Log dives or not

[Steve_Dives]

I want to look back and see who I was diving with. Where I went. Where did I click off some of those memorable dive milestones (AOW, # 50, # 100, etc.).

 

[Walter]

Is there a good online one?

I use diverecord.com.

 

[vshearer]

I haven't tried this yet but it will work on many mobile devices

Reef Log Dive log and planning for mobile Palm and Pocket PC The diver and instructor choice in dive log and planning software

 

[beester]

I log my dives for all the reasons mentioned above (sentimental, looking back, reference at dive bases, etc etc).

However for me there is another reason that is a bit more restrictive.

With my current certification agency (CMAS/NELOS) you need to prove certain no of dives in your logbook for certification.

Rescuediver:
60 dives (date of 60th dive)
30 dive hours (date of passing 40 dive hours)
25 dives at 100 feet (date of 25th dive at that depth or deeper)
min 4 boatdives
min 4 dives in local (cold) waters
min 5 dives lead
min half year AOW

Divemaster:
min 40 dives after getting Rescue diver certification
60 dive hours (date of passing 60 dive hours)
120 dives of which
min 40 dives at 100 feet
min 20 dives at 130 feet
min 30 dives at 100 feet North Sea
min 4 dives in tropical sea
min 4 dives in quaries
min full year rescue diver

For divemaster certification you also have to send the certifying agency a complete copy of your logbook. And they will examin this and cross reference with dives in their db (from all instructors). If something does not comply they will call you on it.

If you are an instructor you'll need to send a yearly copy of all your dives done that year to the certification agency (unless you no longer want to teach courses).

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I log mine for information later, reminders of good and bad, and professional reasons as well.

 

[b1gcountry]

With my current certification agency (CMAS/NELOS) you need to prove certain no of dives in your logbook for certification.

Rescuediver:
60 dives (date of 60th dive)
30 dive hours (date of passing 40 dive hours)
25 dives at 100 feet (date of 25th dive at that depth or deeper)
min 4 boatdives
min 4 dives in local (cold) waters
min 5 dives lead
min half year AOW

Divemaster:
min 40 dives after getting Rescue diver certification
60 dive hours (date of passing 60 dive hours)
120 dives of which
min 40 dives at 100 feet
min 20 dives at 130 feet
min 30 dives at 100 feet North Sea
min 4 dives in tropical sea
min 4 dives in quaries
min full year rescue diver

This sounds very arbitrary to me, and most agencies have nothing approaching this level of requirement. I definitely do not like the depth requirement. Especially the potential for someone with 25 of their 60 dives below 100'. The 130' requirement is just absurd, and potentially dangerous. The North Sea/tropical sea/quarry is super arbitrary, and tells me this is some very small, localized agency.

Diving to get to a certain depth is seld-defeating behavior, and leads to a very dangerous take on diving. This is something agencies should try to discourage rather than encourage.

Tom

 

[b1gcountry]

So...back on topic, I made up a dive log page in Word that is very nice. If anyone would like a copy, shoot me an IM, and I'd be happy to forward. Like I said earlier, I print them on Waterproof paper, and have them bound together at the local Kinkos at the end of each year, so I have a separate book for each year.

 

[beester]

This sounds very arbitrary to me, and most agencies have nothing approaching this level of requirement. I definitely do not like the depth requirement. Especially the potential for someone with 25 of their 60 dives below 100'. The 130' requirement is just absurd, and potentially dangerous. The North Sea/tropical sea/quarry is super arbitrary, and tells me this is some very small, localized agency.

Diving to get to a certain depth is seld-defeating behavior, and leads to a very dangerous take on diving. This is something agencies should try to discourage rather than encourage.

Tom

You are correct Tom... it does sound a bit arbitrary and absurd but less so if you look at the whole system. It is indeed from a local... but CMAS approved agency.

However if you look at the whole picture it makes (some) sense... Most Belgian dives are in the Schelde estuary or the North Sea. This means cold low vis water with big tidal currents. On average these dives tend to also be deeper. Deco diving is thought from entry level onwards (in theory) and from rescuediver onwards you'll be fully qualified to do full deco dives.

The theory behind the system is that you need to have done these deep dives to be able to do the deep open water tests that you need to do to pass certification. They make sure in a certain way that you are ready to do these deep tests.

For Divemaster some of the openwater tests are:

* D1 1500 yards swimming fully equiped
* D2 Ascend test from zone 120-130 feet at normal ascend speed. OSB test
* D3 Rescue at 60 feet + tow 150 yards + CPR + 0² administering
* D4 Simulate OOA at 120-130 feet + ascend on 2nd regulator
* D5 Rescue from 120-130 feet arest ascend at 40 feet
* D6 Force rescue (victim without air in BCD) from 120-130 feet arrest ascend at 40 feet.

There used to be an apnea ascend from 130 feet but this has been discontinued.

So if you look at the tests it makes sense that you have some experience at the depths at which those tests are taken.

Also remember these are minimum requirements... you'll never see divers start on divemaster certification until they 've got at least about 200 + dives.

 

[b1gcountry]

Apnea ascent from 120-130'. That is even deeper than the Navy makes their Submariners train from for evacuation drills. And they have onsite decompression chambers. Its probably good that they discontinued it.

Anyway, don't want to get too off topic here...sorry for the interruption

 

[beester]

Apnea ascent from 120-130'. That is even deeper than the Navy makes their Submariners train from for evacuation drills. And they have onsite decompression chambers. Its probably good that they discontinued it.

Anyway, don't want to get too off topic here...sorry for the interruption

That's apparently also the reason the Agency discontinued that particular test... the risk of barotrauma incidents during this test were to big.

Anyway...as you said... I'm sorry for going of topic. The only reason I mentioned this was to give some insight in why those limits are imposed. Why a log is in some ways mandatory. I'm not saying that I fully aprove... but this is just how it is.