, and that is good enough.

I like the rescue class idea as well. I choose PADI for one reason. That is because they are the most recognized agency in the world, and if I continue training I think PADI will provide the most opportunities if I ever do decide to teach. I think about 10 out of 12 or so LDS's in this area are PADI. So if one wanted to go pro, then having a NAUI or SSI cert would limit locations and LDS options.

 

[RICHinNC]

I think you can do the nitrox course too and get a combined card.