Number of Dives vs. Dive Hours

[Diver Dennis]

Good points Gary. I never really thought about it that way but you're right and I agree that those are definitely contributing factors. As with most things, a person can't make a statement that is too general.

 

[grazie42]

Also, the more techdiving you do the longer your dives will be, and fewer in numbers...

In the end, no of dives/hours are just that, numbers. You find out if someone is a good diver by diving with them, everything else is just an educated guess...

 

[SparticleBrane]

After a quick glance in my log, I fout that I have about a 3:4 ratio of dive hours to number of dives.

 

[sasscuba]

Some are masters at 50 dives some suck at 500 dives. Numbers just don't mean that much.

:lol:

 

[diverdown247]

Many say it’s easier that way since it’s hard to track time if you don’t have a dive computer.

Your thoughts?

I sure would like to know where this comes from. My understanding is that if you're making safe dives, you've got a computer, dive watch, or other bottom timer so that you don't exceed your nitrogen levels.

With that said, if you log a safe dive properly, how can you not track the time, surface interval time, or pressure group? You can't if you're making safe dives and have the forward planning to have your dive info written down for emergency services should an emergency occur.

All of the information: bottom time, depth, time in, time out, surface interval, experience, date/time of last dive, dive buddy(s), Nitrox/air/or other mixed gas info can save a life just as easily as not having the info can cause a death.

 

[isurus]

I think to the extent either measure is useful (which is not very) dives is more useful than time. I say this because conditions will be (slightly) different on each dive, more or less current/warmth/terrain etc so the experience level is potentially increased more by say having 1 1 hour dive and 3 dives you chose to bin after 20 minutes for various reasons in your logbook than 1 2 hour critter search in 5m.

 

[caveseeker7]

I think the hours vs number, may it be in diving or elsewhere, derives at least in part from the equipment used. If there is a need to record usage time, then you'll more often than not find that the person also records the time rather than numbers. That aside, the more involved the equipment, the more operating/monitoring needs to be done, so hours tend to be a better indicator of experience (not necessarily skill ).

Flying is one example, airframe and engine need to be checked and rebuild, and that is done by time. Hence pilots need to record the hours, and record their time behind the stick. You'll find the same with rebreather divers. Rebreathers are rated by scrubber time, you get a certain amount per absorbant fill. You record it of you don't use it all in one dive. You track battery time for pO2 monitors and/or electronic controllers. You track the time the O2 sensors have been used. Recording the dives in hours just makes sense. As you record dive (time)s by numbers, you have both anyway, for me both on open and closed circuit. But when referring to diving in general or OC in particular, I usually give dives, when talking about rebreathers usually by hours.

It's all very relative and there is only so much you can read from it.
Someone tells you he did a dive last Saturday. Someone else says he did three. Doesn't tell you much. One says I dove 8 hrs, the other says 3 hours. You don't know if the first one collected golf balls in 5 ft deep water traps all day, while the second one did three 1 hr dives off a boat in lousy conditions. If the first guy says he did an 8 hr dive last Saturday you know there was a lot involved. If the second guys was bimbling along a nice reef there probably wasn't much to it.

As mentioned above, just numbers, may they be dive numbers or hours, don't really tell you a whole lot.

 

[ArcticDiver]

I would like to get some of your opinions in regards tracking your experience level either from number of dives or from number of dive hours. I know from the majority the folks I dive with the number of dives seems to show the key of experience. Many say it’s easier that way since it’s hard to track time if you don’t have a dive computer. But I can see a benefit tracking my experience by hours. Like with other types of activities such as flying, experience is logged by hours and not the number of flights...

I have not real strong opinion on either way but was interested in getting some of your feedback on this....



Your thoughts?

Figure out why you are keeping the log. Then you will know how and what to put in it. Many don't keep one at all. Others just jot a few reminder notes about weighting, thermal protection, location, etc. Still others wouldn't dream of logging anything less than a complete, detailed story about each dive.

The log is for you. As another thread on this board testifies your log will probably never be looked at by any one else but you. So, log whatever makes you happy.

 

[cummings66]

To add to the discussion, pilots also record the number of flights by virtue of recording the takeoff and landings they make.

The point being both numbers are useful, both in diving and in flying.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Your log book shouldn't be to impress others. It should be a record or diary of your adventures. You should log both number of dives and a running total of your bottom time. You should also log SAC, equipment used, or anything else that interests you. You should keep mementos of trips and dives such as boarding passes, flamingo feathers, breakfast cards, etc. Diving is not a contest, there are no scoreboards. Do it the way you like it and keep a diary of what you have done. Numbers do not a great diver make but had you rather ride with a pilot with 20000 hours or one with 20? By the way, if you want to keep score, remember that the number of exits are far more important than the number of entries in diving.