Is there a need for Divemaster to stamp Dive log?

[birdchua]

Hi,

I am a newbie in diving and would like to know is it necessary for the dive master / instructor to stamp their name on our dive log book? My instructor did not stamp anything on my dive log for my open water course and when I call up he told me it is not necessary

Thank

 

[Wildcard]

A sig with a cert number should do it.

 

[Mike Newman]

You should have an instructor's signature certifying satisfactory completion of dives completed as part of a course. The awarding organisation will not recognise dives that are not so certified. The signature should be that of the instructor actually assessing the performance of the various skills performed during the dive in question. However, if you have fulfilled all of the criteria for certification and you receive a certification card, there are few dive operations that will be too demanding about seeing your log book. The best thing though is to catch up with your instructor, if you can, and get those necessary signatures.

 

[birdchua]

Thanks will catch up with him and ask him to stamp it.

 

[paulwlee]

In the case of PADI, the standards do say that the instructor has to sign each of the training dives.

However, for the diver being certified, there is really no use at all for the signature. Noone will check for signatures even in the rare case someone asks to see a logbook. What they are looking for is an adequate record of dives that demonstrate experience suited to the diving you are going to participate in.

You don't still ask someone else whether you can go to the restroom, do you?

So, my advice is don't bother, and spend the time in a more productive way... maybe learning more about diving?

 

[DORSETBOY]

Paul I dont think anyone is going to be spending much time getting the instructor to do the job properly in the first place, doesn't take long to do and it is very important that the student has the name and number of the instructor who certified them. How elase are they going to chase things up if there's a problem? much easier to have all the details available in the first place htan to have to contact the cert agency without any info.

 

[jbd]

Paul I dont think anyone is going to be spending much time getting the instructor to do the job properly in the first place, doesn't take long to do and it is very important that the student has the name and number of the instructor who certified them. How elase are they going to chase things up if there's a problem? much easier to have all the details available in the first place htan to have to contact the cert agency without any info.

I agree. There should be a signature for the skills training and the OW cert dives.

 

[DORSETBOY]

Yep, one reason being (and I'll try not to go too off post!) is that it is not unknown for some instructors not to bother doing certain skills or to mix up the order in which the do the skills over a norm course - if an instructor signs and stamps a log book with a record of the dive and skills then they cant get away with doing this and if they do they will get caught out.

 

[miketsp]

All my logs are electronic since dive 1.
I do have a collection of sheets of blank A4 paper with stamps & signatures from various operators that provide them to either cut out and stick on the print-out later or to scan and add electronically.
If I really wanted to falsify another couple of hundred dives, given the current state of the art in scanning & printing, it would be easy. But what's the point? The moment I open my mouth the truth would be obvious.
As far as proving I did courses, I have the receipts & cheque stubs.

 

[Rick Murchison]

In the United States there are no laws governing recreational diving (nor should there be), therefore there are no "absolutes." What exists is a conglomeration of common standards (Recreational Scuba Training Council (RSTC) Standards), individual agency standards, standards of practice and a ton of "conventions" that define what is "right" or "acceptable" or not.
My agency (SSI) specifically requires in its training standards that every student has a log book, and that the open water training record log pages be signed/initialed by both the instructor and the student. (So if your instructor is training under SSI then it is "necessary.")
Beyond that, it's your log book; keep whatever you want in it. It may come in handy in many ways in the future - not the least of which may be documenting experience.
Rick