ADAS Cards Explained

Cards Overview

May 2015 saw the introduction of new look ADAS cards for all types of ADAS certification.

The cards have been modernised and formatted in a way that gives more detail about the card holder and their certifications. Some of the more significant changes to the new cards include:

• Added security features to reduce the risk of forgery
• The full date of the certification expiry date is shown rather than just the month and year
• Introduction of card ‘groups’
• The back of the card shows each level of certification a person holds within a particular card group

Card Groups

In the past, there was a different ADAS card for every different type of certification. This has now been combined into distinct card ‘groups’ where one card is printed for each group of certifications a person holds. The group name is shown on the front of the card and all the different types of certification a person holds within a group are shown on the back of the card. The card groups include:

• ADAS Trainer
• Chamber Operator
• Diver
• Dive Supervisor
• General
• Hyperbaric Tunnelling
• Medical Support
• Remotely Operated Vehicle
• Saturation Support
• Trainee Dive Supervisor

Format of ADAS Cards

While the format of the new ADAS cards aims to give more information in a clearer way, it may take a while to get used to different look of the card and what the information means.  The following is an explanation of both the front and back of the new cards.

Front of Cards

The following information is shown on the front of every ADAS card:
– Name in full
– Date of birth
– ADAS number
– Certification expiry date in full
– Name of card group

The front of the card also shows the card holder’s colour photo and incorporates two different security measures in the form of the ADAS logo imprinted onto the card itself and micro-printing within the card.

Additionally, there is a medical certificate warning shown for relevant certifications.

Back of Cards

The back of each card provides details about the certification/s the person holds, including:
– The name of the card holder
– The expiry date of their certification
– The name of the certification
– Any endorsements held
– Any legislation modules held

Endorsements Key:
CO = Chamber Operator
ND = Nitrox Diver
HED = Heliox Diver
NS = Nitrox Supervisor
HES = Heliox Supervisor
TRIMIX = Normoxic Trimix

Legislation Key:
AU = Australia
CA = Canada
NE = Netherlands
NO = Norway
UK = United Kingdom

The back of the card also has details about returning lost cards to ADAS and how to contact ADAS for verification of ADAS cards. The back of the card has the same security measures as the front of the card.

NB: The blue line shown on the back of some cards is there for ease of reading only, it does not mean you do or do not hold that particular certification.

Certification Names

The names of the ADAS certifications have also changed to reflect the official naming of each type of certification. The information below shows the old ADAS certification titles compared to the current titles.

NB: Only diver and diving supervisor certification names have been changed, all other certifications have retained the original naming system.

Diver Certifications

Supervisor Certifications