Importance of Log Book?

[Tippytoes12]

For many of the reasons given above I still log my dives...I hope to hit 400 in 2014. I consider logbook as a diary of my diving , this really helpful if we go back to an area and want to check what conditions were like on our first visit. Logging helps me remember what we saw...but now we take photos that's even better. In Asia on very rare occasions we have been asked to show our log books.

 

[TMHeimer]

I sometimes check the book for stuff like what the water temp. was where & when. Or if I can't recall what shells I found on what boat dive. Or maybe something about a class I DMd. I don't need it for stuff like weighting, exposure suit, etc. as my routine per year is very routine. But mainly it's there for my apparent OCD.

 

[Imbodie]

I use diveguide.com to log my dives... they have an app for ios or android (I don't like entering my dives on my phone though... locations just don't work well with it... but I'm much more compliant than I was with a paper log.

-Tim

 

[Learn It]

I log to have a record of where I was, the conditions of where I was, what I was doing and how I was doing it...Makes planning future dives that much easier.

 

[Corlett]

I log all my dives, I work as a volunteer assistant archaeologist and it is essential we log all dives, not just for the reasons expressed above but for a C.V with archaeology, which helps to progress to other projects and coordanates, etc etc,

If you can be bothered I advise to log your dives, today is today but one never knows tomorrow and you would regret not being able to participate in some underwater adventure / project purely because you did not log your dives..

 

[Bob DBF]

I started logging dives three times, so far. My last attempt is going well as my dive computer remembers and tells my computer what to log so it is harder to loose the log now. My most important info is weighting which depends on the gear I wear and the water, fresh or salt. I do regret, on occasion, not having a log on some of my dives, but I am getting old. The reason I started logging dives, this time, was for training, however no one actually asked to see the book, your experience may vary.



Bob

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Benefits to logging dives, if you take time to log all meaningful information, include:

1. Proof of diving experience for purposes of continuing training prerequisites, or proof of experience to show a dive operator so as to be allowed to go on certain dives;
2. Creating of a data base of weighting for various equipment and conditions;
3. Creating date on air consumption rates based on depth, conditions, and purpose of various dives;
4. Creating a data base of dive sites and their topography, fish life, currents, and other information for repeat trips or sharing with other divers headed to those sites;
5. Noting information on other divers participating in the dive, and contacts for them for future reference;
6. Any other relevant information.

My dive log has resulted in a weighting chart I keep update, so I know what weight is proper when wearing what equipment in the conditions I will be diving. This is a hugely useful bit of information. I alos use the log to compare the condition of a site to the last time we dove it. For example, on a recent trip to Akumal we dove several sites we had visited a year and two years before, and I compared notes in particular on lion fish spotted and at what depth, and was able to note the decline in spottings and the deeper depths where those we did spot were found. We were able to share this information with a local group that is involved with eradication of the lion fish. On laswt use of a dive log that is maintained with substantive information and date. It helps me keep track of the performance of equipment, and the time under water that equipment has been used and how it is functioning. That helps in the determination of when it is time to have a piece of gear serviced, hoses replaced, and so on. I am a BIG fan of logging every dive. I have a blog post on that you may want to read.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Fish in a Barrel]

I log mainly for a record of equipment and conditions I can refer back to when making decisions on future dives. Should I bring the 3mm or the 5mm? Let me look in my log to see what I've used in the past and if I noted being cold. How much weight do I use with this combination of wetsuit? Let me check my log for the last time I dove that.

Of course, this is impossible if you don't actually write useful information in the log. Like Imbodie, the quality of my logging went way up when I started logging directly into my Android tablet with DiveMate USB. I find it much easier to just hook up the tablet, download the dives, and type in equipment notes and a dive description.

 

[freewillie]

I have already finished one complete log book at 50 dives and well into my second. It is sort of a diary of previous dives and is a neat reminder of fun and unusual dives. I like to collect the different stamps from any new dive operator when on vacation. I also like to put down any interesting or rare fish that I saw on a dive.

From a practical aspect in my new log book I only include date, dive buddy, location, exposure suit, and weight for the technical part. Any neat things I put in the notes. My daughter did not record the weights for her previous dives with her new wetsuit and then had to guess on her last dive. She couldn't remember her weights other than she felt a little heavy. For that reason I like to put down wetsuit and weight.

I also have a goal in the distant future to volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. They require 50 logged dives as minimum number along with Rescue Diver Certification. So I log every dive these days.

I've never been asked for the log book itself, just asked how long ago was the last dive. But since I like to get the log book stamped I always take it with me on vacation and to the dive boat anyways.

 

[tengsr]

I had this discussion with my instructor, cause I don't log. He said if I really need it, buy a new book and start at 100 or 150 or something. Whatever the standard number of pages are and where you think you are