Dive logs

[BOBBYR]

I have a question reguarding logging "freedives". My SSI instructor never stated that if you are not using tanks, reg, ect.. if you can and should log them with your regular logged dives. There are a lot of divers here in northern CA that dive for abs, and by law you can't use scuba. By logging these dives would I be "inflating" my experiance level? What are your guys opinion?
Bobby

 

[Bruciebabe]

I have a question reguarding logging "freedives". My SSI instructor never stated that if you are not using tanks, reg, ect.. if you can and should log them with your regular logged dives. There are a lot of divers here in northern CA that dive for abs, and by law you can't use scuba. By logging these dives would I be "inflating" my experiance level? What are your guys opinion?
Bobby

PADI say a dive is 5 metres/20 minutes minimum.
If you do this on your freedives then log them.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

IMO, there's no reason to log them.

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Nothing wrong with keeping a log of your free dives as long as you don't confuse them with scuba dives. PADI's General Standards and Procedures Manual addresses the issue here:

For training purposes, an open water dive is a dive during which a student diver spends the majority of time at a depth of at least 5 metres/15 feet and:
a. breathes at least 1400 litres or 50 cubic feet of compressed gas.
OR
b. remains submerged for at least 20 minutes.​

So it's pretty clear that (if you're PADI certified) you shouldn't log them as dives to meet training requirements. For what it's worth, I log every dive, whether it meets PADI training dive standards or not. I do it for myself and to keep an accurate record of my diving. I do, however, only list the dives that meet training standards in my "official" dive count. (I use a homegrown dive log database that has a nice little check box for this purpose. It also lets me keep track of things like solo dives, quarry dives, low viz dives, etc. I like to look at those things from time to time.)

Just another opinion,
-Grier

 

[rottielover]

Here's a thought, just my .02 cents

My wife and I use the PADI log pages, and we got some small 3 ring binders from the local office supply store (cheaper than the PADI logo book). Anyway, when we bought the 3 ring, it came with tab dividers... So why not devide your log book into sections, SCUBA / FREE DIVE using the tab pages... Makes things easier to flip between your scuba experiance and your free diving experiance.

 

[RumBum]

Some will say a log book is for your own memories, like a journal, so you should log whatever you want to remember. Some keep a strict dive log per PADI rules so they know exactly how many dives they have done on scuba for a thorough accounting of scuba experience. What is your log book's higher purpose?

 

[fdog]

If I do one of those sled-dragged breath holding dives to 100 meters (like Tanya Streeter does) you better believe I'm gonna log it.

All the best, James

 

[BOBBYR]

The reasoning behind my question was because, SSI AOW and other levels of training, is partially based on the number of logged dives. I guess Padi and others place more focus on the class room and checkout dives.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

If he never told you you could log them why bother. Some operators would not accept them for dive trips. Why take the chance. I'd hate to go on a dive that said minimun 20 logged dives in this area or discipline pay for it and then get told no I don't recognize freedives in these conditions. If you want to log them do it seperately. I log every pool session in a ledger book. Of course all of these are helping with students and count towards my DM experience requirements. They are not however dives that would count on boat trip that I would take. AS far as expereience for scuba credit it is that SCUBA CREDIT, not freedive credit. I have to have 60 logged dives for DM, I'm well over that. But those are dives in ow with scuba gear. Heck I could submerge in a bathtub and call it a dive to artifically inflate my records but it would not be right. There are no shortcuts to the right path. And yeah if I rode a sled to 100 meters I'd log it in my freedive record. or to 209.6 meters like the belgiun guy did in july. I forget his name. But that's over 687 feet. Deeper than the crush depth of a WWII sub. Sorry to go off topic but this has been beaten to death. If you want to inflate your log and your ego no one but you and your undertaker will know.

 

[BOBBYR]

Jim
I am not interested in taking short cuts or inflating my "ego". The whole point of my question was to get some imput on a gray area, (that was not explained very well to me by my instructor) so my book and training record would be legitimate. I'll make sure to show my book to all my family and friends, so its not just me and my "undertaker" who know what dives I have accomplished. Thanks to everyone else for the imput. I'll keep my freedives in a seperate section.