katnel:
i went by the scuba shop where i was trained and thought they'd be able to help me. i wasn't in the computer. apparently i'm not even in the padi system. they said the dive shop in cozumel was supposed to send off my paperwork and that they had dropped the ball. but...wasn't there something I was supposed to take care of myself at some point? i cant even remember! at my local dive shop they said that i could try calling the shop in cozumel but that they dont normally hang onto their records for very long. as it is, my local shop only keeps records for ONE YEAR! I couldn't believe it! they also suggested that i get my dive logs together (which i have, and they are signed and stamped by the cozumel shop) and try to find receipts for classes (we MAY be able to find bank records where we paid with credit cards, but i dont know about receipts!) and to have those papers ready to fax to padi when i call.
I haven't read all of the other posts, so I apologize if any of this is redundant.
First of all, ALL PADI Instructors are required by standards to keep student records for 7 years. Here in Mexico, we have to keep them for 10. By the way, I get really tired of hearing of local dive shops that assume that we don't follow standards and protocol here.
Second, it is actually standard procedure here in Cozumel for the instructor to sign your PIC (certification envelope/form) and have YOU mail it to PADI from the states. This is becuase the mail system to and from Cozumel is very unreliable. I never mail anything from here and always give my students their certification to mail in...otherwise, like you, they may never get it.
Are you sure that the instructor only gave you your temp card and not the entire form to mail in?
Your LDS SHOULD have records of your Knowledge development sessions and your confined water (pool) sessions. If not, they are also violating standards.
Do you still have your temp card? What dive shop in Cozumel and what was the instructor's name. I can try to help you if you have that information. Send me a PM and I'll see what I can do.
Are your training sessions for OW logged and signed by your instructors? It shold be as that is also part of the PADI OW course. That will help.
You will at minimum have to pay for another c-card, which shouldn't be more than $25 or so...I would have to look up the cost of a replacement card from PADI.
I would also HIGHLY recommend a refresher course if it's been more than 1 year and a half or two since your last dive.
Your LDS should be more helpful and they are dropping the ball just as much if not more than your certifying instructor (in Coz). He may have actually given you the certification envelope or sent it in...but like I said, the mail from here is unreliable at best.
I hope we can help you get this resolved.
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