log book

[Dive Right In Scuba.]

I have had many a guided dive in SE Asia, and I have had many an unguided dive in SE Asia. I was recently in the Philippines, and all the dives were guided, and we were all happy about it. I would say the average diver in our group had maybe 800 logged dives, and some had over 2,000. We all could have done the dives alone, but the dives were better with a local showing us the way. I don't understand the reflexive aversion to a guided dive.

Yes, there are places where guides are required by law, including most famously Cozumel.

Two days ago the second dive of a two tank dive was a drift dive on a reef. We could go in as buddy teams on our own, or we could join the group with a DM. Each group had a dive flag. I would normally go on my own with a buddy and a flag. Unfortunately, I had a regulator problem, and it looked as if I would not be able to dive at all. My buddy joined the group with the DM. At the last minute my problem was solved, and I started to set up my buddy team. One of the crew, who knew me well, said, "Just go with the DM--you'll like it better anyway."

I did like it better! I just moseyed along, not worrying about dragging a dive flag, There was a nice current, so I could have done the whole dive with almost no kicking. That meant my only inconvenience was having to put on a little spurt every now and then to keep up with the rest of them. As the divers ran low on gas, they ascended up the dive flag and to the surface to be picked up. Eventually it was just the DM and I drifting along, and then we surfaced after a very pleasant dive.

 

[Adelaar Cruises]

Greetings from Indonesian Liran Tal,

Don't think of your logbook as work, think of it as a walk down memory lane. You are diving because you enjoy it right? Put all your favorite things in there, draw little caricatures of things you saw, the dive sites or friends you dived with, have them sign it at the end of the day/trip. Make it fun and you'll have wonderful memories to look back on.

Personally, after working as a Cruise Director for 6+ years diving 3-4 times a day I truly regret not keeping a personal logbook. There are times when I run in to old dive buddies and guests and want to recall dives we did together, it would be so much easier if I had logged this information. I often hear "what did we see on this dive last time?" or "where was that place we saw the...?" I wish I had that info at my fingertips. Sure, I have all the information on the trip reports, dive sites, viz and water temp that I've prepared for the guests; but it's nothing personal and fun to look back on.

Keep your own log book, have fun with it, make it a social event (take a page photo and post the FB), sit with your friends, guides, DM's and do some I.D.'s and have a beer at the end of the day, in 5 years you'll be glad you did.

Oh and in Indonesia logbooks are not required (except for possible course work), but you do need you C cards, often times internet is not available or intermittent in dive areas around the archipelago so don't count on looking things up on line.

 

[Reku]

The only time I've been asked about log books was for certifications. (US,Canada)

 

[Diving Dubai]

Here we go.

Normally I just get asked for my last dive date. Normally this is less than a week before

I carry my log on my iPad (may dive) which shows all the computer downloads. A couple of times the operator has looked through it out of interest more than detailed checking.

No probes with checkout dives, most divers won't have dived in the last few months and use it to dial in their weight etc. Some operators want people to practice deploying a DSMB. Always comical.

Generally after the fist days diving we get a lot of latitude with our diving, because we've demonstrated we can dive well and safely, don't mouth off and get the op's back up, and are chilled out and low maintenance.

In SE Asia on both trips we've been allowed to be unguided. The guide was in the water but not guiding, on a liveaboard in the Red Sea they'd ask if anyone wanted guiding - then they'd ask if anyone minded the buddy pairs having the guide tag along as a 3 just to enjoy the dive themselves

Pick your op, be nice and nice things happen.

 

[b-man]

Here we go.

Normally I just get asked for my last dive date. Normally this is less than a week before

I carry my log on my iPad (may dive) which shows all the computer downloads. A couple of times the operator has looked through it out of interest more than detailed checking.

No probes with checkout dives, most divers won't have dived in the last few months and use it to dial in their weight etc. Some operators want people to practice deploying a DSMB. Always comical.

Generally after the fist days diving we get a lot of latitude with our diving, because we've demonstrated we can dive well and safely, don't mouth off and get the op's back up, and are chilled out and low maintenance.

In SE Asia on both trips we've been allowed to be unguided. The guide was in the water but not guiding, on a liveaboard in the Red Sea they'd ask if anyone wanted guiding - then they'd ask if anyone minded the buddy pairs having the guide tag along as a 3 just to enjoy the dive themselves

Pick your op, be nice and nice things happen.

yep, thats my experience also. I worked as a DM guiding dives in SE Asia and sometimes divers would turn up with 8000 dives. We'd take them on a dive for the first dive and then if we could see that they werent gonna be a liability they could really do what they want. If they started going into unscheduled deco and holding everyone else up / being irresponsible then those rights were reversed and if they didn't like it they could find someone else to take them out. Theres always a willing fisherman to jump on board with so if you want to go solo you always can, the shop will sell you refills so you can go off and do your own thing if they know you are a good diver. The bottom line is that its business and people are free to do what they want. Mostly though, the guided dives are just better, as there's loads of coastline but we knew where all the good stuff was! Local knowledge is worth a few quid. Also its a matter of cost. Sharing diesel and vehicle (boat/minibus) costs to the dive site just makes it much cheaper. Also you don't have to think about taking a lunch as its sorted for you.