How do so many folks have so many dives

[KathyV]

We are "warm water, on vacation" recreational divers and we usually only get to take 1 dive trip a year but we have been doing it for 30 years. I've just checked my log book and I have 568 dives so that averages out to only 19 dives per year. Some years we get more dives (great weather on a live-aboard) and some years we get less (bad weather, ear infections, etc.)

We enjoy our dives and don't worry about the numbers.

 

[Goodtime Adventures]

I'm an instructor and still log my dives (not that its a requirement, I just like to do it), but unless its somewhere special or a vacation, just dive site, date and dive number. I do agree that there is some bumping up of dive numbers - especially in the pro circuit, although I'm not sure why people do this. Quantity an quality are 2 very different things after all. That being said I do legitimately have over 2000 dives. I racked up around 260 doing DM and courses before going for my instructor. And as I teach in a year round warm water, tourist destination, they mount up fairly quickly. When I was teaching and guiding full time I'd average around 400 - 450 dives a year (especially when DM-ing, with the possibility of 4-5 dives per day), and taught pretty constantly for over 5 and a half years. That's not sustainable for too long though, and can burn you out. I do much more sitting around the office these days, and my average dives per year have since dropped to around 100 as a result!

 

[Keith.M]

I have been reading this thread with interest. I had never even questioned anyones stated dive count. It just never occured to me. It is kind of like cheating in golf...

I do agree that there is some bumping up of dive numbers - especially in the pro circuit, although I'm not sure why people do this. Quantity an quality are 2 very different things after all. That being said I do legitimately have over 2000 dives.

So why is your dive count at 5K to infinity?

 

[Sam Miller III]

On occasion I venture on to the board SCUBA Board. Read a few posts, some times for humor posted by the people with little or no experience but with all the answers and on occasion with great awe and admiration of others with their knowledge and abilities.

Today I found this post most interesting

Logging dives

History:

The first commercial American Dive Log was created in 1955 by Dick Bonin while he was employed by "Dive Master" in Chicago Illinois. It was not accepted and did not sell well.
< For you who think Dive Master is a diving rate, it was first a company...In 1963 Dick was also one of the founders of the company known as SCUBA Pro>

The second and first successful dive log was produced LA County Senior Aquatic Specialist Tom Ebro for the LA County underwater programs. It was first required as a part of organized diving in the world's first Advanced diving program, the 3 month long many dives, much work LA County Advanced diving Program aka ADP was established in 1967. The same year logging dives became a component of the 3 month long Los Angeles county Underwater Instructor Certification Course, the UICC. Therefore dive logs entered the market place in 1955, 59 years ago and the mainstream of certified diving via LACO ADP in 1967, 47 years ago.

< A few years later when PADI had been created John Cronin, the master marketer and one of the three founders of PADI copied the LA Co log book and sold it to PADI membership at a very inflated price >

Now dive logs and logging dives are very commonplace and should be maintained and encouraged by those in position of authority.

I first began keeping a "Log book." It was some time pre exposure suit and SCUBA introduction in my game gathering days, possibly in the late 1940/1950s.

It was a simple small red spiral bound note book which was initially recorded equipment problems (which were many) ,dates, dive locations and game taken. When the tubular pool thermometer was introduced to the pool world I secured one to my WW11 Mae West, which was used for emergency flotation. This allowed another factor of air and water temperature. My thoughts being I could go to the beach to a specific location check the air temperature, water temperature, etc. drop in and there would be game. There were too many variables, therefore my logging system never proved to be valid for game collection.

As one of the architects of the worlds first true advanced diving course the three month long many dives LA Co ADP I was expected and did continue to log dives but in the official LA Co Underwater Log book. At one time I had 17 full log books. Due to the passing of time and no central storage I am down to only 11 full log books.

Do I recommend keeping a log? As one who has maintained a log for over sixty years I recommend logging dives for a variety of reasons; to have a record of an era in your life that you were a participant, as a heirloom for your children, to have a record of hyperbaric exposures for future medical records.

5000 dive mystique:

In 1992 Scuba Schools International (SSI) in conjunction with Skin Diver Magazine (SDM) and a few other manufacture's announced the creation of the SSI Pro 5000 Recognition Award for those who had completed 5000 dives or more and had made significant contributions to diving.

I did not take the organization serious and did not complete the paper work in time for the first ceremony in 1992. After reading about the ceremony in SDM and reviewing the list of recipients, I hastily filled out the documents and was accepted in 1993, 21 years ago.

My son who began diving at a very young age was required to maintain a very complete log book listing dive insequencal numbers, locations and game seen or taken by common and scientific names. It paid off, my son Dr. Sam IV because of his log book entries and as a ER/Hyperbaric doctor was honored as a Pro 5000 eight years ago.

We became one of the very few father and sons in the world who have been recognized as a SSI Pro-5000 diver.

Since the establishment of the SSI Pro 5000 award in 1992 the number of divers who meet the criteria of 5000 dives and significant contributions to diving has become fewer and fewer every year.

I suspect there are a number of divers who participate on this board who are very active instructors or employed in the tourist industry have diving as a function of their employment possibly achieved the magic number of 5000 dives, but have not made significant contributions to diving. They are underwater tour guides, or as one "dive master' on a boat described their position as a "underwater elevator operator" and I certainly did not disagree with her.

I am not qualified to determine what is considered "significant contributions to diving" that is the responsibility of the officials of SSI but I can direct those interested to a post which I would suggest that you read in its entirety that contains a tribute to Art Pender as well as my very abbreviated resume. In the event you are interested please go to:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/passings/473572-art-pinder-spearfishing-legend-king-sling.html

Dr.SDM, 111

 

[Goodtime Adventures]

I have been reading this thread with interest. I had never even questioned anyones stated dive count. It just never occured to me. It is kind of like cheating in golf...



So why is your dive count at 5K to infinity?

Our SB profile is for us as a dive centre, so this is a cumulative, not individual dive tally

 

[Oldbear]

If you are doing a lot of instructing 500+ dives a year is not a bridge too far. I instructor part-time and hit the water several times a week fun diving. I think I am on track for about 250-300 dives after a year here. I just feel blessed to be here, 'cause I still remember those 20-25 dives/ year times.

 

[Doc]

... but it was Des Moines, Washington ...

I have doved (that conjugation references a different common thread) in Des Moines Iowa. There, they may refer to it as "Deez Moynes". How is Des Moines pronounced out there in Washington state? "Duh Mwah"?

I gotsta know.

Best advice: Your :sblogo: post count should never exceed your lifetime dive count (or the square of the hypotenuse thereof)

 

[sheeper]

spoiled here on the east coast of florida. Though I do dive somewhat for work, i'll run to the beach at 6am, do a quick spear dive or bug hunt dive and be in the office by 9am or so. That means...yes...I easily run 150-200 dives a year if not more.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I have doved (that conjugation references a different common thread) in Des Moines Iowa. There, they may refer to it as "Deez Moynes". How is Des Moines pronounced out there in Washington state? "Duh Mwah"?

I gotsta know.

Damoyne ...

Best advice: Your :sblogo: post count should never exceed your lifetime dive count (or the square of the hypotenuse thereof)

... that would limit me to less than one post per day ... or 12 to 15 dives per day ...

I think a more relevent metric would be that your post count should never exceed your "Like" count ... it's a better measure of whether or not what you're posting has any value to the people you're talking to ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[drbill]

Best advice: Your :sblogo: post count should never exceed your lifetime dive count (or the square of the hypotenuse thereof)

Bah, humbug... I wish I had nearly 20,000 lifetime dives