Do you really need a log?

[DevonDiver]

Some dive centers insist on seeing your dive log. Whilst rare, I have seen this in the Maldives and Red Sea, where divers are divided according to 'novice' or 'experienced' and taken to different dive sites. In the Maldives, divers who could not prove they had done 30 dives were very restricted in which dive site they were allowed to visit.

If you enroll on a DM, Instuctor or some tech/solo/cave courses then you will also be asked to prove a minimum number of logged dives.

I haven't logged a dive for years. I did for the first few hundred, then I got lazy and just started downloading them from my dive computer to my laptop. After a few years of doing that, my laptop hard-drive died...and I lost the record of all those (not backed up!) dives, I just never bothered to do it again.
:dunce:

 

[The Kraken]

I do because my poor, age addled old brain can't remember everything about every dive.

the K

 

[Scott L]

No logs for this guy. I do not maintain a log for snow skiing or any other recreational sport either. If I was JJ or Chatterton the story would be different...

 

[Greendiver]

Still being a rookie at this I do log every dive and hope that I continue to do so. Its very much to me like looking back at old family photos... Like the time I buddied up with my son on his first certified dive, good stuff to remember!

Who I dove with is just as important to me as my gear configuration (pretty much the same for majority of the time.)

 

[gcbryan]

Mine is as mentioned elsewhere more as a blog. I'm mainly interested in the marine life that I see and that's varied so I note what I see on each dive. Since it's no big hassle to include depth, time,temp and viz for each dive I do that as well.

I do this in paper form (computers crash) and I do refer to past dives on occasion to see what time of year I saw some specific marine life or when was the last time I was at a particular site or diving with a particular buddy.

 

[grouchyturtle]

Now, I am doing a coxswain course, so I may drive boats commercially under 12M.
I have to prove my sea time. Time spent on a boat and duties ie decky, dory driver.
My log books are one form of proof accepted for recognition.
Mine are not complete.
I have learnt my lesson. I now log every dive and I might add have the captain sign my record of sea service.

So are you saying every dive you do can actually count towards sea time? Or were you actually working as a diver? So for you US captains out there, does time as a passenger on a dive boat count? I guess if not, I could at least log that day I spent trying to recover a rudder, and get one day closer.

Andy - no plans to dive Maldives or Red Sea, at least not anytime soon. Especially Maldives, considering the recent law suit. Also for the most part, I plan on diving from my own boat these days.

As someone pointed out, the log doesn't prove anything, as people can lie. If it was really required, couldn't a rough list of the dives you've done, along with a list of buddies and instructors to vouch for you be just as good, if not even better proof?

If I was JJ or Chatterton the story would be different...

But then you'd have a whole crew to log them for you.

gcbryan - computers do crash, but if it's a blog, like Wordpress, my host automatically backs it up.

 

[hudson]

It's also a very good tool for training and continuous improvement. I know what to work on next and what the results were.

 

[marinediva]

So are you saying every dive you do can actually count towards sea time? Or were you actually working as a diver? So for you US captains out there, does time as a passenger on a dive boat count? I guess if not, I could at least log that day I spent trying to recover a rudder, and get one day closer.

I was working as a diver and recreationally.
The time and jobs that I performed on the boat can be logged.
both commercial boats and recreation.
Time spent on boats loading, docking, rope work, checking the engines before departure, refuelling, time on the helm all can count in Aust.

 

[grouchyturtle]

Yeah, not sure about the US. I guess that's really a question for Mariners School at the Annapolis show next week.

 

[DeusVerto]

I have started and let fade away 3 or 4 scuba logs over the years. I've never been asked for one, but then, I have never signed up for advanced training. I don't feel the need to go deep, and I don't like the cold.

I have a pilots logbook which details every single time I've been in the left seat of a cockpit. This is only because it's rather required by federal law. :-Q

Otherwise...yes, it's recreational activity for me and logging is a PITA. I'm glad my DC keeps track of nitrogen loading so I don't have to - this being the only compelling reason to keep track of dives over a short period of time.