Check out what Jay Hanig wrote on 30 Oct 96  12:09:34:
 JH> I'm very curious about this.  Where have you been on charters where they
 JH> didn't ask?  (Not specifically, just what state or province).  In the
 JH> southern U.S., most dive operators are scared to death of lawsuits, so
 JH> they protect themselves by requiring their passengers to flash the card
 JH> before allowing them a spot on board.  I *know* this to be a fact for
Jay why should a charter require you to show your c-card when it has almost 
become meanalise (one dive cert orgazion is cert. divers that can't even 
swim). All the cert. orgazions want is your money and compeat with each other 
for it. They all have lowered their standards for divers. Also it has happen 
when a dive instructor does not cert. a prospeced diver the owner of dive 
shop fires him. (This does not happen everywhere or very often) But it has 
happen.
Many dive shop operators talk to their customers and if they talk about 
diving in an informed and knowledge way then they don't card their customers. 
Also once known they don't card them ether.
Also their are still divers who are not cert. as they started diving before 
their were any cert. agances. A friend of a friend wanted to get cert. 
finally and went to serval places. They wanted him to do the whole class even 
thou he's been diveing for longer than the instructors have been alive. I 
think people are putting to much in the c-card thing. I have seen a cert. 
diver not able to dive very good. Their was one time when a cert. divemaster 
could not even put his gear together and it was not rental gear it was his 
own. This is prime example of some of the capabilaties of the current crop of 
divers.
Paul Hutley  >>>  FIDO: 1:374/98.9
You Launch it and I will track it.          Internet: paulh@metrolink.net
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