Electronic signatures for digital dive logs

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Signatures have been discussed before. From many previous threads, it seems that most people do not get their logbooks signed. Lots of people don't even log their dives, or log only the points that that are of interest to them. So I think you are solving a problem/need that does not exist, or the occasions of need are so rare that they aren't worth worrying about.
I've had 1 buddy on 1 dive in my life that has asked me to sign his logbook, and that was probably to avoid admitting he had forgot my name :)
Agree with all here. By electronic signature it seems the OP is talking about someone using their finger to physically sign a computer screen (as opposed to clicking on something an having A signature come up in cursive writing form that suffices for a signature). Seems the only "valid" signature used to be one signed in pen, and the original sent to wherever by scanning or FAX. But I'm sure that technology is long gone.
 
Agree with all here. By electronic signature it seems the OP is talking about someone using their finger to physically sign a computer screen (as opposed to clicking on something an having A signature come up in cursive writing form that suffices for a signature). Seems the only "valid" signature used to be one signed in pen, and the original sent to wherever by scanning or FAX. But I'm sure that technology is long gone.

Yes this is what I was referring to. Just thought it might be something that any digital log could enable, but as others have said it seems largely pointless. I thought any dive log would just have the ability to take a fingerprint scribble but it seems not to be the case :)
 
I put in the padi or ssi number on the same line as the di, dm or buddys name on a couple of dives. Not that it make any big difference.
 
I thought any dive log would just have the ability to take a fingerprint scribble but it seems not to be the case

Found it hard to believe that more didn't chime in with something other than the one I posted earlier but upon doing a quick search online, I couldn't find many. The first two are the ones I use. Can't vouch for the others.

Dive Log (a couple of good screen grabs shown) Dive Log on the App Store

Dive Log DT (the desktop app that goes with the above Dive Log app) Dive Log DT on the Mac App Store

Ocean Log Free Scuba App Review: Ocean Log Free

Dive Mate https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.confitek.divemateusb&hl=en_US

MacDive (this is the app that @Outbound indicated had the electronic signature for desk/laptop but not mobile - crazy since one is more likely to carry phone) MacDive Help - Dive Profile

Would have to think in future that other apps would include finger scribble recognition. Personally, I'm old enough that I started with paper for about my first 45 dives and had retrieved written signatures. Since then, I generally carry a handful of paper log sheets with me but have only had AOW dives, a few cenote dives, and a night dive signed (on paper.)
 
A scribble on a screen is just as "worthless" as a scribble on a piece of paper in that anybody could have produced it. Even less so since all the nuances of a signature are lost in an on-screen signature and there are not even the diveshop stamps to back it up.

The only way to really "sign" a digital logbook is to use proper cryptographic-based digital signatures which would sign the important invariant parts of the dive data (date/time, location, depth, duration, buddy). This would still allow the diver to update and maintain the other data at a later time (eg, dive notes, equipment used) without invalidating the signature.

The technology to implement this is ancient. But the infrastructure doesn't exist, and would quite difficult to implement at the point of entry. Most people don't have a private key and those that do aren't in the habit of carrying it around with them. Although as smartphones become ubiquitous a simple app could solve those issues. It'd still need to be made simple to use though. And if verification really is the aim here, a dive shop would also need the relevant infrastructure in place to verify the signatures.

The alternative is online logbooks such as diveboard which have a mechanism for buddies and dive shops to verify dives. The downside, of course, is that everybody has to have an account on whichever site the diver is using and the site has to establish some level of trust in its verification system.

Ultimately it seems there are only a few situations in which a logbook really does need to be verified and in that case it's probably best to fall back on the good old references system; as someone mentioned a few posts up, calling the shops and manually verifying a couple of random dives.

If dive verification becomes more important I'm sure the various apps will quickly offer solutions.
 
I’m not sure of how a digital signature would work anyway. Please enlighten me.

When do you download your dive computer data? I would assume it’s at the end of the day, and it goes into your laptop or iPad/tablet. It seems kinda clunky to chase them down with your laptop to have them sign. I usually just ask my buddy to sign my old fashioned log book as it lives in my dive bag, in a ziplock, and its on the boat.
 
Personally I also still use a paper logbook and like to collect the stamps etc. But that's OT for this topic :)

In a nutshell, digital signatures work by encrypting some data (usually a hashsum) using somebodies private key (which only that person has access to). To verify the "signature" you use that person's public key (which is, as the name implies, publicly available) to decrypt the data. IF the decrypted data matches, then the signature is verified.
More details here.

And yes, you'd need to use some application or website sometime after the dive to perform these steps. You can already log (and even download your dive computer data) directly on a smartphone. It wouldn't be difficult (from a technical perspective) to have a mechanism where your buddy uses their smartphone (via bluetooth) to sign your log entry. But it would require everybody to have a compatible app and their smartphone with them, or do it later via some online mechanism.
 
At this point in my life I have had two computers die, four cell phones die, a couple of hard drives do a total crash, and observed more than one online service suddenly disappear. The more important something is to me the more robust is its storage. When I work on a book the rule is that it cannot be lost by a nuclear strike. That means multiple copies, at least 100 miles apart, and on separate systems and under my complete control. I have a paper log book, I also have an excel spread sheet which lives on two systems. I use software to download dives but it is not complete. Oh, I forgot about the sensus ultra that died, and the change in dive and nondive computers which messed up earlier software.

Don't trust the cloud either.
 
DiveLogDT on my MacBook and the mobile companion app Dive Log for my iPhone and iPad Pro (from moremobilesoftware) will allow you to add multiple dive buddies, an instructor or DM name where you can also type in their number, and one large space where multiple signatures can be "scribbled" in. So you could get signatures on a mobile device right there on a boat dive while everyone is still gathered together. If you electronically sign like I do on some devices, you would probably think I didn't know how to write! Now if you had a stylus, that might make it more legible.

I have never had anyone e-sign my mobile dive log, but you have me thinking now. Since I download the dive data from my dive computer to my laptop after a trip and the signatures would be on my iPhone, I would need to make sure that when the two sync together (through Bluetooth), all information still shows up for the dive.

I'll experiment with that unless someone else has already done it.
I will ‘second’ this comment for DiveLog. I have the app on my iPhone and it has turned me from a diver who HATED filling out his log book to one who is the FIRST to log his dives. It does allow you to add multiple buddies for a single dive and there is a signature feature (all the divemasters I have asked to sign it in the past 8 months when diving without my regular buddy are always very surprised when I hand my phone to them and ask them to sign my log)

Highly recommended.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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