Are aquarium maintenance dives logable

[g1138]

You cannot log them as open water dives by agency standards.
An aquarium tank is considered a closed, confined, and controlled environment.

PADI would not allow our aquarium to log the 42ft deep exhibit tank as an open water dive because it is considered Confined Water and not open water.
Same deal if you were to dive the Nemo 33 pool, as silly as the max depth for that dive would sound being "not loggable" to class pre-requisite dives

As such when we went through Rescue Class training of our aquarium staff, the final checkout had to be done in open water.

NAUI is the same way and I'm sure others are as well.
For this reason I personally keep two log books, one for Open water dives and one purely for Aquarium Exhibit dives. I like traditional pen and paper logging though.
For your use, you'll probably have an online or paper logging system strictly for your aquarium dives for your Dive Safety Officer's records. I would just use that. Most likely you'll be able to print out or save an Excel sheet off that system if it's online.


I as an recreational instructor would take those types of dives into account after a small interview with a student however.
A strict by-the-books instructor would not.

 

[boulderjohn]

Seriously? People actually need to pad their numbers with only 40 dives required to start the PADI Divemaster course?

Professional Association of Diving Instructors

Why single out PADI? Amy agency that has any requirements for a number of dives for anything can be subject to people padding dive counts.

 

[RJP]

Why single out PADI? Amy agency that has any requirements for a number of dives for anything can be subject to people padding dive counts.

The standards have really been relaxed - when I did my training you needed to fudge 60 dives to start the DM program. Now you only have to fudge 40. Why, soon you won't need to fudge ANY dives!

---------- Post added November 23rd, 2014 at 08:21 PM ----------

I as an recreational instructor would take those types of dives into account after a small interview with a student however.
A strict by-the-books instructor would not.

Does your agency allow instructors the "teaching freedom" to waive prerequisites?

 

[g1138]

Does your agency allow instructors the "teaching freedom" to waive prerequisites?

I confused shop prereqs with agency prereqs. I'm referring with NAUI in this.
No my agency doesn't allow me that freedom to interpret Open Water dives.

So for professional rating courses like DM & Inst. where I'm turning in logs of my student's prerequisite dives I'd follow with the letter.
With recreational courses where the shop can set their prerequisites, I can be allowed that freedom to consider dives that aren't in open water.
I don't see any dive count pre-reqs in my S&P. It's written to evaluate "proper knowledge and skill" for the class as a prerequisite.
So that's where I guess I got a bit confused.

 

[Akimbo]

Why single out PADI? Amy agency that has any requirements for a number of dives for anything can be subject to people padding dive counts.

Because I didn't feel like doing an inventory on all the others, PADI is the biggest in the US.

 

[RJP]

Because I didn't feel like doing an inventory on all the others, PADI is the biggest in the [-]US[/-] world.

Fixed it for you.

 

[Zeagle Eagle]

BIC dives!

 

[KeithG]

I'm going to be volunteering at an aquarium and what to know if those dive count as logged dives. I know a dive has to be at least 20 minutes and you have to consume at least 1500 psi (i was told). Is the aquarium considered a confined water dive thus his not logable?

Thanx

do you have a logbook?
do you have a pen?
if you answer yes to both then log it.

a log book is all about logging your dive experiences. your experiences, your choice what to log.

you can then argue with others about it afterwards.

NOTE: aquarium dives count as double bonus points if you actually manage to spear something...the big challenge is sneaking the speargun into the tank...

 

[Michael Guerrero]

There are no scuba police...except here on SB.

 

[dytis-sm]

I dive at an aquarium weekly and have to log the dives at the aquarium for their own purposes (training, informing aquarists of issues in the tanks, etc.). It is required by the aquarium but as far as my personal dive logs are concerned, I would not bother with them. Then again I am at a diving point that I do not feel the need to log anything unless I am changing gear and need to record something for future reference. The only reason I think one needs to log dives is towards training (divemaster, etc.) and I believe that even if you log the aquarium dives someone reviewing your logs will draw their own conclusions. But I disagree with those that claim that aquarium dives are not proper dives...They are as good as any tropical dive with perfect conditions. I do not see any difference between diving in an aquarium and a tropical local on a perfect day. Actually the aquarium maybe a bit more challenging since you do have to maintain proper buoyancy while working at the bottom either cleaning, feeding, presenting, or interacting with the public. You are also navigating in tight spaces between jets from the various pumps which also add to the realism. This is why I believe that these dives should count towards establishing ones' diving skills one way or another.