Unsigned dive logs.

[Darkprincze]

Hey guys,

Was diving on holiday recently and on the last day a DM who took two of my dives was on his day off. I couldn't get him to sign for two of my dives. What normally happens in this situation? Are the dives lost then? As in "unlogged". Appreciate the insight. Sometimes it isn't practical to get dives logged directly after the dive, and I thought I would catch up with this guy and didn't.

much thanks.
paul.

 

[Steve_C]

For regular dives I do not think it matters. Many of my dives are unsigned. Some of them are signed. Usually if my buddy wants me to sign theirs, then I have them sign mine.

With courses that is different. You want the instructor or DM to sign those. For dives that are part of meeting the requirements of a course, but without the instructor present, such as dives mapping a dive site which was required for DM, I made sure my buddy signed those.

It is not just the signature. If part of a course, the log should say what you did and what course it is. Be sure to log depth since some places want dives logged to a certain depth before you dive without a guide. Weights/tanks/suit etc are important. As time goes on you will dive literally dozens of different configurations of tank/suit/weights and it is good to keep that information available.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

No one needs to sign your log. Period. The dives are not lost. You don't need to sign your logs or even keep one unless you plan to go towards a professional or technical cert that requires a number of logged dives. But it is a good idea for your own records and later when you have not dived an al80 in a drysuit for a while and you'd like to know about how much weight you need.

As my people say fugedaboutit. Have a drink and relax.

No big deal. What's gonna happen when you stop diving with DM's and end up with an insta buddy who will refuse to sign it cause he doesn't think they are necessary?

 

[Frosty]

IMO-you should have been able to get the dive stamped and sighned by the DS or Dive op ie diddn't need to be the actual DM you dived with.
A dive is never "lost" so record the detail anyway.
Other than for further training noone is going to haul you up over it and frankly your next logical steps don't require more logged dives anyway.
The information for YOU though is important. watching your lead levels drop and your bottom times get longer and longer.
Its great to have these points of reference

 

[Darkprincze]

Thanks guys for the replies,

The reason I ask is I am interested in a few courses that require a number of "logged" dives. So what exactly constitutes a logged dive?

thanks.

paul.

 

[dfx]

None of the sheets in my dive log are signed by anyone.

---------- Post added August 13th, 2013 at 08:36 PM ----------

Thanks guys for the replies,

The reason I ask is I am interested in a few courses that require a number of "logged" dives. So what exactly constitutes a logged dive?

thanks.

paul.

I'd say that any dive that appears in your dive log is a logged dive.

 

[LindaSSF]

I kept a log thru the mid 1980s and never worried about signatures. it was for my own information. I quit keeping a log many years ago...

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

None of the sheets in my dive log are signed by anyone.


I'd say that any dive that appears in your dive log is a logged dive.

1+.

"Dive count" may be used as an entry requirement for some courses, but honestly the instructor (if he/she is experienced) will usually be able to assess your readiness for the course after talking with you and then watching you in the water for a few minutes (maybe even as you assemble your gear ).

Don't worry too much about missing signatures. I'd actually suggest just asking the instructor who you plan to take the course from what experience and skill level they want you to demonstrate in order to take their course, then work on meeting those requirements.

Best wishes.

 

[CT-Rich]

I like some of my really old logs because I was making sketches of dive sites and recording interesting or useful details about the dives. I actually have reread some of the logs to plan dives on old sites. But I can't imagine that a instructor will turn away student, unless there is something really suspicious about logged dives (not sure what that might be... Maybe if use were forging his signature....).

The log is more for you than any instructor.

 

[TMHeimer]

I seem to recall that with PADI courses that require a certain number of logged dives the term ......20 logged dives", etc. is all that's described. You'd have to check with whatever agency as to what is considered by them to be a logged dive, or whether it must be signed or not. I would agree that if the dives in question were during a course that the instructor is to sign for those dives.