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#51828
Should DiveBuddy Offer a Certification Verification Service?
Greg - 12/13/2013 11:19 AM
Category: Survey
Replies: 39

Currently, if you needed to verify a person’s SCUBA certification, you would use each agencies online verification tool and/or call them directly. Do you think there is value in providing an "agency neutral" online verification tool?

DiveBuddy.com already provides the ability to list your certification records on your profile. We could add a verification process that allows our administrators to confirm that you have a particular certification...maybe by requiring a webcam photo or "selfie" of you holding your c-card (a c-card that includes a photo of you of course). We could review the photo and then mark that certification as "verified". Then we can build a webpage that allows the public to search for a diver to verify certifications online.

Do you think dive resorts and charters would trust this verification process if you didn’t have your physical card to show them? Please answer that question in the comment section.
#1110
Btrax - 2/22/2015 3:36 PM
[Choose #2] Enough regulation already don’t you think. SCUBA is supposed to be self regulated.
#2242
MDW - 11/13/2014 6:48 AM
[Choose #2] DiveBuddy.com is not the SCUBA police. Stick to your core service set.
#142
USACMASDiver - 7/30/2014 1:12 PM
[Choose #3] What a great idea, but what a kettle of fish. I wouldn’t touch that idea with a 3 meter bang stick. Just because a chap was certified in 1960 whatever off the Umppa Lumpa Atoll, that doesn’t mean the Umpa Lumpians have kept a good record of it.
#984
BrandonH - 2/13/2014 7:16 PM
[Choose #1] it would be nice.
#1690
AndyBSmith - 12/26/2013 5:32 PM
[Choose #3] I think it would be great. OR we could just post a pic of our certs minus the personal info that could be used for id fraud so a dive shop could look it up.
#161
mac1954 - 12/25/2013 3:44 PM
[Choose #3] scuba certification is just money scam, if you cant tell if a buddy is competant before you get in the water, dont get in.a piece of paper means nothing
#1200
Dutch - 12/21/2013 12:49 PM
[Choose #3] While cert fraud is not unknown, any good dive resort worker will spot his problem children within the first dive. If not, he had better learn fast.
#474
Viaqua - 12/19/2013 9:03 PM
[Choose #2] Im in the same line of thought as LatitudeAdjustment but with only 36+ years and cards from several agencies. I keep my highest cards on my Smart Phone if needed.
#1347
Pixel - 12/18/2013 12:22 AM
[Choose #2] I carry scanned copies of my certs on my phone. (like now my stuffs in storage) And when I go on a planned dive I take highest qualifying card with. If they want to verify they can do.so through agency. Most have online verification.
#456
Roadking1 - 12/16/2013 7:07 PM
[Choose #3] I see us all able to quickly and easily verify w our smart phone, like I did on our last dive shop. The operator asked to do it from the SSI web site before we arrived.
#1376
RockRat2008 - 12/16/2013 10:10 AM
[Choose #2] I don’t see dive resorts, or charters, ever evolving to the point where they would trust a website to "verify" dive credentials here. Besides if a dive site has to verify credentials online they can do it on the vendor website as easy as here.
#20384
LatitudeAdjustment - 12/16/2013 5:26 AM
[Choose #2] My PADI card is from before they were numbered, my Y card has turned to dust and no one in 40+ years has ever asked for more proof.
#1974
Texas-Grrl - 12/15/2013 3:12 PM
[Choose #2] Leave it the way it is. Just because someone holds a lot of certifications, this does not make them a safe dive buddy.
#12117
Eric_R - 12/15/2013 2:49 PM
[Choose #2] It’s funny how everything that’s done now is all based on liability. There is no way your going to confirm my certification on your site because you can’t prove who I am behind this computer screen. The liability is still with the dive operator.
#14167
GenoMc - 12/15/2013 12:27 AM
[Choose #1] [choose #1] I really see nothing wrong with adding a verification process.. I think it would be fun and it would simply add another dimension to DiveBuddy.com. I like the Idea!
#4136
oceanfloor - 12/14/2013 11:26 PM
[Choose #2] I think you should just leave this as a social network. When I go diving with someone I don’t show them my card nor do I expect them to show me their card. The different dive sites take care of checking cards.
#153
OtherHalf - 12/14/2013 11:46 AM
[Choose #2] Seems like dive shops have a duty to verify with the issuing agencies, and I’m more interested in someone’s skillset than their card. I don’t need to be the dive police.
#218
VG - 12/14/2013 9:01 AM
[Choose #2] If I were making a verification, I would want it to be from the issuing agency. Seems to me one more overarching verification service could make room for unnecessary error & thus liabilities. Plus, the database requirements for this would be signif
#51828
Subscribed
Greg - 12/13/2013 9:14 PM
[Choose #1] Liability issues would be a small concern, but as with anything on the internet...we’d have to have a good "terms of use" agreement. And ultimately the dive resort/charter would have to decide whether to trust/use the service.
#7367
UWnewbee - 12/13/2013 6:23 PM
[Choose #2] Yea Id watch the liability and also the possibility of identity theft
Anonymous - 12/13/2013 5:06 PM
[Choose #2] If someone forgets their card, it might teach a lesson. Besides... places that might want verification probably wouldn’t have internet access standing on a pier on an island somewhere.
#15534
Brian_V - 12/13/2013 2:01 PM
[Choose #2] The legal liability you’d be taking on is IMMENSE! If somebody fakes it, you post it, a diver operator uses it as certification verification, and another diver is injured/killed while diving with this person, God help you!!!
#379
cmulvaney - 12/13/2013 1:59 PM
[Choose #3] I am not a lawyer but think this might open you up to some liability. I am not really leaning one way or another as it really would not affect me. Just my 2 cents.
#28736
RAWalker - 12/13/2013 1:44 PM
[Choose #3] online verification with PADI and NAUI is already available. Maybe starting a sanctioning body that is less economically motivated than the major choices today would help to keep the sport in control of divers instead of corporate profits.