log book

[TMHeimer]

Funny thing about log book questions. They always receive tons of replies. If one only has a cert. card (if not, get one or a replacement) and no log, you just check with the place you want to go and see if they'll take you--and maybe start logging dives if you worry? What more is to say?

 

[Centrals]

I think we all understand an operator's reluctance to let you dive without a cert card. Proving when last you dived is another kettle of fish. Are they just trying to establish your experience level? What happens after they look at your logbook? I assume it could affect the dive site location or who your buddy may be?

In one of my liveaboard trip in Maldives, all of us, regardless of experience and qualification, had to do a check out dive which included demonstrating of buddy breathing and fin pivoting!!!!!!! And because of all these, all the dives on that day were pretty shallow and not quite interesting.

 

[tridacna]

You do that at Cocoview and unofficially at Bonaire resorts too. No big deal. I just wonder what the "penalties" are for not having a logbook at resorts that ask for one. Testing your diving skill? Why did you get a c-card? Not let you dive? I doubt it. It just seems to be a lot of hooey.

 

[chrisch]

In one of my liveaboard trip in Maldives, all of us, regardless of experience and qualification, had to do a check out dive which included demonstrating of buddy breathing and fin pivoting!!!!!!! And because of all these, all the dives on that day were pretty shallow and not quite interesting.

I have (fortunately) never experienced this (or dived live aboard). It always however inspires my curiosity. I assume you had paid good money for a dive trip? The provider of said trip is there to make profit and provide a service. Nevertheless a large number of these service providers appear to set themselves up as judge and jury on their customers' dive ability and also require that you have a poor first day's diving as a result. Surely therefore you are entiled to at least a partial refund on the cost of the holiday? Failing that you should be entitled to tell them where to stuff their check out dive.

I have never been asked by a car rental company to drive round the block to prove I can park the vehicle and adjust the rear view mirror properly. I have never been asked by an airline to correctly identify the emergency evacuation exits and prove I am able to comply with their evacuation requirements. I have never been asked in a restaurant for my certification that I am not allergic to the food I have ordered. Why is it that paying customers of a commercial dive operation that provides a service to it's guest somehow thinks it has the right - or the ability - to question the people that pay it's staff wages and it's owner's profits? And no, the answer is not insurance.

 

[Peter69_56]

In one of my liveaboard trip in Maldives, all of us, regardless of experience and qualification, had to do a check out dive which included demonstrating of buddy breathing and fin pivoting!!!!!!! And because of all these, all the dives on that day were pretty shallow and not quite interesting.

I think I would be very insulted if I had to do a check out dive (with buddy breathing and fin pivot) to satisfy some extreme logic. I can understand the logic if I were a new diver, hadn't dived for 6 months or more and perhaps only done 10-15 dives (and perhaps given the conditions). I particularly despise being treated like a new diver by lazy DM's who cannot make the effort to establish clients qualifications and experience prior to any diving taking place. I say lazy as its clearly easier to treat everyone as morons or idiots than to make an effort to sort the wheat from the chaff.

I always talk to all the clients and establish those who have dived a lot and have experience, compared to those who are new or showing signs of lacking experience. I however have no issue with doing a first simple dive so the DM can see how everyone dives. That to me is normal procedure for normal groups. Where the group is a technical group doing a special dive the rules somewhat change, however good crew still look for any problems with the clients, but perhaps in a more discrete way.

I think the way you spell this lazy logic is . J.............O............K............E

 

[tr3a]

Never been asked for a log book. Probable 70% of time never show c-card (although I fill in cert # on form). Maybe half of our overseas trips (Indo, Malaysia, Philippines, ect) require a "checkout" dive which is nothing more than a dive closer to the resort (other than that normal).

 

[ZephyrNYC]

... Is there anything digital ,that diving club sign ?
and i'ts valid to all countries?
tnx

Liran,

I don't know if these are accepted in Israel or in other countries that might require a log, but I have found several online log books. I wish we had these when I got certified in the '90s. Many of them will allow you to upload your dive profiles directly from your dive computer to the online log. Here are two of them that I like. It costs nothing to use all of their features.

https://en.divelogs.de/

Diveboard, the largest online logbook to find out the perfect scuba diving destination and shops

PADI's ScubaEarth has an online log too. If you completed your Open Water or a subsequent course with PADI and you ever lose your c-card, if you create a ScubaEarth profile (There's a link on PADI's website too.), the site can find your PADI number for you. Then hopefully, you can give this or show the screen to the dive operator so they can verify your cert. The only thing is that, when you create your ScubaEarth account, you must type in your name EXACTLY the same way you did when you filled out your PADI paperwork. For example, I am a Junior. I usually use a comma after my last name and a period after the "Jr" when I write my name, but not when I type it online. The PADI site kept telling me that it couldn't find me until I entered my name with the comma and period after the "Jr". After that, I was ok.

Research, plan and share your scuba diving experiences in ScubaEarth

I hope this helps.

