Which certification to bring on dive trip?

[OMyMyOHellYes]

On a different note, people often fear potential liability for something randomly happening on a dive trip on which they have shown a rescue diver card or a professional card. We just had an exhausting and frustrating thread in which someone was arguing that could happen with a dive buddy, but a search of legal cases showed it doesn't happen with dive buddies, let alone with some other random diver on the boat.

Unless Malta?

 

[boulderjohn]

Unless Malta?

Correct. Malta is the joker in the deck, except it isn't funny.

 

[gregbenson314]

Even if I lost my phone, I could always log into my google account in a hotel lobby or coffee shop and print out paper copies.

As a side note, I'd suggest you look into 2FA for your email accounts. If that gets compromised then chances are a lot of other important stuff will also get compromised.

 

[San Diego Climber]

Thats a really good point. If we're going to overthink which cert to show to maximize the chances of getting slotted with seasoned divers and minimize getting paired up with a beginner, maybe even better to share a technical cert versus an instructor cert?

I use a tech cert for single-tank warm water vacation diving and it feels like I get, at the least, less babysitting compared to others, both in and out of the water. ("how much gas do you have", "you're too deep", "let's make sure your kit is assembled properly", that sort of stuff)

I have no "leadership" certs but if I did, I'd probably remain an individual contributor and use tech certs if not diving in a professional capacity.

I also don't know, in this thought experiment, my DIR kit, jet fins, and tech shorts or drysuit versus a jacket setup with Seawing Novas plays a role. Or in-water skills/composure for that matter after a check-out dive. I'll add all of this to things I would study as a psychology/sociology PhD student if I had all the time and money to be an academic!

 

[34109411]

I’m doing a dive trip shortly and don’t want to bring a stack of cards. I have cards from PADI and SDI, AOW, Rescue, “Master Diver” and Solo plus other specialties. The dive op offers EAN so I’m bringing that specialty card but which main cert is my best option? Do I have an obligation to tell them I have rescue? I have a dive buddy so insta buddies shouldn’t be an issue.


Thanks

you have no obligation to tell your rescue bring advance for deeper dive and EAN. You could get the e card.

Be safe.

 

[34109411]

Show too much and you can find yourself a member of the crew, but paying instead of paid.
Hold back on the master and rescue.

i agree !

 

[Edward3c]

People are often advised to show the lowest necessary card for fear that they will be asked to do things, like take on a beginning diver. I have never seen or even heard authoritatively of that happening. Dive operators generally want their customers to be happy, especially the ones most likely to return or recommend them.

In my experience, it is quite the opposite--I show an instructor card, and I get treated better, including not being treated like a beginner. My problems along those lines have been because I got on the boat with a crew who does not know me or my training level because I signed up for the dive without them being around, and I end up getting assigned to beginning dive buddies because they didn't bother to check.

I've been a qualified instructor since 1996 and normally show my instructor qualification.

Only twice have I had an issue:

• In the Bahamas I was asked to take a student and sign-off a deep certification (40m).
• In Cozumel I showed my BSAC Advanced Instructor which was mistaken for PADI's Assistant Instructor and asked to help out on an Open Water course.

When I showed my BSAC Advanced Diver in Granada, I was asked if I wanted to do the PADI Rescue (the owner was laughing in the background and told the receptionist that as a BSAC AD I could most likely teach the course.)

 

[tursiops]

Show too much and you can find yourself a member of the crew, but paying instead of paid.
Hold back on the master and rescue.

Scuba Myth. If perchance you are asked to do something, then tell them you need to be paid.

 

[boulderjohn]

The only time I helped an operator on a dive was at my own suggestion. I was hanging around the shop waiting for the dive when one of their instructors called to say he was ill and could not make it for the dive. Under their insurance, that very popular dive required a certain number of professionals in the water, and they were now short one. I had my insurance card with me, and I offered to take the missing professional's place. So they "hired" me for the dive, and my only real responsibility was to be on the dive to give them the right numbers. I was comped for the dive, and I thought that was more than enough.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

No "need," but you can sometimes get a better seat (and treatment) on the dive boat if you are experienced/trained above the minimums.

Cards don't mean squat.
They look at your gear and they talk to you, and you tell them where you're from, your experience, and what kind of diving you do. That's worth a lot more than breaking out a stack of cards.
Soon the cards don't matter because they've seen you, talked to you, and you've been vetted.
There are many divers out there with every card available that still can't dive their way out of a wet paper bag. There are instructors out there that have done very few actual real dives outside of a training/class environment for their entire career.