What's My Number?

[Divin'Papaw]

Only if you believe you need a bunch of extra numbers.

But I like numbers.

Why would you ignore that? It's ridiculous.

I agree. Once they assign a number to me, which I see beneficial, why not just keep that number? The number serves to separate one Mike Smith from the 10,000 others who have c-cards. But why assign a new # for every card? They don't move to fixed #s until DM and beyond. Doesn't seem to make sense to me.

What's its purpose?

If there's no purpose than why ask for it? Most log books have a spot for the number underneath the name. Is that to add validity to the signature? Maybe. But clearly somebody thinks there's a purpose. Maybe they actually check it if you're working to achieve a professional level cert of some sort.

I don't have my log book signed typically, and when I do my buddies typically just leave it blank. It doesn't matter to me.

 

[Walter]

But I like numbers.

So do I, but I have no use for the ridiculous.

I agree. Once they assign a number to me, which I see beneficial, why not just keep that number? The number serves to separate one Mike Smith from the 10,000 others who have c-cards. But why assign a new # for every card? They don't move to fixed #s until DM and beyond. Doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Agreed.

If there's no purpose than why ask for it? Most log books have a spot for the number underneath the name. Is that to add validity to the signature? Maybe. But clearly somebody thinks there's a purpose. Maybe they actually check it if you're working to achieve a professional level cert of some sort.

I don't have my log book signed typically, and when I do my buddies typically just leave it blank. It doesn't matter to me.

There is a purpose for assigning numbers to professionals, for the rest, there isn't.

 

[ClayJar]

If you're both single and you'd like to dive with them again, why not use your phone number?

I had one site tell me to write the last four of my Social Security number, so I wrote 5309. If they wanted the whole thing, I suppose I'd have to combine Douglas Adams with Tommy Tutone and write 428-67-5309.

Of course, I was diving with one guy whose ID was certainly "-1". (Thankfully, we ditched the negative one and never dove with him again.)


Now, as for the PADI cards, someone said it was a serial number for each course. You may be 12,987,036 to get PADI OW, but you're only 738,208 to pay the money to collect the PADI MSD card-of-no-inherent-value. If that's the case, there's an utterly minuscule bit of trivia the number provides, but it's only worth the ink it's printed with.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Not even that. I use my DM number for signing logs, boat forms etc. My NAUI tech cards have not come yet but if I'm doing a tech charter they'll know that the NAUI card does not have one. If they are not familiar with the NAUI tech system(at least in my area) I may want to rethink doing a technical dive with them anyway.

 

[erparamedic]

Now days, I typically only use my number when I fill out a waiver... and only cause PADI gave me a number. (Big deal, right?)

If I am asked to sign a logbook for a buddy, I do so, and will generally only list my number if I know the person is anal about their logging (Uh, hum... Trucker Girl ). Now, if I've written my number in their book before, I'm likely to tell them to look it up.

As for my logbook... most of the time I fill out my log after I return home... in which, I simply write in my buddy's name. I don't care to have their number. I log for me... so I can look back and see who I dove with, what the conditions were, and what I saw. Now... when I'm with Trucker Girl... we fill out our logs at the quarry. That's how she likes to do it, and I don't mind. She always likes to have my sig and number (which she can look up ) in the book.

I am like the majority here... I don't think the cert number is a big deal... and obviously, at least one agency doesn't even use numbers for the general rec diver. Unless you're filling out a waiver, I think it's personal preferance whether or not you use it.

Don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[ClayJar]

I think next time someone asks me for my number on a form, I'll just write Φ.

(That's upper-case phi, in case anyone's wondering. It's one of my favorite numbers, although pi and e are more well-known.)

 

[erparamedic]

I think next time someone asks me for my number on a form, I'll just write Φ.

(That's upper-case phi, in case anyone's wondering. It's one of my favorite numbers, although pi and e are more well-known.)

Clay, dude... you crack me up! Only you would know those numbers! I sure don't know 'em! Though I do vaguely remember something about "pi" when I was in high school.... isn't it something like 3.14.... or is it 7.14.....? I'll stick to med math/dose and drip rate calculations... it's easy.

Sorry for the hijack.:blinking: Now, back to the regularly scheduled program...

I do like your phone number idea in place of the cert number in log books! That's a good suggestion!

 

[crispix]

Just sign it "Jenny" and NAUI#8675309.

Duh!

 

[BIGG_BUDD]

Just sign it "Jenny" and NAUI#8675309.

Duh!

Awesome.

 

[daniel f aleman]

PADI also uses their number system for identifying demgraphics, statisticals needs and marketing...