Quote:
Originally Posted by Antonio
I wanted to do that once but they let in only people with diving permit (license?), it was a disappointment and relief at the same time ;)
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They call the permit a "C-card." It's a certification card - what you get when you successfully complete a basic course in diving through an organization like PADI or NAUI.
A lot of places have what they call a "resort course" which is where you take a quick class in the pool and then go on a shallow water dive with an instructor as a dive buddy. I did that my first year at Hedo III in Jamaica; the next year I got my open water certification which allowed me to go on deeper dives and made me eligible to do night dives and wreck dives (without - heh heh - penetration). Hedo III has a reputation as the pervert resort in the Caribbean, so every time I present my C-card I get smirks and things like "Oh, we'd better watch out for you..."
I don't carry my C-card anymore; I lost it and never bothered to send in for a new one. Most places can look you up in the online database as long as you have an id, like a driver's license. It's just a liability thing. Personally, I think I was a much safer diver before I got my certification - it emboldened me a bit. I did a private lesson where I asked my instructor turned off my air so I could know what it felt like to be out of air, and thought up ways to get by if I didn't have a buddy nearby. I tend to take my camera and wander off on my own a lot - I got a little knocker for my tank so I can find the group whenever I get lost - and I tend to get lost a lot, or accidentally end up with other dive groups
