PADI temp card question

[mheaster]

I am an Independent PADI Instructor and certainly enjoy the level of control afforded by being a "one-man-show" however this "sounds like" a case of confusion in a singular Dive Shop's internal C-Card processing process and not an issue with the Agency.

Within the PADI system shops can choose to issue the card or allow Instructors to issue the card. There is certainly the ability for either to immediately provide a signed temporary card however in many cases the 10 day (or so) turn around for permanent photo C-Card is sufficient.

The shop in question apparently chose to handle this otherwise with less than satisfying results.

 

[DevonDiver]

Then it's another good reason that unless the instructor is the shop owner, the shop should not have a hand in the cert process. Let the instructors do it on their own. Shop should not be in control of it in any way.

There's normally one very good reason why shops are involved with the cert process (and several smaller ones):

1) Manual/materials cost: Certification 'credits' (or paper PICs) come with manuals. If the shop has sufficiently high volume of trade and purchases all the manuals/materials for those courses, they will benefit from reduced cost to buy those manuals/materials. PADI have a sliding scale for volume purchases against materials costs. That can translate into lower course costs/savings to the student.

Smaller reasons:

2) Dive Shop Status: Volume/type of certifications being issued (purchased) not only effects the shop's materials pricing with PADI - but can also determine their 'status'. To obtain/retain '5* Dive Center' status requires a certain volume/type of certifications issued by the shop each year. A certification issued directly by an instructor cannot also be credited to a dive center, however a certification issued by a dive center is credited to both the instructor and the dive center.

3) Customer - Business Relationship: If the customer is paying the dive shop, then the shop (not the instructor) has the business relationship with the customer. In the event of any disagreements, then it makes perfect sense that the dive shop (who received payment) is responsible for certification (rather than the instructor who received salary/wage from that dive shop).