Does anyone ask to see your logbook?

[Belzelbub]

The SSI Agency (Dive Training) demanded I put my log-book in their (garbage) SSI Logbook and not my own logbook, and have a certain number of dives for Advanced Open Water certification. So, it's been demanded as part of training courses/certifications. However, beyond that, nobody has ever asked to look at my logbook, and most of the time I don't have my logbook on me.

Interesting. I’ve had a different experience with SSI, so I suspect your experience may have been the LDS requirement, and not one of SSI.

In my SSI account, I’m listed as having 191 dives. Not a single one of those dives is in the SSI online logbook. My actual number of dives is higher. That just happened to be the total number at the time of my last certification. I recall being asked by the LDS at the time of my Nitrox cert, as well as at the time that I did Deep, Night, & Navigation to complete AOW.

Likewise, my kids didn’t need to use the online log either. Oldest got an SSI paper logbook. Youngest got a generic paper logbook. Both now use SubSurface, so they’ll have their logs if requested. My oldest is starting to volunteer at a marine rescue this summer. They list in their requirements that junior volunteers will need to show a log of their last two dives. Will see if that is actually asked.

I agree on the SSI online log being garbage. Might be better if you use a Mares computer, but otherwise it’s useless.

 

[Marie13]

Last summer a captain who didn’t know me wanted some info on previous Great Lakes dives for a trip in the Straits of Mackinac. I just pulled up the dive log on my phone. He looked at a few and said things were fine.

 

[Kimela]

Last summer a captain who didn’t know me wanted some info on previous Great Lakes dives for a trip in the Straits of Mackinac. I just pulled up the dive log on my phone. He looked at a few and said things were fine.

I figure if I'm asked, that's what I would do as well (show the dives downloaded from my dive computer). But nobody ever asks.

 

[Lorenzoid]

It sounds like there are a very few exceptions to "never" being asked to show a logbook as a prerequisite for being allowed to dive. These are what I have picked up from this thread and others:

• Some tech dives (but this is the Basic Scuba forum, so I think we can rule out the Andrea Doria)
• A few places with famed wrecks that get interest from a lot of visiting divers
• A few countries not very commonly visited by foreign divers (Israel?)
• Some extremely rare instances: Have you been denied a dive because of the lack of paper dive log (w/ signature)?
• ?

 

[_Ralph]

Nope

_R

 

[Jake 10]

Never been asked to see my log book except for during the certification classes.

 

[Hoag]

IIRC, the first couple of times I was on the Aquacat, they wanted to see it. Now they just look at me and say "Hoag! Welcome back. You're in Cabin 4 again as usual."

 

[Curious_George]

I’ve been asked once - my first time with Aldora in Cozumel. Memo Mendoza (now the owner) asked to see it. I was at less than 50 dives and still keeping paper log book.

Have since moved to the subsurface app and never looked back. I still look at my logs to quickly get the right weighting with different exposure protection choices. Also enjoying the statistical data it now displays.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Only when taking a course. I've not been asked for my log book since I finished my tech training.

I've never been asked by any charters that I recall.

 

[maj2]

The only time I have been asked for a log book outside of courses is for some more advanced Great Lakes charters. Mainly just a quick verification of recent experience in similar deepish and cold (40F below around 60ft in summer) conditions. When they do ask, an electronic log or something in the memory of your dive computer works.

Even then.. it is only if they do not know you. If their records show that you just did the same or a similar dive with them a month earlier, they do not ask.