Is there a need for Divemaster to stamp Dive log?

[g8rphan19]

I know this thread is old, but it is very relevant to what I'm trying to find out.
I'm getting certified, our OW cert dives are this Sat and Sunday. I'm trying to find out if I need to buy the SSI divelog.
I've found similar templates online that I could print out and use instead. Would my own "version" be authentic if I want to go to Advanced Open water in the future?
Lastly, if I go diving with my friend on his boat, there is no "divemaster" to sign off on my divelog, would those dives still be "counted" when trying to advance?

Thanks in advance!

Michael

 

[ZzzKing]

Not only do you not need signatures, you don't need a logbook. Is it a good idea? Yeah, probably so.

 

[rstofer]

Well, of course you need a logbook. And you need somebody's signature on every dive.

Why? If you ever want the PADI (or NAUI) Master Scuba Diver certificate, you have to show 50 logged dives. I don't think an unsigned computer spreadsheet is going to cut it. Sounds like Internet diving to me!

All of my training dives have a very large NAUI stamp on them and the instructors signature and number included. This made if very easy to convert my NAUI Advanced Open Water plus Rescue into Master Scuba Diver even though my certs weren't in the online database.

My biggest disappointment with PADI is that the instructors around here don't sign logbooks. I kind of wonder why...

Richard

 

[Crowley]

An old post but since it's here!

As others have pointed out - for the PADI Open water course, it is a requirement that the student "log the dive for the instructor's signature" on the 4 training dives. It is not a requirement to have a specific type of logbook - a notepad would do - but I think it's a dman good idea to have one, especially in the early days. Most divers love to see those 50 or 100 dive milestones logged and in some cases the log book might be required as proof of a certain number of logged dives. If you start a class with me which required a minimum number of dives (DM, IDC, for example, or agency crossover) then for sure I will be examining your logbook and questioning unsigned dives if all I see is a lot of blank pages which just say "dive number 35" or something.

A completed training log can serve as verification of certification in the event of a missing c-card; or it can certainly help.

Can all this stuff be faked? Of course - I'm not going to ring around every diver's buddies to check they actually did that dive - to a certain extent we have to take that on faith.

On the other hand - why lie? If you need a minimum number of dives to do something and you fake a log book to do it then you don't deserve to be on that course anyway. Certainly if I found somebody doing that it would be goodbye, no refunds!

Also - I'm super proud of my early log books. I don't log most of my dives these days because I do so very many of them at the same place with the same profile and the same critters, just different people. But I still log all my holiday dives. I like to look back through them and see things like the first time I saw a shark which doesn't have much detail apart from depth, time, pressure groups and "WHITE TIP REEF SHARK WOOOOOOO"!

Happy logging,

C.

 

[Lead_carrier]

I know this thread is old, but it is very relevant to what I'm trying to find out.
I'm getting certified, our OW cert dives are this Sat and Sunday. I'm trying to find out if I need to buy the SSI divelog.
I've found similar templates online that I could print out and use instead. Would my own "version" be authentic if I want to go to Advanced Open water in the future?
Lastly, if I go diving with my friend on his boat, there is no "divemaster" to sign off on my divelog, would those dives still be "counted" when trying to advance?

Thanks in advance!

Michael

With SSI you are supposed to have a SSI dive log. There is a signature sheet in the from that the instructor is supposed to have signed off after completing your academics, your pool sessions and finally your certification dives. As far as having a dm sign off on your other dives, it isn't neccessary. But if you plan on counting any of your dives toward speciality credit sometimes it's nice to have the dm's signature.

 

[Sas]

I know this thread is old, but it is very relevant to what I'm trying to find out.
I'm getting certified, our OW cert dives are this Sat and Sunday. I'm trying to find out if I need to buy the SSI divelog.
I've found similar templates online that I could print out and use instead. Would my own "version" be authentic if I want to go to Advanced Open water in the future?
Lastly, if I go diving with my friend on his boat, there is no "divemaster" to sign off on my divelog, would those dives still be "counted" when trying to advance?

Thanks in advance!

Michael

I did my OW course through SSI. I did not use an SSI 'DiveLog'. There is a form you fill out and get signed off by your instructor but was kept in the shop. To log your dives you can use whatever you want as far as I know. For example, my log is electronic so I have no signatures for any of my dives.

As far as whether they will be counted, I personally have never been questioned on the validity of my log book but then nearly all of my dives have been done locally and I was known to the shops I have done certifications through. Not sure how it works with an instructor you don't know but if you are worried just get your buddy to sign your log (though signatures and divelogs are easy to forge if one has that intent so I really do not see why it is necessary). A DM should not be necessary as many do not dive with DMs...

 

[sabbath999]

As far as whether they will be counted, I personally have never been questioned on the validity of my log book but then nearly all of my dives have been done locally and I was known to the shops I have done certifications through.

My new theory based upon your statement: The amount they look at your log book when getting certs is directly proportinal to the number of empty tanks you drag in for fills every weekend... im my case, one particular LDS filler started laughing at me when I brought in tanks 5, 6, 7 and 8 for fills within 24 hours... for just the two of us. "Good lord, man, what are you DOING with all this air?"

Umm... diving?

 

[Sas]

My new theory based upon your statement: The amount they look at your log book when getting certs is directly proportinal to the number of empty tanks you drag in for fills every weekend... im my case, one particular LDS filler started laughing at me when I brought in tanks 5, 6, 7 and 8 for fills within 24 hours... for just the two of us. "Good lord, man, what are you DOING with all this air?"

Umm... diving?

Yea that gives places an idea how active you are. Though I stopped getting fills at the place I did most of my certs with early on. $9 for a fill (at a discount as I was a club member) versus another shop for $5! (this shop does not offer training) The diving community isn't huge here and if you dive a lot you tend to get to know the local shops though. I guess in places like this it would be hard to make up 50 dives without someone getting a bit suss... I do know of a couple of people who broke up longer dives into 20min lots up to get their numbers up for DM though... but the dive shop that certified one of them did not care as long as they came up with the $$ and passed the DM requirements. I think sometimes one should look at average dive time, not just total dive numbers to gauge experience.

 

[fnfalman]

I have the instructors signed my dive logs for the dives that I have done as part of a training course. Otherwise, I don't have a dive master/instructor sign anything else.

 

[b1gcountry]

I know this thread is old, but it is very relevant to what I'm trying to find out.
I'm getting certified, our OW cert dives are this Sat and Sunday. I'm trying to find out if I need to buy the SSI divelog.
I've found similar templates online that I could print out and use instead. Would my own "version" be authentic if I want to go to Advanced Open water in the future?
Lastly, if I go diving with my friend on his boat, there is no "divemaster" to sign off on my divelog, would those dives still be "counted" when trying to advance?

Thanks in advance!

Michael

As far as personal use goes, yes, you can definitely, and 100% use any form of logbook you like to log your dives. The information is what is important, and any agency will accept all dives logged in a reasonable manner...as long as your logbook is more than a stick you cut a notch out of for each dive, you won't have any issues for AOW and beyond where they want dive counts. Also, BTW, I'm certified up to Divemaster, and Trimix, and never once has anyone other than me ever looked through my logbook.

As far as the course goes, the cost of the book may be included in your class price, so you might not be able to get out of paying for it. Your instructor might be required to sign your logbooks, etc as per agency standards, but I see no issue in providing a different logbook for them to sign. They however, might be encouraged to use the logbooks they sell to try to promote future sales, etc. Worst case scenario is you just bring both logbooks in, and have the instructor sign both.

Tom