Padi offers extra Nitrox C-card feature for free?!

[DandyDon]

If this has been discussed already - sorry, missed it. While checking my Padi Certification records online, I noticed this on the replacement card page...

NEW: Enriched Air Diver recognition for no extra cost.
You'll always have the opportunity to dive with enriched air when you carry this C-card!
(Enriched Air recognition is offered to divers who are Enriched Air certified and is available on core level cards:
Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Rescue, and Master Scuba Diver.)

Getting anything from Padi for free is a nice surprise, but this is also a super idea. Show one card to prove I am Aow & Nitrox certified both. How neat. I reminded my Lds that I certainly wanted that on my Rescue card and they hadn't heard of it - but assured me that they'd take care of it.

I can see where Padi is looking to sell more replacement cards maybe from this, and encourage more Padi training - but I just like it.

 

[Damselfish]

yeah, I think it's come up before. I got one of these when I needed a replacement card. Obviously they are out to sell more cards (I don't believe they offer the option when you are getting an original card) but it's handy, anyway.

 

[Thalassamania]

I'm amazed, once again the diving industry trumpets its ability to belatedly catch up with reality.

Can any of you remember back when most of the agencies and most of the resorts were opposed to breathing anything but air? The whole "devil-gas" controversy? The "this is your brain on air" tee-shirt?

I remember observing back then (with tounge firmly planted in cheek) that recreational divers clearly could not master the critical learning objectives of NITROX ... breath in, breath out, control your depth

Don - I like it too, it's a good step forward, but it does remind me of the story of the kid who killed both his parents and threw himself on the mercy of the court because he was an orphan.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Whoa... PADI offering something (ANYTHING) for free?

*passing out*

 

[genxweb]

Can you provide the direct link to this I checked the site it looks like it is limited addition and costs 30.00 plus shipping.

 

[DandyDon]

Can you provide the direct link to this I checked the site it looks like it is limited addition and costs 30.00 plus shipping.

I discovered it on the Replacement Card application. Here And yeah, replacement cards are much too expensive.

The Nitrox Recognition should be able to added to a new card as long as the Nitrox certification was done thru Padi, I would think. I got mine thru them, and I have asked my Lds to ensure that my new Rescue card includes this. She's calling them to check on exactly how. Padi really has not publicized this, that I know of - hence my mentioning it here.

It can be included even on an OW card, and I'm sure they're looking for additional card sales there, but - if one took OW and Nitrox training together, I suppose it could be done on the first OW card.

I suppose you can call Padi for free from there: 1-800-PAY-PADI

 

[Doc]

The whole "devil-gas" controversy? .

Geezer Gas


Why would you want such a card? (An advanced cert + nitox)

You can go anywhere and dive doing whatever you would like on a Nitrox card.

If you go to a resort that won't let you play grown-up Advanced Open Water games unless you show an advanced card, change resorts.

I dive air 95% of the time. I show my first certification card. Some young kid with hair posed for the picture. Ralph signed it himself, in ink.

It works. Everywhere. Caribbean, England, Red Sea, Philippines, Japan, Maldives, Devils Lake Wisconsin. All the big time spots.

No one has ever kept me from night diving or to a 60 foot depth limit, etc.

What would the purpose of this be?

 

[Damselfish]

I originally learned of these in an email from PADI almost 2 years ago, so they publicized it at least that much. The email implied limited time and I think it even gave a date that is way past now. If they have some kind of real limit, maybe not as many people bit as they expected.

I wouldn't be surprised if they only do this through replacement cards and there is no way to get one with a new cert like Rescue, although of course there ought to be. Or maybe they will do it but only when someone is noisy about it...good luck!

Why would you want such a card? (An advanced cert + nitox)

You can go anywhere and dive doing whatever you would like on a Nitrox card.

If you go to a resort that won't let you play grown-up Advanced Open Water games unless you show an advanced card, change resorts.

I dive air 95% of the time. I show my first certification card. Some young kid with hair posed for the picture. Ralph signed it himself, in ink.

It works. Everywhere. Caribbean, England, Red Sea, Philippines, Japan, Maldives, Devils Lake Wisconsin. All the big time spots.

No one has ever kept me from night diving or to a 60 foot depth limit, etc.

What would the purpose of this be?

Apparently it does happen that some places want to see an AOW card for something, that are perfectly good ops and I wouldn't write them off just because of that. I certainly wouldn't avoid showing my AOW card just to be purist about it.

I wouldn't pay them for one of these cards just to get one, but at the time mine had delaminated and fallen apart so I was going to get one anyway. So, may as well...

 

[genxweb]

My reason to get one is I just finished my nitrox and my AOW card fell a part the crappy skin that has the words A.O.W with the PADI logo pealed off so now it is card with a dolphin on it and my info on the back no way to know if it is a real aow card or not. So I figure if it is truely free might as well push for it.

 

[Doc]

Apparently it does happen that some places want to see an AOW card for something, that are perfectly good ops and I wouldn't write them off just because of that.

I'm thinking, "urban myth". Anybody have any first hand experience of being declined a dive that was in the AOW realm versus your Basic/OW Card? First Hand?

I have heard of some past CMAS pishing contests that have since gone away, but honestly never been disallowed from an advanced dive. Anyone? Where? When?