To Log or not to Log, that is the question...

SmokingMirror · Jun 16, 2005

Since starting to dive (roughly in May of last year), I have only logged the original OW dives, and only then because I had never dived before and considered it standard procedure...

...however, since finishing OW it very quickly became clear that - with the exception of wanting to retain a written record as an aid to memory - the logging of dives is largely irrelevant.

I've since gone on to complete the AOW, CPR/First Aid, and Rescue Diver courses, and throughout each - and during the 50 or so pure pleasure dives done when not on a course - I've never felt the need nor desire to log my dives.
For the signups to the aforementioned courses, and indeed for the ordinary non-course dives, I've not had to show, or been asked for, my logbook (which is admittedly slightly concerning as whilst I am honest about my diving experience, I could easily not be, which could itself result in a situation where I am expected to perform above my levels of comfort and skill).

So, the question here really is do you log your dives, and, regardless of your answer, why?

dyarab · Jun 16, 2005

I log all my dives... so far. I do it because I really enjoy it. My wife and I sit down whenever we get back to the resort, hotel, or whatever and do it together. I find that we both see different stuff, even being close to each other, and remind each other of things the other forgets.

Wijbrandus · Jun 16, 2005

My wife and I both log our dives. She records a ton of information about what she saw, I just enter the data points.

For her, it's a way of remembering everything she saw and what was cool about the dive. Most of the time she can't fit in everything she wants to record, but she's able to look back and say what we saw and where, and that's pretty nice.

For me, it's more of a statistical record. This way, if I ever need to show my logbook to validate my claimed experience, I have information to provide. I have dreams of someday going tech, and maybe even professional, and qualified logged dives will be needed at some point in both areas.

Plus, for me, tracking my bottom time is pretty cool.

Mark Vlahos · Jun 16, 2005

SmokingMirror:
Since starting to dive (roughly in May of last year), I have only logged the original OW dives, and only then because I had never dived before and considered it standard procedure...

...however, since finishing OW it very quickly became clear that - with the exception of wanting to retain a written record as an aid to memory - the logging of dives is largely irrelevant.

I've since gone on to complete the AOW, CPR/First Aid, and Rescue Diver courses, and throughout each - and during the 50 or so pure pleasure dives done when not on a course - I've never felt the need nor desire to log my dives.
For the signups to the aforementioned courses, and indeed for the ordinary non-course dives, I've not had to show, or been asked for, my logbook (which is admittedly slightly concerning as whilst I am honest about my diving experience, I could easily not be, which could itself result in a situation where I am expected to perform above my levels of comfort and skill).

So, the question here really is do you log your dives, and, regardless of your answer, why?

There are no "Scuba Police" if you don't write youd dive history into a log book so what.

Having said that, if you ever want to take the "Solo Diver" course offered by SDI you will need to provide proof of at least 100 dives. A log book is the most widely accepted way to do this. If you never want to take that course then the failure to keep a log is simply not an issue.

I have been on boats where they wanted to see my log book, but since I did not know this in advance I did not bring my log book, my advanced open water card, and some intensive questioning by the operator did suffice to let me go on the dive in question. They were looking for some sort of indication that I could handle the conditions involved and they must have been satisfied by my answers.

So... if you choose not to keep a written log the choice is yours. It may cause you some difficulties in the future, or it may not, only time will tell.

Mark Vlahos

El Orans · Jun 16, 2005

Wijbrandus:
For her, it's a way of remembering everything she saw and what was cool about the dive. Most of the time she can't fit in everything she wants to record, but she's able to look back and say what we saw and where, and that's pretty nice.

For me, it's more of a statistical record. This way, if I ever need to show my logbook to validate my claimed experience, I have information to provide. I have dreams of someday going tech, and maybe even professional, and qualified logged dives will be needed at some point in both areas.

I think both reasons are excellent reasons. Just log it.

MichaelBaranows · Jun 16, 2005

It maybe only because I am new diver but I like to fill out my log book. To me it help me realise all the new stuff I am learning and things I need to remember in the future.

mossym · Jun 16, 2005

yeah, you never know when a boat captain might demand to see your log book to make sure you're up to the dives...better to have it done..

randy54 · Jun 16, 2005

I've been logging mostly "because I was told I should". The first time I talked to someone who had stopped logging theirs, I thought they were nuts. Then I had about 40 dives. Now approching 200, unless something neat happens, I'm not so interested, though I do find counting the hours underwater much more intreging then the number of dives.

SmokingMirror · Jun 16, 2005

Mark Vlahos:
There are no "Scuba Police" if you don't write youd dive history into a log book so what.

Having said that, if you ever want to take the "Solo Diver" course offered by SDI you will need to provide proof of at least 100 dives. A log book is the most widely accepted way to do this. If you never want to take that course then the failure to keep a log is simply not an issue.

Now that's interesting. Is it just PADI who aren't diligent about checking the prerequisite amount of dives prior to course signups? Or perhaps it just varies from LDS to LDS and I haven't yet been to one that does?

From the few responses so far, it seems that the aid to memory is the most common use of the dive log, which is fine, for reasons of both pleasurable recollection and as a tangible way of charting your experience (a log might, I suppose, show you that X dives ago you were not particularly skilled at a certain task), which would then provide an idea - albeit a very rough one - of your progress.

I think a great deal of the reason for my asking is that a few months ago, whilst I was doing my AOW, this very subject came up, and I was surprised at the amount of people who faithfully recorded every minute detail into their books and presented them to the instructor for a signature at the end of each dive, not because they necessarily needed to, but because that's the way they'd been shown and doing anything different was inconceivable.

Wijbrandus · Jun 16, 2005

I think a more important question is do you get your logs signed off?

My training dives have an Instructors signature. My dives with my wife have hers. My dives with other buddies are simply my own notes, and no signatures. My wife and my Instructors seem to be the only ones interested in signing my logs.

Does a log entry without a corroborating signature become invalid?

To Log or not to Log, that is the question...

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