Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Nick Daly on October 17, 2012 at 9:56am

I've never paid for my ADC card. My company always has paid for it and it is expired now, I will leave it like that until another ADC company pays to renew it.

But I like what you are doing, keep it up!

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Martin O. Morris on October 17, 2012 at 11:34am

So what about all the companies that deny employement unless you have an ADC card?  Is this legal?  Is forcing a potential employee to pay for card legal or illegal, and is denying them employement strictly on the basis of being a member/cardholder legal?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Nick Daly on October 18, 2012 at 9:36pm

How else can you prove you have training when you start off? Where can you learn to dive surface supplied air besides an adci dive school in America? My dad hired "divers" in Egypt, he had to hire more "divers" to go get their bodies. Diving is not a regulated business, or we'd have a card that can legally do what it says. the card I have says I have done a few gas dives. That's all. There is no class 1 diver card there is no class 2 diver card. Companies hire me because I know what I'm talking about, then I get in the water and prove it. Its a gamble they take and if you can't back up your words you're fish food, both literally and figuratively

 

ADC is an organization of dive company owners, as far as I see it they made the organzation to keep us from making a union, and were succesful at. They continue to oppress us and for some reason we continue to let it happen. I think it goes a lot deeper than illegal stupid cards.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Joseph on October 17, 2012 at 8:56pm

Lance,

         Post the copy of the article.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Stanton on December 15, 2012 at 1:10pm

For years I put off getting an ADC card and membership simply because I could see no purpose as a diver.  I've never had a company ask me for ADC credentials.  My background is about evenly split between inland and offshore Gulf diving, though the past two years-and-change have been 99% GOM diving. 

Just prior to the hitch I'm currently on, I decided to splurge and get my Gas Diver card.  I haven't sent the paperwork in yet, and I'm glad I ran into this article - I haven't logged on here in over a year.  So can you give a little background on what benefits I will reap as a diver for paying $100 for logbook verification?  I was just going to be a lemming and give out my money because the general consensus seems to indicate it would be a good idea. 

@Nick Daly

Every company I was hired at so far has hired me based on my verifiable paperwork which I can provide, along with industry references immediately verifiable by phone or email.  Generally, it seems that the people interviewing me immediately have a good idea of my scope of knowledge and experience just from a few minutes of discussing prior jobs and equipment.  They didn't need a $100 card to do that for them.

Unfortunately, my it's been a struggle to get my company to get me my gas card despite them having an allegedly good relationship with ADC (translated: they pay their dues to be an ADC member contractor).  This is what led me to just do it all myself.  And then I read that it's illegal for a non-profit org. to charge divers for membership cards.  It can't cost that damn much to print a card up.  I wouldn't mind a few dollars, but THAT much? 

• ▶ Reply