Question about advanced PADI certifications

[StewartG]

Question here. I tried using the search function, but couldn't find the answer (probably because I'm just not smart enough!) :11:

When I get my advanced PADI certifications (right now, I'm thinking of my AOW), how is that documented? Do I get a certificate that goes in my log book? I noticed I had one for my OW (which my instructor never filled out, by the way!) What about more advanced courses, like rescue diver, drift diver, boat diver, enriched air (that's the same thing as nitrox, right?)

I mean, it seems to me that for some courses it doesn't really matter if its well documented. (I suspect any dive operation in the WORLD will let you on their boat even if you haven't completed the "boat diver" PADI course!) But what about enriched air? Do you NEED to show a certificate of completion before a dive shop will fill your tank with NITROX?

Sorry if the questions are too basic or too simple, but please be patient with this newbie!

 

[Doc]

The certificate of documentation that matters in the day to day diving is the C Card that will be issued. PADI also keeps a record.

You will get certificates and the opportunity to log certain dives with notations and signatures, but these niceties are largely irrelevant. The C Card is the ticket.

This AOW certification includes five Adventure Dives, including the Deep Adventure Dive, the Underwater Navigator Adventure Dive and three of the following:

Altitude Diver
Boat Diver
Drift Diver
Deep Diver
Dry Suit Diver
Diver Propulsion Vehicle
Multilevel Diver
Night Diver
Peak Performance Buoyancy
Search and Recovery Diver
Underwater Naturalist
Underwater Videographer
Underwater Photographer
Underwater Navigator
AWARE Fish Identification
Wreck Diver

Make sure you buy the patch, that's what the chicks dig.

 

[StewartG]

The certificate of documentation that matters in the day to day diving is the C Card that will be issued. PADI also keeps a record.

You will get certificates and the opportunity to log certain dives with notations and signatures, but these niceties are largely irrelevant. The C Card is the ticket.

Make sure you buy the patch, that's what the chicks dig.

Is the C card my certification card? Do they reissue it after completion of certain courses? Do dive shops require proof of enriched air course completion or do I just tell them?

And while I'll get the patch, I think what the chicks REALLY dig is the 'fro in your sig line, man...

"That Roatan Man, he's a bad mother-" "Shut 'yo mouth!" "Talkin' about Roatan Man!" "Daaaamn right!"

(This movie reference may be WAY before your time, by the way!)

 

[Peter Guy]

Cards, cards and more cards - more than you ever could possibly want! (There is a thread about "Post your cards" and some (like NWGratefulDiver) have a very "impressive" set of them!)

In my very limited experience of dealing with several Dive Shops and Dive Boats, they WILL want to see your OW/AOW card (this has been the case from Australia to Maui to the BVI) before they'll let you go out. I haven't had to show my Nitrox card to my LDS(s) but I do have to sign that I have one and they trust me (fools they may be).

I punch holes in my cards and keep them in my log book which goes with me when I travel.

 

[Doc]

Is the C card my certification card? Do they reissue it after completion of certain courses? Do dive shops require proof of enriched air course completion or do I just tell them?

The EAN C-Card is for a seperate course as is Rescue. Each has it's own card.

(This movie reference may be WAY before your time, by the way!)

Jeez, look at my profile, I was "not watching" that movie "at the drive-in" with Lois.

 

[Seadiver5]

If you receive a C-card from the agency you trained with then you can be assured that the agency has a record of your passing the class.

The certificates that the agency's provide are simply for wall decoration. The reason your instructor didn't fill yours out was most likely that many people who actually want to hang these certificates on the wall prefer to have a calligrapher fill them out so they are that much more decorative.

When I give my students the certificates (which I only do if they request them) I use a computer template to fill them out with a decorative font.

 

[Rich Courtney]

Question here. I tried using the search function, but couldn't find the answer (probably because I'm just not smart enough!) :11:

When I get my advanced PADI certifications (right now, I'm thinking of my AOW), how is that documented? Do I get a certificate that goes in my log book? I noticed I had one for my OW (which my instructor never filled out, by the way!) What about more advanced courses, like rescue diver, drift diver, boat diver, enriched air (that's the same thing as nitrox, right?)

I mean, it seems to me that for some courses it doesn't really matter if its well documented. (I suspect any dive operation in the WORLD will let you on their boat even if you haven't completed the "boat diver" PADI course!) But what about enriched air? Do you NEED to show a certificate of completion before a dive shop will fill your tank with NITROX?

Sorry if the questions are too basic or too simple, but please be patient with this newbie!

Just had a couple of thoughts, I'd get your Nitrox card before anything else, the benefits of using Nitrox are substantial.....

You also might want to consider taking a Cavern Course through the NACD or NSS-CDS, it will improve your diving skill level drastically and you would probably get more out of it than an AOW course, especially if you plan on "going tech" in the future. On a funny note, you can't take the PADI cavern course without AOW, but the NACD and CDS just require an OW cert.

A good example of this was a gentleman named Mike (TheMule on this board) who only had a couple of dives after openwater! I didn't have to break him of any bad habits and he was one of the best cavern students I've had...

Anyways, just some food for thought and good luck with your endeavours

Safe diving,

Rich

P.S. On the flip side, a huge benefit to getting your AOW is that you'll be able to continue on with a "Rescue Card" which IMHO is one of the more important certifications out there....along with a CPR cert (which I think EVERY diver should have!)

 

[StewartG]

Is the C card my certification card? Do they reissue it after completion of certain courses? Do dive shops require proof of enriched air course completion or do I just tell them?

The EAN C-Card is for a seperate course as is Rescue. Each has it's own card.

(This movie reference may be WAY before your time, by the way!)

Jeez, look at my profile, I was "not watching" that movie "at the drive-in" with Lois.

I should have read your profile! Just the fact that you know what a "drive in" is tells the story!

Rich - thanks for the tip on the cert. I went cavern diving in a cenote in Mexico a couple of weeks ago - GREAT dive. I'm not sure where I would find any place to take a cavern course around here though...

 

[Rich Courtney]

I should have read your profile! Just the fact that you know what a "drive in" is tells the story!

Rich - thanks for the tip on the cert. I went cavern diving in a cenote in Mexico a couple of weeks ago - GREAT dive. I'm not sure where I would find any place to take a cavern course around here though...

No problem, Stewart

If you get down to Mexico again soon, it's only a 2 day course, and the caverns down there are amazing......On another note, I know quite a few cave divers out in the Houston area that come out to N Florida frequently, I'll see if I can find you some names and put you in touch when I get home tonight. Hope you're having a great 4th of July

Safe diving,

Rich

 

[BiggDawg]

Is the C card my certification card? Do they reissue it after completion of certain courses? Do dive shops require proof of enriched air course completion or do I just tell them?

"C card" is simply shorthand for Certification card.

PADI will issue you a brand new one with each certification. You can collect 'em, save 'em, fill up books with 'em.

Fact is, when it comes to documentation, now that they've entered the 21st century, if you go to a dive shop that has a web connection, they can even look you up online (with your proper identification and birth date) and see all of your PADI certifications, with numbers and dates issued. That's useful if you forgot to bring it, although that's not recommended!

Also, not to worry. If you lose it (or one), or just want a new picture, you can get it replaced in abut 10 days. (I just had one of mine replaced, picture was dated and I was able to make a donation to Project Aware at the same time ~ they put a little "Aware" logo on the back.)