Logging dives?

[RoxnDox]

As a newbie (26 now) I am still logging them, recording info on gear as well as events I want to remember later (which might be technical info on weights/trim/etc., or something really cool I saw, or whatever). I always try to get signatures from somebody, just 'cuz.

And now I have some actual stickers from a charter company for the last 4 dives in the book.

Jim

[Zen Diver]

LOVE stickers! And stamps. Cool!

[Beefcake]

As a newbie (26 now) I am still logging them, recording info on gear as well as events I want to remember later (which might be technical info on weights/trim/etc., or something really cool I saw, or whatever). I always try to get signatures from somebody, just 'cuz.

And now I have some actual stickers from a charter company for the last 4 dives in the book.

Jim

I'm with you. I'm still fairly new to diving, and I learn from re-reading my log book. I use a cheap log that I picked up at a LDS (UnderwaterWorks in Tigard, OR) that works better for me than most I've seen. I think I only have one signature in the log (a DM that I did some deep and night diving with in Maui). I've never seen a reason to have my dive buddies sign it (plus, I usually log a day or two later using info from my computer).

[Jeff Pack]

Interesting this came up, I'm looking at taking a weekend diving trip in the San Juans, and they want to see everyones log book.

I was about to stop logging myself, as all I do is log location, date, dive buddy, and depth

[Joshua Smith]

Interesting this came up, I'm looking at taking a weekend diving trip in the San Juans, and they want to see everyones log book.

I was about to stop logging myself, as all I do is log location, date, dive buddy, and depth

Really? I'm surprised, actually. I have never, ever been asked for my log book, or even a C card, to dive anywhere between Tacoma and Prince Rupert, BC. And I have dived with a decent number of outfits. Maybe people just see the Rebreather, shrug, and figure I'm ok, or something. All I've ever had to do is sign a waiver that asks what level I'm certified to, how long I've been diving, and that's about all.

[chokolad]

Interesting this came up, I'm looking at taking a weekend diving trip in the San Juans, and they want to see everyones log book.

I was about to stop logging myself, as all I do is log location, date, dive buddy, and depth

Really? I'm surprised, actually. I have never, ever been asked for my log book, or even a C card, to dive anywhere between Tacoma and Prince Rupert, BC. And I have dived with a decent number of outfits. Maybe people just see the Rebreather, shrug, and figure I'm ok, or something. All I've ever had to do is sign a waiver that asks what level I'm certified to, how long I've been diving, and that's about all.

Well, that's Silent World for you. I guess I will not qualify :(

[Joshua Smith]

Interesting this came up, I'm looking at taking a weekend diving trip in the San Juans, and they want to see everyones log book.

I was about to stop logging myself, as all I do is log location, date, dive buddy, and depth

Really? I'm surprised, actually. I have never, ever been asked for my log book, or even a C card, to dive anywhere between Tacoma and Prince Rupert, BC. And I have dived with a decent number of outfits. Maybe people just see the Rebreather, shrug, and figure I'm ok, or something. All I've ever had to do is sign a waiver that asks what level I'm certified to, how long I've been diving, and that's about all.

Well, that's Silent World for you. I guess I will not qualify :(

Huh? Does Silent World make a big deal over logging? I've never dived with them, don't know nothin'.

[ljjames]

Now now, if indeed Silent World has asked for your log book, they are doing that for your safety and the enjoyment of their customers and DM's. If you go on a charter, and are an unknown, it is perfectly reasonable for them to ask. 150 dives, 140 of which are in the tropics, none deeper than 40' after being certified out here 15 years ago, is not the same as 50 dives out here in northwest in the past 2.5 months.

If someone randomly flashes you a C-card, how do you (as say, the shop owner or manager) know jack about their actual experience, where and how recent it was.

It is perfectly understandable if you go into a shop that does not know you as a regular customer, sign up for a charter, and have them ask for a log. They are the ones responsible for you (and their other paying customers) having a good and safe time. Many times the boat captain is just that, the boat captain... when a shop or group book the boat, he's basically trusting the organizer that the folks are a) all certified (if its not a class) and b) certified to do the dives that have been scheduled. Some will ask for your highest c-card but that is rare in my experience.

If you go in there for your air/gas fills weekly and they _see_ that you are burning through 6-8 tanks every 2 weeks, run into you on the beach regularly, you know the staff by name and they know you, they probably wouldn't ask, but again, if you are Joe (or Jeff) diver off the street Don't fault em for being thorough.

And anyway, how hard would it be to download you dive computer or sensus or whatever you have and print off say the last 20?

[BASSMAN]

Tom Nic got to Hawaii a day ahead of me, and by the time I got there, we were diving LP 100's with Nitrox and they didn't ask me for anything but payment and on the boat, the dive master just waved his hand at us and said, "You guys just do whatever you want." I did not have to show certification or a dive log. Same thing happens at Bonaire. They ask, "When was your last dive?"

