Aqaurium Dive Question

[dyarab]

My buddy volunteer dives at the Aquarium of the Pacific. He keeps a seperate log book for his own personal records. So I guess its an "unofficial" logbook of cool memories of his experiences and accounts with the different animals he feeds and cares for. Also, you may want to look into the criteria for volunteers. I know at AOP, they require Rescue Certification, min. 60 logged dives and you have to pass a test and demonstrate good buoyancy skills in a pool.

Good to know for future reference. I should have Rescue by the time they would need volunteers,

and have over 60 dives.

Trip back to the Keys (was just there at the end of May) in July. I will get 6 dives minimum... and hopefully a few AOW check-offs done as well.

 

[randy54]

If I remember the standards right, it takes a minimum of 15' deep, 15 minutes, and an entry/exit in open water to make a loggable dive. With that said, there's really no reason you can't log it just to record memories, or for your own reference, but it won't be counted if you do something that requires a minimum number of logged dives, such as DM/DiveCon/Instructor.

So how do/would you log a quarry, cave or smaller lake dive? all confied water dives. (just doing the devils advacate thing)

 

[Halthron]

So how do/would you log a quarry, cave or smaller lake dive? all confied water dives. (just doing the devils advacate thing)

I was thinking the same thing since it's all about perception. Even a teacup has miniscule tides.

 

[matt_unique]

I got to dive in the New England Aquarium last year and I definitely logged the dive. It was an unusual/rare experience and I thought it was really cool. I maintain my log book as a learning tool, reminders (weight to use in warm water for example), and as a diary to capture the experience for future reference. If I were diving it 3 times a day as an employee I would not log them.

--Matt

 

[Aquanaut4ata]

So how do/would you log a quarry, cave or smaller lake dive? all confied water dives. (just doing the devils advacate thing)

That question could open up all kinds of debate. I actaully got out my standards book this time, and my previous answer was correct, with the addition of planning, briefing, and logging the dive, but the book specifies those standards as applied to an open water traing dive., and not necessarily an open water dive.
The book doesn't give a definition of "open water" but defines "confined water" as:"Any body of water that offers conditions similar to those of a pool". This is from the 2005 SSI Training and dealer standards, and the confined water definition is in there, but exerpted from the RSTC standards. I checked the RSTC website, and they don't give a definition of open water either, so really I guess "conditions similar to those of a pool" is a matter of interpretation to some degree, but definitely wouldn't encompass a lake, quarry, or cave.

 

[blueeyes_austin]

If I remember the standards right, it takes a minimum of 15' deep, 15 minutes, and an entry/exit in open water to make a loggable dive. With that said, there's really no reason you can't log it just to record memories, or for your own reference, but it won't be counted if you do something that requires a minimum number of logged dives, such as DM/DiveCon/Instructor.

Hm. So an 90 minute muck dive at 3-4 meters in a lagoon in PNG isn't a logable dive?

Whatever.

 

[Dragon2115]

I look at it this way, were you down long enough to have to breath off of your tank? Were you down deep enough that ascending too quickly could result in injury? If the answer each is yes, then it was a dive so go ahead and log it if you want to. If you include the details in the log it's easy for anyone reading it to understand what you did. Isn't that the point of a log book?

 

[doctormike]

You will really enjoy the Epcot dive. It is very cool experience. THe corals in the aquarium are fake and look like it when in the aquarium. The fish are really cool, but watching the little kids through the glass is the best part.

Andrew

Absolutely. Have done this three times. Best part by far is interacting with the kids... Having done a bit of reef diving, I really didn't find swimming with the local fishies that exciting (especially since I didn't have my camera!). Before I did it, I thought that it would be kind of lame. But it was great!

Instead of being the usual Disney tourist, you become part of the show... The kids LOVE it when you swim up to them, and there is a never ending stream of new ones every few minutes... Pat-a-cake is a great game when you play it with the little ones through the glass. Really fun, and you don't have to shlep your gear (they do let you bring a prescription mask if you have one).

Also, you can try out your sign language on the people in the exhibit. The last time I went, my two sons were watching me from the observation deck (the older one has since gotten his OW).. I had to figure out the sign language phrase for "stop hitting your brother, NOW!"

 

[String]

Do they allow non prescription masks? i struggle to find any masks that fit my face so the ones i own are quite important.

 

[doctormike]

Do they allow non prescription masks? i struggle to find any masks that fit my face so the ones i own are quite important.

Well, they didn't check my prescription! I'm sure that would be fine... I think that they are just very careful about people bringing bacteria into the tank from the ocean... for instance, in a wet suit...