---------- Post added January 9th, 2016 at 12:20 PM ----------

For doing more advanced courses you have to show proof of a certain number of dives, therefore a log is required.

I recall Borneo Divers requiring a log book back in 2010 when I dived with them at Sipadan.

Exactly. For example, SDI's Solo Diver course requires 100 logged dives.
https://www.tdisdi.com/sdi/get-certified/Solo-Diver-Course/

PADI's Tec 100 CCR requires 175 dives and specifies the types of dives.
Tec 100 CCR | PADI

NAUI'S Extreme Exposure course requires 200 logged trimix dives.
http://www.naui.org/technical_divers.aspx

Aside from attending an advanced course, I know of a place that advertises guided dives down to 150m. Naturally, on their online contact form, they ask for current cert and number of dives. How do you prove this without a log?

IMHO, keeping a log book is a good way to improve oneself. For example, every time we did rifle requalification in the Marines, we were issued data books. I have a log book for my favorite rifle that I personally own. For skydiving, I have a jump log. I even have a log book for indoor skydiving (in a wind tunnel). I can open any of these logs and read notes from years ago about mistakes and tips that I'd since forgotten.

I understand that not everyone wants to to do tech dives or deep dives, so I don't think a log should be required for ALL types of dives though.

---------- Post added January 9th, 2016 at 12:26 PM ----------

... I have never been asked for a log book myself anywhere. But I have it all on my phone, though...

doctormike,

Which app do you use?

---------- Post added January 9th, 2016 at 12:29 PM ----------

I haven't logged dives (like many here) since #500 many years ago. What am I supposed to do? Create an instant logbook before a trip? Sworn affidavit? Picture of me in gear at local pool taken that week?...

tridacna,

Creating an online log book is VERY easy.

 

[rongoodman]

I think if a DM asked to see my fin pivot I would agree, as long as I got a look at his back kick.

 

[Centrals]

As far as I know check out dive is NOT that rare. I had experienced it TWICE. The other time was also on liveaboard in Philippines
I have no idea if you had done poorly on the check out dive. The operator probably put you on easy sites or whatever.
I had also came across check out SKI in Bulgaria. They had to look at me and others before allocating a guide to us.

---------- Post added January 10th, 2016 at 09:55 AM ----------

I have (fortunately) never experienced this (or dived live aboard). It always however inspires my curiosity. I assume you had paid good money for a dive trip? The provider of said trip is there to make profit and provide a service. Nevertheless a large number of these service providers appear to set themselves up as judge and jury on their customers' dive ability and also require that you have a poor first day's diving as a result. Surely therefore you are entiled to at least a partial refund on the cost of the holiday? Failing that you should be entitled to tell them where to stuff their check out dive.

I have never been asked by a car rental company to drive round the block to prove I can park the vehicle and adjust the rear view mirror properly. I have never been asked by an airline to correctly identify the emergency evacuation exits and prove I am able to comply with their evacuation requirements. I have never been asked in a restaurant for my certification that I am not allergic to the food I have ordered. Why is it that paying customers of a commercial dive operation that provides a service to it's guest somehow thinks it has the right - or the ability - to question the people that pay it's staff wages and it's owner's profits? And no, the answer is not insurance.

You don't have to believe idea of "check out dive". Whatever you do/don't is none my business. But I can sure you the practice is NOT rare.

---------- Post added January 10th, 2016 at 09:57 AM ----------

I think the way you spell this lazy logic is . J.............O............K............E

I don't need to impress anyone with an fabricated story.

 

[Peter69_56]

As far as I know check out dive is NOT that rare. I had experienced it TWICE. The other time was also on liveaboard in Philippines
I have no idea if you had done poorly on the check out dive. The operator probably put you on easy sites or whatever.
I had also came across check out SKI in Bulgaria. They had to look at me and others before allocating a guide to us.

---------- Post added January 10th, 2016 at 09:55 AM ----------


You don't have to believe idea of "check out dive". Whatever you do/don't is none my business. But I can sure you the practice is NOT rare.

---------- Post added January 10th, 2016 at 09:57 AM ----------


I don't need to impress anyone with an fabricated story.

I don't have an issue with a simpler dive as a check out dive and understand why operators would ask this of the first dive, however to include many basic skills etc in that check out dive I believe is an insult to most divers. Its like "We know you are certified and have been diving for a number of years, however we want to do our own cert checks before we let you dive" Now if I did a check dive and demonstrated very bad buoyancy control, or perhaps poor fin style or just look a bad diver I could accept further skill checks, however to just do it because we (the operator) do doesn't cut it for me.

You would, however be surprised how many divers are so good (in their own mind), and yet demonstrate very poor ability and thus why many operator do a first dive check dive. But to do a full skill check is way overboard (in my mind) when based on "this is what we do" mentality.

Now in saying that, if perhaps its a very high risk dive with significant danger from local tides/currents etc and a number of previous divers have died/gotten in to trouble previously then I can see the justification. This however (I would suggest) would be a very rare occurrence indeed (if ever).