[Nwbrewer]

I've never been asked for my book. The only charter I've ever done was a cattle boat in Hawaii.

The DM asked everyone who had dove in the last year to raise their hand. About 6 of us with our hands in the air. 6 Months? Down to 3. Last month? Just me. DM asked me where I dove, and I told him most of my dives were in Puget Sound. He responds, "Great, I'll pair you up with one of the weaker divers then." Never even asked me how many dives I had (about 25 at the time).

I keep a log, though it's digital and mostly about what I saw, and who I was diving with, anything I might want to refer back to later, or anything of note really. If somebody really wanted to see it I could print some out, though I think 5 minutes of talking with someone gives me a WAY better feel for how they are going to be in the water than a few notes scribbled in a log book.

[Jeff Pack]

I dont have any problem with them asking for a log book, I just thought it worthwhile to note in this discussion for those considering stopping.

[CaptnJack]

I was asked to bring a C-card and a log book on a charter in the Bahamas, this was in 1998-ish. I was asked for my logbook at customs in Canada on the way to go ice diving in Ontario. They thought I was nucking futz and the drysuit, HID light and BP/W was all a cover to marry a Canadian and stay in the country...

While its rare to have operators/shops ask to actually ask for a log book, when they want it they want it.

[betterdivepro]

One of the things I find most fascinating and enjoyable about diving is how it has evolved for me. From cold to warm, student to instructor, fish geek to wreck geek, recreational to scientific. Most - if not all - of these transitions just weren't on my forward-looking radar ten years ago when I started diving. That said, here's some examples where I personally was glad that I log every one of my dives:

1. Becoming an Instructor. PADI requires a certain number of dives for both the DM and OWSI levels. I'm certain other agencies do as well.
2. Proving experience. When I worked as an Instructor in the Florida Keys, we required customers to have proof of experience or they'd have to hire a dive guide to dive the (130 foot deep) Spiegel Grove, the signature dive in the Keys. Did folks "miraculously" produce a logbook with still-wet ink from the parking lot? Sure, but that's their responsibility having been informed of the risk of doing deep dives in high current without proper experience or supervision.
3. Supplementing REEF surveys. I find it to be a fun personal challenge to note how many different species I see on a particular dive. It's a competition for myself so I'm not going to tell you my record but it's between 2 and 200.
4. Joining AAUS (American Academy of Underwater Sciences). When I started diving with the University of Washington, their scientific dive team application required me to break down the number of dives I had done up to 30', 30-60', 60-100', 100-130' and over 130' (doing this from memory but it was something similar). There's no way to guess this without a log (electronic or paper). It was interesting to learn my distribution!
5. Seattle Aquarium. I like knowing I can reminisce about my very first times in the Pacific Coral Reef and Dome exhibits so they're in my logbook too. Since common practice is to log only open water dives, I have a page for each of these but don't assign them a number so it doesn't affect my total - just a sort of journal entry.

Just wanted to weigh in with some examples where keeping a log has proven beneficial to me. Your mileage without a log may vary.

[Joshua Smith]

Now now, if indeed Silent World has asked for your log book, they are doing that for your safety and the enjoyment of their customers and DM's. If you go on a charter, and are an unknown, it is perfectly reasonable for them to ask. 150 dives, 140 of which are in the tropics, none deeper than 40' after being certified out here 15 years ago, is not the same as 50 dives out here in northwest in the past 2.5 months.

If someone randomly flashes you a C-card, how do you (as say, the shop owner or manager) know jack about their actual experience, where and how recent it was.

It is perfectly understandable if you go into a shop that does not know you as a regular customer, sign up for a charter, and have them ask for a log. They are the ones responsible for you (and their other paying customers) having a good and safe time. Many times the boat captain is just that, the boat captain... when a shop or group book the boat, he's basically trusting the organizer that the folks are a) all certified (if its not a class) and b) certified to do the dives that have been scheduled. Some will ask for your highest c-card but that is rare in my experience.

If you go in there for your air/gas fills weekly and they _see_ that you are burning through 6-8 tanks every 2 weeks, run into you on the beach regularly, you know the staff by name and they know you, they probably wouldn't ask, but again, if you are Joe (or Jeff) diver off the street Don't fault em for being thorough.

And anyway, how hard would it be to download you dive computer or sensus or whatever you have and print off say the last 20?

I was expressing surprise, no criticism was intended. Your points are all good, and I have nothing bad to say about Silent World.

I've done tons of deep tech dives with many different operations around here and never had to do anything except sign a waiver....

[CaptnJack]

I've done tons of deep tech dives with many different operations around here and never had to do anything except sign a waiver....

