Which certification to bring on dive trip?

[Jim Lapenta]

I always took my highest level certs. At the time I decided to retire, those were Adv Nitrox, Deco Procedures, Adv Wreck, and Solo Instructor cards.
Prior to that, I did my first trip as a DM and took that. Then, when I got my first instructor cert, I took that. Only once did an operation ask me to buddy up with a new diver.
I told them it would be $50 per dive, my boat fees would be refunded, and the diver would need to fill out a liability release waiver. I didn't dive with him.
After that, I always told the op in advance communications that I would not accept being buddied with someone.
Now, there were times on shallow dives where a diver would ask if they could dive with me themselves, and I did. It was fine.
But I also made it clear that I wasn't changing my dive for them. As long as that was understood, we'd be cool. I even did one with a diver who blew through their air in 30 minutes on a planned one-hour dive, and I took them back to the boat and continued my dive, after seeing them safely on the boat.
On deep or wreck dives - never with an insta-buddy.
Showing an OW card as an instructor is stupid. If it's because of being afraid the op would make you take a new diver, you probably don't have the self-confidence and good judgment necessary for an instructor to begin with.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

I always took my highest level certs. At the time I decided to retire, those were Adv Nitrox, Deco Procedures, Adv Wreck, and Solo Instructor cards.
Prior to that, I did my first trip as a DM and took that. Then, when I got my first instructor cert, I took that. Only once did an operation ask me to buddy up with a new diver.
I told them it would be $50 per dive, my boat fees would be refunded, and the diver would need to fill out a liability release waiver. I didn't dive with him.
After that, I always told the op in advance communications that I would not accept being buddied with someone.
Now, there were times on shallow dives where a diver would ask if they could dive with me themselves, and I did. It was fine.
But I also made it clear that I wasn't changing my dive for them. As long as that was understood, we'd be cool. I even did one with a diver who blew through their air in 30 minutes on a planned one-hour dive, and I took them back to the boat and continued my dive, after seeing them safely on the boat.
On deep or wreck dives - never with an insta-buddy.
Showing an OW card as an instructor is stupid. If it's because of being afraid the op would make you take a new diver, you probably don't have the self-confidence and good judgment necessary for an instructor to begin with.

Thanks, I’ve had insta buddies at local dives; some good and some less so but none terrible. This is the second destination trip with my son but I’m slightly more certified and definitely more experienced. I am diving with my son, any insta buddy would be a third wheel iand not my priority honestly. I will full on refuse to separate from my son as a buddy pair to accommodate someone else. This thread has given me perspective and I agree showing your level doesn’t obligate you to do more than any other customer.

 

[Watthem]

Thanks, I’m not “Putting Another Dollar In” to get an e-card; if they were serious about plastics it would be free and you’d have to pay for plastic IMHO.

For the record, the eCards are included with a course by default, and you have to pay for plastic

 

[therookie]

For the record, the eCards are included with a course by default, and you have to pay for plastic

For PADI certifications this seems to be true for certifications issued now, but for older ones it is the reverse.

I received my OW cert in 2021, and the physical card was mailed to me. According to the PADI app I would have to purchase an OW eCard if I wanted one.

Conversely, and as stated above, I received my AOW cert in 2023, and received an eCard at no charge. I would have to pay for a plastic one.

 

[Cdncoldwater]

For the record, the eCards are included with a course by default, and you have to pay for plastic

Not when I did most of my courses with PADI starting in 2017….

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Not when I did most of my courses with PADI starting in 2017….

Then someone pointed out they could save the cost of postage and printing plastic cards - push that expense to the user by only doing ecards. Pay if you want to get a card.

 

[Watthem]

For PADI certifications this seems to be true for certifications issued now, but for older ones it is the reverse.

I received my OW cert in 2021, and the physical card was mailed to me. According to the PADI app I would have to purchase an OW eCard if I wanted one.

Conversely, and as stated above, I received my AOW cert in 2023, and received an eCard at no charge. I would have to pay for a plastic one.

Not when I did most of my courses with PADI starting in 2017….

To clarify, yes it was the other way around, but eCards are the standard as of at least 2023

 

[KPV]

I have photocopies of all of my cards in my logbook.

It amuses some people to see black and white photos.

You can take photos with your mobile and print them in color. You even can laminate them and keep with you all the time, even during dive.

 

[Searcaigh]

You can take photos with your mobile and print them in color.

Not if the original photo of yourself is in black and white

 

[bradlw]

I wonder how many highly experienced divers had smugly gotten into the beginner groups by hiding their true certification level.

I've wondered about that sort of thing too.

This is a question I think most or all of us have wrestled with.

For me...mostly I haven't been as concerned about showing to high of a cert for fear of being asked to do something, or liability concerns, etc...
but instead about not wanting to come off as some sort of braggart. I want to be high enough as to not be treated like the ink is still wet on my basic OW card, but I didn't want to seem like I was bragging...or a card collector, or whatever....

As a very rusty diver now that has been out of the game for a long time, I wonder....
what would folks do or think if I showed my highest "recreational agency" SSI Divecon card. They haven't issued them in a very long time so how many folks even would know what it was.... I'm pretty sure that it's not even a valid thing anymore anyway...

yeah, I think for me I think AOW and Adv Nitrox would work for now...and maybe if after some practice I start wanting to go on some 100+ ft deep wrecks I might pull out my deep air card, or one of the other tech certs just to grease the skids on a charter boat....