Padi - Certification card question

[FlyinV]

Hi,

I have taken in the past Open Water and Advanced Open Water via Padi.
Then I took Enriched Air Diver thru Padi also.

I just got my Enriched Air Diver certification card.

I notice this card does not give any indication that your also an advanced open water diver and it appears on the Padi site -- Advanced is not required for the enriched air cert. Perhaps it is required you do advanced before enriched then this question will be moot.

Now my stupid question is:
Do I have to carry both cards -- advanced and enriched when I travel to other dive areas where the dive operators don't know me? I guess throwing my old advanced card in with my dive gear isn't a big deal.

Do they pretty much will they take a divers word for it (or really care once you show your certified for something ) that they are certified to do the deeper dives then the plain open water divers?


Thanks,
Jeff

 

[scuba&golf]

You do not have to have AOW to take Enriched Air. Your cert cards will only show the cert that they are for, not all of the certs that you have. If you look, you'll also see that your diver number is different on each card. You only retain the same diver number when you become an instructor. So, I guess that I would pack both cards, they don't take up any space, and then you shouldn't have any issues with the dive operators about diving nitrox, or doing deeper dives.

 

[Hank658]

Hi FlyinV,

Depending on what you are planning to do you should probably carry both cards. Having one does not guarantee the privileges of the other. For example, you want to join a boat charter for two dives and the depth of the site is 80'. To get on the boat you might be required to show your AOW card to prove that you have experience beyond the 60' level. So now you on the list for the boat. The dive operator now asks "Are you diving air or Nitrox?" If you ask for two tanks of 32% Nitrox the operator is will almost definitely (about 99.5% of the time) ask you for your Enriched Air c-card. You show him your EANx card and off you go with two tanks of 32%.

The operator in this example is assuring himself of two things. First, that you have the required experience for the depth of this dive. Second, that you have the understanding of the benefits and limitations of Nitrox and that you have analyzed gasses before to ensure that the mix you will receive is appropriate for the planned time and depth limits for the dive.

I hope this helps with your question. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

Safe diving,

Hank

 

[leapfrog]

Both cards, always. There are even Instructors who aren't certified as Enriched Air Divers!!!!!

 

[Standingbear56]

Hi FlyinV,

Depending on what you are planning to do you should probably carry both cards. Having one does not guarantee the privileges of the other. For example, you want to join a boat charter for two dives and the depth of the site is 80'. To get on the boat you might be required to show your AOW card to prove that you have experience beyond the 60' level. So now you on the list for the boat. The dive operator now asks "Are you diving air or Nitrox?" If you ask for two tanks of 32% Nitrox the operator is will almost definitely (about 99.5% of the time) ask you for your Enriched Air c-card. You show him your EANx card and off you go with two tanks of 32%.

The operator in this example is assuring himself of two things. First, that you have the required experience for the depth of this dive. Second, that you have the understanding of the benefits and limitations of Nitrox and that you have analyzed gasses before to ensure that the mix you will receive is appropriate for the planned time and depth limits for the dive.

I hope this helps with your question. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

Safe diving,

Hank

Both cards, always. There are even Instructors who aren't certified as Enriched Air Divers!!!!!

Ditto for both the above!

Safe Diving,
George

 

[SteveAD]

If you want to streamline what you have to carry, you can get a replacement AOW card that has an EAN endorsement on it.

 

[Hoomi]

Our instructor carried all the cards for the different certs he's earned. He has clear plastic holders in his dive log book, and since he doesn't go diving without his log book, he also has all his certs that way.

 

[dl348]

Carry both cards with you, it's easy enough to.

 

[Slonda828]

Down here in coastal Georgia an EAN card is just for fills. If a dive charter wants you to show an "advanced" card for an advanced dive, then they will ask you to bring the card. I've never had a boat ask me for my EAN card, just the LDS that fills my tank. Hope that helps.

 

[jridg]

I carry all my cards in my logbook - that way if someone wants to see that silly photo of me way back in 1989, they can

Basically I like to ensure I have them all just for this reason - so I can show the appropriate card - I also carry my DM card in my wallet....