Locally, shop organized charters seem to be more "organized" than the actual boat operators. I actually see it as a positive that they care enough to make the dive match your experience. I try to do this on my own boat, although I don't look at people's books to do it.

[Joshua Smith]

I've done tons of deep tech dives with many different operations around here and never had to do anything except sign a waiver....

Locally, shop organized charters seem to be more "organized" than the actual boat operators. I actually see it as a positive that they care enough to make the dive match your experience. I try to do this on my own boat, although I don't look at people's books to do it.

Yeah, I don't really have a problem with it. From what I know about liability as a general contractor, I'm surprised at how easy it is....although, now that I think about it, everything I've done involved an invite from someone who vouched for not only my certification level, but more importantly, my skill level. When I have seen "unknowns" show up, they did have to show cards. So I guess its not so simple.

[Norris]

I stopped really logging at about 200 and even those got less and less defined as the list grew. However; it's my experience that occasionally you will be asked to produce either an advanced card and/or some kind of log to do some tropical boat dives. As Laura stated its really not difficult to just download your last 20-30 dives and print out a spreadsheet should you need some type of reference to the fact that you are, in fact, a loopy PNW diver who dives all the time!!!!

[CaptnJack]

Yeah, I don't really have a problem with it. From what I know about liability as a general contractor, I'm surprised at how easy it is....although, now that I think about it, everything I've done involved an invite from someone who vouched for not only my certification level, but more importantly, my skill level. When I have seen "unknowns" show up, they did have to show cards. So I guess its not so simple.

There seems to be a set of dives where they don't care at all. If you are putting the BC on the tank right-side-up you'll survive. Then a set of dives where the operators are basically hands-off go kill yourself if you want (Admiral Sampson). The in-between stuff where topside bravado doesn't match in water capacity are where they seem to be looking at logs and/or C-cards.

I'm actually kind of glad to see so many of the "cool kids" logging dives still. Its one of those mind maintenance things which should be encouraged. Not to mention it keeps you honest with yourself about what you've really done (or not).

[coulterboy]

I log my dives I think just because I like the ritual of it, and I tend to be a bit OCD with my dive gear. Everything in its place, same way every time, in the same order. It helps me not forget anything when Im loading up to go dive. The divelog has become the post dive ritual to tie it all together at the end. I dont think anyone really cares about it but me, but it pleases me!

+1 I do care about my logs. Often times, I think and reminisce and go back to old logs I have and look back at the buddies I dived with on a particular dive. Also, look at the profile I did for that dive. I don't go to bed on a dive day that I don't log my dives. Old School Baby!

[johnclark]

I log my dives I think just because I like the ritual of it, and I tend to be a bit OCD with my dive gear. Everything in its place, same way every time, in the same order. It helps me not forget anything when Im loading up to go dive. The divelog has become the post dive ritual to tie it all together at the end. I dont think anyone really cares about it but me, but it pleases me!

+1 I do care about my logs. Often times, I think and reminisce and go back to old logs I have and look back at the buddies I dived with on a particular dive. Also, look at the profile I did for that dive. I don't go to bed on a dive day that I don't log my dives. Old School Baby!

Haha same here. I can tell you the exact date and how many times i've dove with coulterboy. The only problem is we don't do it enough. =)

[coulterboy]

I log my dives I think just because I like the ritual of it, and I tend to be a bit OCD with my dive gear. Everything in its place, same way every time, in the same order. It helps me not forget anything when Im loading up to go dive. The divelog has become the post dive ritual to tie it all together at the end. I dont think anyone really cares about it but me, but it pleases me!

+1 I do care about my logs. Often times, I think and reminisce and go back to old logs I have and look back at the buddies I dived with on a particular dive. Also, look at the profile I did for that dive. I don't go to bed on a dive day that I don't log my dives. Old School Baby!

Haha same here. I can tell you the exact date and how many times i've dove with coulterboy. The only problem is we don't do it enough. =)

That's a good one dude!

[kdupreez]

...Haha same here. I can tell you the exact date and how many times i've dove with coulterboy. The only problem is we don't do it enough. =)

That's a good one dude!

Get a room you two..

[straitscuba]

I stopped logging dives at around 850 in 2006. I spent a few years doing almost exclusively working dives and didn't really care to read "rudder inspection" in my log. That said going back through my dive log has pushed me into diving for fun again. I was amazed to read through some of my pages in my log, I could tell how excited I was about the dive based on the volume of information I wrote. I really need to start logging dives again just for that reason!

[Mortuus]

I like to log my dives because I know one day I will really enjoy reading my notes about some dives, and watching my experience grow all over again. I just hope that no one ever requires buddy signatures from me. I stopped getting those after about 60 dives. Too much of a pita

[Linedog]

FWTW I have gone back to logging my dives, usually at home later in the day.