logs

[timle]

You seem to equate keeping a log to not doing dives or not being serious about diving. Keeping a log is a way to show you are serious about diving and presents some proof that you are as qualified as you say you are. I, too, find it more important to log failures than successes - those are nice also! But logging failures gives you something to work on in the future. Review you log book and remember, oh yeah last time I went deeper than I planned or I got lost cause I didn't navigate well - instant things to work on.

 

[humanphibian]

I'm big on diving, but not big on diving logs--I'm usually into the challege of a dive, the awesome reefs, the amazing sealife...but I do not keep a log. I've recently been thinking of getting my Divemaster cert. I have more than 80 dives of all kinds, and I love helping people learning the whole diving hobby.
How much of a problem is it that I cannot prove how much time I've spent underwater???

I'm with ya. Note the "logged dives" count on my profile. The closest thing that I keep to a log (unless it's something out of the ordinary) are the notes that I leave under my windshield wiper when I (solo:11: ) dive. They include in-time, run-time, expected profile, return time, and a business card w/ emergency contact info.
I understand the need for a log, but I'd rather dive than write about it.

 

[nshon]

Bought a dive computer immediately after I got my cert and that's pretty much the only prove I have on all my dives.

 

[wedivebc]

If you ever become an instructor you will want to make your log available to your students. How else will they know if you are the best person to train them in the style of diving they seek? Cards mean very little in this sport, dive logs count for much more IMHO.

 

[SDAnderson]

How much of a problem is it that I cannot prove how much time I've spent underwater???

It's a huge problem. On the other hand with less than 100 dives, how much trouble can it be to create a log? Sit down with your calendar and get it done.

 

[bobco]

Start a log, (unless that is you do not want to dive with anyone,) as it tells people far more about you than any C card can. As divers we are what we have dived, its not about just proof, its about you, as a diver.

Bobco

 

[unclewas]

I just can't be bothered "logging dives" anymore, so now I just staple the reciept I get from the dive shop after a week or two of diving to a page in my book.

water"logged"was

 

[idocsteve]

I did not log my dives in the beginning; but one day when diving in the Florida Keys they required me to produce a logbook. So I logged dives after that, and I have found that by doing so it makes it much easier for me to do things such as figure weighting for various situations, learn from mistakes, and dive more efficiently. Plus, logbooks are required by some dive charters, especially in the NE where I recently began diving, and for advanced certifications, such as SDI solo diver (which is on my to-do list). To recreate my first 30+ dives which were not logged, I got in touch with old dive buddies, found underwater pictures in albums, video tapes of dive trips, and just plain old memory. Do the best you can to fill in the blanks and you are off to a good start. Then, keep on logging your new dives and you will get where you need to be. I have read that signatures are not necessarily required in logbooks for the dives to be valid.

 

[String]

Logging is more important for beginning or divers still in training as most courses do (and should) demand proof of experience and previous dives as part of entry criteria for them. If you want to enrol on a course that wants xx dives in total and yy dives below 30m or whatever then i'd make damn sure id logged all of those dives knowing it would be needed.

After that its personal preference. I tend to download all dives off my computer and add brief comments where i can remember them. If its a new site i tend to have a lot more detail about slack water times, depths, layout of site and any other notes. Basically i find it useful to log anything that would come in useful if i want to dive the site again so the first few times on a site tend to get a lot of comments. After the 30th time on it though i tend to just write "same as usual" or whatever.

I also tend to note if trying new kit or combinations or methods such as adjusted harness straps, moved octo location, put reel elsewhere and so on. Things like "used old drysuit, same weight as new suit. Far too heavy" and so on come in very useful for your own knowledge. Thats the key, a personal log is for your own use more than anything else, especially when outside a training structure.

The problem with paper based logs is (i) anyone can invent them and (ii) anyone can forge a signature so its not a foolproof method of guaranteeing the experience claimed is real. Computer downloads are harder to fake the actual dive but again how do you know its THAT persons computer or he was wearing it for that claimed dive. The only sensible way is qualification,logs AND watching them in the water initially to judge how competent they look.

 

[bobco]

Nice web site String,

Bobco,

O yes, agreed to your comments