What to Log ??

[doctormike]

I don't see the point of arbitrary thresholds for logging dives. As was mentioned in the other thread, sometimes you really learn something on a short dive. And I don't see the point of putting dives in your logbook but then having some system where only some of them get numbers or whatever (this was mentioned several times in the other thread as well).

Log all your dives, so you have the data you might want someday. The total dive count is irrelevant to everyone else in the world and the log is only for you.

 

[boulderjohn]

I have a looseleaf notebook the size of a typical small logbook. It has a 3-ring binder. I fill it with blank paper. After some dives, I don't have much to say, and there isn't much more than the dive number, location, date, maximum depth, and time. I do keep cumulative bottom time, so there is a little addition exercise. In those cases, I can put 4 dives on a page. For other dives, I have a lot to say, and I can fill an entire page or more. In some cases I have drawn little maps. It all depends upon the dive, and having blank pages gives me the freedom to do whatever I want.

 

[doctormike]

I have a looseleaf notebook the size of a typical small logbook. It has a 3-ring binder. I fill it with blank paper. After some dives, I don't have much to say, and there isn't much more than the dive number, location, date, maximum depth, and time. I do keep cumulative bottom time, so there is a little addition exercise. In those cases, I can put 4 dives on a page. For other dives, I have a lot to say, and I can fill an entire page or more. In some cases I have drawn little maps. It all depends upon the dive, and having blank pages gives me the freedom to do whatever I want.

Oy. SO much work! C'mon, John...you are younger than me. Maybe even a digital native! Embrace the glory of metadata and the cloud.

 

[2airishuman]

Oy. SO much work! C'mon, John...you are younger than me. Maybe even a digital native! Embrace the glory of metadata and the cloud.

I have a sort of a log in LibreOffice Calc. Because I refuse to pay Microsoft for anything. I am a digital native, I guess, having cut my teeth on paper tape. Turns out Richard Stallman was right about more things than I thought.

 

[boulderjohn]

Oy. SO much work! C'mon, John...you are younger than me. Maybe even a digital native! Embrace the glory of metadata and the cloud.

Nah! Gave it a shot. Several shots, in fact. Didn't like it. It takes me less time to jot down a few notes on paper than it would to to go through all that rigamarole for information I don't need. I have some friends who do that, and when I watch them, I can't help but think they are working way too hard. They sure have a whole lot of information, but I'm not sure how that is helping them.

 

[doctormike]

Nah! Gave it a shot. Several shots, in fact. Didn't like it. It takes me less time to jot down a few notes on paper than it would to to go through all that rigamarole for information I don't need. I have some friends who do that, and when I watch them, I can't help but think they are working way too hard. They sure have a whole lot of information, but I'm not sure how that is helping them.

I have all my dives on my laptop and synced with my phone. With huge amounts of supplementary data, commentary, wreck drawings, etc... What weight did I use with this wetsuit? How did I dive that wreck five years ago? How may hours on the JJ after training? Who was my buddy the last time I was here? Here it is, in seconds.

But hey, if it's not for you, it's not for you. Me, I only dive because I like playing around with databases....

 

[doctormike]

I refuse to pay Microsoft for anything.

But you should DEFINITELY pay NIck Shore for MacDIve. Even if you don't have a Mac. He's an awesome developer. Just buy a copy.

 

[TMHeimer]

Since computer logs have been discussed, I will add that it is a good idea to have a copy of all your data. Some people "back it up" elsewhere in case it is lost. Even safer would probably be to have a hard copy (print it out--or Xerox it if you have a paper log book).
A couple of threads over the years asked what to do after they lost their log book. I use paper and Xerox each entry after the dive is done and put the copies in our "firebox". If the house burns down, I'll still have my records.

 

[doctormike]

My backing up of my personal data goes far beyond just my dive log. SO much of my life is digital. I think that developing and sticking to a reasonable backup strategy is a good habit to develop.

My laptop backs up to the cloud constantly whenever I'm connected to WiFi. Also, at both my home and office I have cheap external hard drives that are set up to back up without any attention. So I never really think about doing it, but all of my stuff is backed up in three places. Four, for stuff like my dive log since it syncs with my phone, and I always have that with me.

I guess I should print out a paper log book in case of an EMP attack or something... would be a pretty easy thing to do.

 

[boulderjohn]

If the house burns down, I'll still have my records.

If my house burns down and takes my log book with it, I will be juat like all the people who don't log dives.