Do you log ‘gear test’ dives?

[Kharon]

An interesting take. Not at all being critical, just curious why you don't count class or checkout dives as part of your total. By checkout dives do you mean like when a dive charter op takes you to a dive where they can check out your abilities?

No. I count those and the solo checkout dive I do on Bonaire. If I'm just in the water a short time - maybe around 10 minutes and around 10 feet - to do nothing but confirm my gear is working perfectly, check my weighting, checkout a new item, check my trim, or check gear configuration I don't consider those in my total dives.

I don't consider dives taken in class because they are training dives or certification dives that are part of the classes - instructional. I only count dives I plan and execute myself in my dive count,

 

[TMHeimer]

I've often read of divers noting weighting/exposure suits. I have 3 wetsuits (a 7 mil, shorty & body suit). I dive mostly salt water but the odd fresh water once in a while. That's 6 different weightings. Why would one log any of that rather than just making a list on a separate piece of paper. I know salinity varies in salt water (Equator vs. Arctic Circle), but not by that much.
Diving Lake Pontchartrain (don't......), which is a bit brackish, I used salt water weighting--no problem.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

I've often read of divers noting weighting/exposure suits. I have 3 wetsuits (a 7 mil, shorty & body suit). I dive mostly salt water but the odd fresh water once in a while. That's 6 different weightings. Why would one log any of that rather than just making a list on a separate piece of paper. I know salinity varies in salt water (Equator vs. Arctic Circle), but not by that much.
Diving Lake Pontchartrain (don't......), which is a bit brackish, I used salt water weighting--no problem.

I used to just log weighting/exposure suits in my log, and it was difficult to find. @Bob DBF stated in a different thread that he kept a notebook, which seemed a lot easier. I have sarted listing my various configurations on the inside cover of my log so that 1) I can find them easier, and 2) I will always have them handy at a dive site if I’m changing something.
Now back to your previously scheduled thread, already in progress.

Erik

 

[Scuba Scott]

Anything less than 20 feet for 20 mins is not a dive.

I strongly disagree. While that is a reasonable guideline there are exceptions. One of my my memorable logged dives was 7 minutes. Shortly after descent I had to perform a real life rescue and I wanted to document what went wrong, how I recognized the issue, why the diver's buddy was unable to assist, and how I responded.
Do I feel that 7 minute dive to 40 feet added significantly more to my experience than most dives to 20 feet for 20 minutes? Yes I do.

I also log "test" dives. Those are dives when I am trying out new equipment, new configurations, or new equipment. Of course this all becomes pointless if it isn't documented for future reference. That being said, I try to use an entire tank on test dives or it isn't a thorough test and getting in and out is too much work to do short dives.

Once you get to the point where you have several hundred logged dives the count really doesn't matter much anymore. Is it 500 dives or 603? it really doesn't matter. I log what I feel is valuable. I also log pool training dives with student names and skills completed using one log page per day. These dives don't get a dive number (open water dives get a dive number). Recently my pool dive logs have been my most valuable.

Log what matters to you. If you want to lie about your count there is no need to log bounce dives to do that and if you have inflated your experience it will be obvious when someone sees you dive.

 

[JohnnyC]

If it's enough of a test that I've got my computer, it logs it automatically, so why not. If it's just a quick jump in the pool to check weighting because I've got a new undergarment or a new regulator, nah.

Then again, I don't really log my dives anyway..... Log what you want, it's your log. It's not like logs can't be faked anyway, so it's really just for you.

I know some courses require X number of logged dives. Most good instructors will be able to do a checkout dive with you and tell if you're ready for the course, or if you're not in a position to succeed, regardless of the number of dives you present in a log.

 

[ReefGuy]

I did a dive yesterday to test a new (to me) regulator I rebuilt. It ended up being a short dive because visibility was really bad. I was technically underwater on SCUBA for a few minutes but I definitely don’t want to ‘pad’ my dives... I particularly dislike when people brag about how many dives the’ve done, and then you find out the number isn’t really legit.

What do you do?

Your logbook is really for you. Personally, I log any dive where I can point to something that I learned, improved, tested, confirmed anything at all (but then again, many of my dives are paid). If you're taking a class, the instructor should be able to weed out any dives that don't qualify.

I don't know how many dives I have at this point. That is only a number and it doesn't matter at all as soon as you hit the water. Someone telling me how many dives they have is like telling me what they had for breakfast. I just don't care. People bragging on how many dives they have in a diving situation (like on a boat on the way to a site) just raises a red flag to me that they are uncomfortable and are reassuring themselves.

 

[kelemvor]

I don't log any dives anymore. I did for the first few years I was diving. When I logged, I would log anything other than a dive in my pool or a diveshop's pool. That would have included a gear test dive if it was in the ocean or something like that. For example, when I go on a dive trip to places like Cozumel we do a shakedown dive the day we arrive. When I worked at an aquarium I would log most of those dives. They were 60-90 minute working dives in about 20' of water with critters (sometimes).

I've been diving for 5 years and the only time I've needed to show a log was when I applied at that aquarium. They have some kind of scientific certification and needed to have a record showing that I'd done a scuba dive within the 90 days preceding my start date. I printed a log that I had downloaded from my dive computer to subsurface and they were happy with it.

I've never had an instructor or dive operator ask for my logs. They invariably want to do a check-out dive regardless of how experienced your logbook says you are. Exceptions tend to be smaller 6-pack operations. They only want to see a few jacksons.

 

[caruso]

I have known a couple of divers who claim to have over 5,000 dives but they counted every class dive including pool sessions.

Riiight. So if they were "honest" and they didn't log all the class and pool dives, they'd have a measly 4980 dives.

Not seeing a big difference there.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

The ones I know who count them are instructors who are in the pool a few times every week. I would estimate that more than half of their dives are in pools or in classes.

 

[caruso]

The ones I know who count them are instructors who are in the pool a few times every week. I would estimate that more than half of their dives are in pools or in classes.

Ok never mind.