what c-cards do tech shops care about in NA?

[Underwater Tourist]

A quick example:
Most of my recreational diving was done in peripheral EU + places like Egypt where I could always ask for nitrox and nobody ever cared nor asked if I had a nitrox card.
When I started diving in NA and SA, even fully tourist oriented dive shops wanted to see a nitrox card.

So if we extend my example from recreational to technical world:
How likely is that I will be asked to show something like "advanced nitrox" card if I go to a tech shop and ask for a 100% O2 bottle?

 

[Tracy]

Depends on what you show. If somebody shows me a trimix cert, I don't want to see an advanced nitrox card.

If you have no deco certs and you want deco gases, that will likely raise an eye.

A quick example:
Most of my recreational diving was done in peripheral EU + places like Egypt where I could always ask for nitrox and nobody ever cared nor asked if I had a nitrox card.
When I started diving in NA and SA, even fully tourist oriented dive shops wanted to see a nitrox card.

So if we extend my example from recreational to technical world:
How likely is that I will be asked to show something like "advanced nitrox" card if I go to a tech shop and ask for a 100% O2 bottle

 

[Manatee Diver]

It really depends on the area.

In cave country I've never had to show a card for fills, but I am also a local so your experience may vary. In Mexico I had to show a cave card to rent tanks, I don't think they asked for my nitrox card for 32% nor my Advanced Nitrox card for oxygen.

 

[ofg-1]

C Cards? Most tech shops accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.

 

[mr_v]

I don't recall a shop asking to see a card, any card, for a 100% fill.

If a shop does not know you and you're asking for lean trimix, there is a good chance that they'll ask for a card.

If a shop knows you, there is going to be some wiggle room.

 

[GF99/99]

A quick example:
Most of my recreational diving was done in peripheral EU + places like Egypt where I could always ask for nitrox and nobody ever cared nor asked if I had a nitrox card.
When I started diving in NA and SA, even fully tourist oriented dive shops wanted to see a nitrox card.

So if we extend my example from recreational to technical world:
How likely is that I will be asked to show something like "advanced nitrox" card if I go to a tech shop and ask for a 100% O2 bottle?

It really depends on the area.

In cave country I've never had to show a card for fills, but I am also a local so your experience may vary. In Mexico I had to show a cave card to rent tanks, I don't think they asked for my nitrox card for 32% nor my Advanced Nitrox card for oxygen.

Same for me as well. Surprisingly Mexico is the only place in the world I was asked. And that was only to get my o2 CCR tank filled, dropped my tanks off to get filled and when I went to pick them up only my 32% bailouts were there to pickup no issues. My o2 tank was not there, asked about it and they were holding it behind the counter and asked to see my cave CCR cert be for they would give it back to me.

I am guessing they have had issues in the past with Open water CCR divers going CCR cave diving. Kind of like the very sad Nariz accident at the beginning of the year.

 

[BoltSnap]

C Cards? Most tech shops accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover

These are c cards as in "Credit Cards"

 

[rjack321]

A quick example:
Most of my recreational diving was done in peripheral EU + places like Egypt where I could always ask for nitrox and nobody ever cared nor asked if I had a nitrox card.
When I started diving in NA and SA, even fully tourist oriented dive shops wanted to see a nitrox card.

So if we extend my example from recreational to technical world:
How likely is that I will be asked to show something like "advanced nitrox" card if I go to a tech shop and ask for a 100% O2 bottle?

As a visitor in the Seattle area you wont get a 100% fill in a scuba tank without a card explicitly authorizing it. If you are diving with a known local buddy and getting fills together then you probably won't be asked. You can easily get a CGA 870 O2 bottle refilled at a scuba shop though, generally without any cards. Most try to support having medical O2 available to divers.

We don't really have any tech charters so no boat is going to ask you for more than an AOW card to actually dive.

 

[Germie]

If a shop wants to see certs depends for a big amount on how you arrive there and how you move/behave/talk. I have been to several divecenters and most times nobody asked for a c-card where friends had to show them.

Last august in the UK, nobody asked for a card, nor for my experience, nor if I wanted a buddy, I just booked over email some dives as single diver and did solodives without any question. And I also got no time limit when I asked.

 

[Underwater Tourist]

Thank you everyone!