PADI Card renewal ripoff

[Axeman]

So why does not-for-profit NAUI also charge $30 for a replacement C-card ?

I am not sure if they deal directly but I used to work for a shop and the card fee was no where near that. It was what we charged to be on par with PADI but it was like any other thing in the shop it was marked up. Actual cost was less than half of that.

If I needed a replacement NAUI card I would bust the shops balls to give it to me at cost. That being said I am a good customer and spend lots of money there so it would be in their best interest to do it for me.

So as far as I know the NAUI not for proffit doesnt charge $30. Your LDS does.

PADI on the other had also charges less to instructors and shops. But you may have to pay a markup to have them process it for you.

Botom line is that it costs money for everything. If you bug a shop or instructor to do it they are in the business to make money so they will want some. Someone at PADI has to lookup your info and prepare the card, print it and mail it.

We all nee to get PAID.

As has already been said, the best course of action is to keep your skills fresh and current by taking the next step and doing a rescue or nitrox course and keep the Jr cards as these new ones outrank them.

After all, I only carry the card that has the highest level of certification on it. that is all you need... that and love.... someone said that.... "all you need if love".... that would make a good song dont you think???

 

[fairybasslet]

So as far as I know the NAUI not for proffit doesnt charge $30. Your LDS does.

You don't need to go through your shop. I got replacement cards directly from SSI and PADI.

 

[Rick Murchison]

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

Yeah, everybody seems to have this odd impression that their time is worth something. We tend to think that the "C-Card Fairy" just spits these things out and that the only cost of production is in the materials.
However... heh, heh, $30 does seem like a pretty good margin.
Rick

 

[uspap]

NAUI is $30 going direct. Here is the link.
http://www.naui.com/replace_lost_card.php

 

[Christi]

Okay, I could have been wrong; it hapens - all too often.

I thought it'd been established elsewhere here that a Padi Nitrox card no longer required dives and did not actually require OW - therefore was not a proof of OW. I'll have to look into this further.

Padi is touting the combination card, and while this may not be as important there where all dives are DM escorted - many Ops I've dived with require an Aow or better for certain dives, seperately - a Nitrox card for Nitrox, so the combo card has appeal, but they generally won't issue it except as a replacement.

Btw, when I am wrong in a post, go ahead and quote me, then correct me.

You are correct, the dives are no longer required for nitrox certification, but being an OW certified diver is still a prerequisite to take the course...therefore, if you have a nitrox certification, you MUST alredy be a certified diver. But you go on and check into it Don since I must not know what I'm talking about or know my PADI standards.

As far as an op requiring an AOW card to do certain dives, you obviously completely missed my point. Yes, I am aware that some places (very, very few) require an AOW card to do certain dives...because as I said, it really doesn't mean anything, other than you have at least 9 dives under your belt (4 to 5 OW check-out dives, and 5 AOW dives in the case of PADI) As is often discussed, an AOW card does NOT mean you are an advanced diver. Dives being DM escorted has nothing to do with anything here.

And guess what Don, I've dove outside of Cozumel too!

 

[Jamie_r]

Ill tell you what a ripoff is, Me loosing scubaboard at work! its banned! no more

 

[Axeman]

You don't need to go through your shop. I got replacement cards directly from SSI and PADI.

So dont go direct. If you have a good relationship with your LDS mabey you can get it for 20 if thats a better price.

I didn't say that they don't charge 30 but I know that they don't charge shops that amount. You may be able to get your card cheaper through the shop. Or maby not. Just relaying my experience.

If the agency charged you the less than the shop then the shops would be pissed because they wouldn't be able to make money on it. contrary to popular opinion, no one is getting rich off of issuing cards. The only people in the dive industry I know that made a million dollars started with two.

 

[DandyDon]

You are correct, the dives are no longer required for nitrox certification, but being an OW certified diver is still a prerequisite to take the course...therefore, if you have a nitrox certification, you MUST alredy be a certified diver. But you go on and check into it Don since I must not know what I'm talking about or know my PADI standards.

Ok, if OW is indeed required to take Nitrox, I guess it would suffice in place of an OW card. I'm sure you know more than I do; it's a discussion with learning as a goal.

As far as an op requiring an AOW card to do certain dives, you obviously completely missed my point. Yes, I am aware that some places (very, very few) require an AOW card to do certain dives...because as I said, it really doesn't mean anything, other than you have at least 9 dives under your belt (4 to 5 OW check-out dives, and 5 AOW dives in the case of PADI) As is often discussed, an AOW card does NOT mean you are an advanced diver. Dives being DM escorted has nothing to do with anything here.

I know Aow doesn't really mean anything, but it is often required in the US probably becasue of insurance requirements and legal liabilities.

And guess what Don, I've dove outside of Cozumel too!

[-]Cool. I presumed your extensive experienced was Coz centered, but that could well have been an inappropriate presumption on my part. Thanks.[/-] OMG Chrisit, didn't recognize you. I need more coffee, but it would help to put your pretty smile on your Avatar.

Ill tell you what a ripoff is, Me loosing scubaboard at work! its banned! no more

:shakehead Yeah, that is bad. Guess they want you to work at work. How awful. :no

 

[RonFrank]

Off topic, but a LOT of DiveOps in FL require the AOW card for doing any of the deeper wrecks (Grove, Duane, Bibb).

I agree with you Christi that cards do not make a diver. But in the US it seems that a lot of DiveOps have decided that the AOW card is something that they can always throw in the face of the legal system as *proof* of deep diving experience.

The better OPS in the Keys generally want either AOW, OR proof of 3 80' dives in the past 6 months, and ocean diving experience as well.

BTW, I'm diving with you (Think Amber/Kristin) in Jan! Looking forward to it! Make sure you do whatever weather god dance needs to be done to insure stellar conditions!

 

[fairybasslet]

So dont go direct. If you have a good relationship with your LDS mabey you can get it for 20 if thats a better price.

Your logic kind of escapes me. If going direct costs $30, why would using a middle man i.e. the LDS be cheaper? Is the LDS going to eat the extra $10 that it costs? If anything, I would think that going through your LDS might cost more money since they are using their time and resources to get something for you that you can very easily get for yourself. Not only that, but it seems like you would have to make at least 1 trip, if not 2 to the LDS to pick up your card, unless you expect them to eat the cost of mailing it to you. And you just can't walk into your LDS and not buy something!! That's against the law. So now, a $30 card probably winds up costing you a couple of hundred.
BTW, when I got my CPR card, it only cost $5. Now I think that is a true "cost" price. And that included mailing. And when my son got his Basic EMT card, complete with a photo ID, that cost nothing. Now if he loses it, I have no idea how much it would cost to replace.