log book checks?

[b1draper]

I've been asked a couple times to show a log book in tourst traps. The first one was in Panama City with a company that's now out of business, they just wanted to make sure that I'd been diving within the last two years. The second time was on a Royal Carribean Cruise Ship, again they just wanted to make sure that I'd been diving within the last year. The cruise ship, said that if I didn't have my log book I'd be required to to take $150 refresher course before we reached the port I wanted to dive at. I promptly went back to my cabin and got my book. I was actually asked again when I got to the dive charter in Nassau (Stuart Cove's).

Both times that I've been asked for it they actually took the time to thumb through it and question me about the dives. One instructor on the cruise ship said " in your log it shows your last dive as two weeks ago" and I said "Yep. I live in Florida and dive a couple times a month".

I've also seen on the webpage for Sandels Resort that they require a refresher course before they'll take you out if "they think you need it"

If you are a certified diver and the instructor feels you need to take a refresher course, there will be an additional $50.00 per person for the 1.5 hour course. As per PADI standards this will allow you to dive as a certified diver.

I imagin that having your log book with you and your C-Card is what prevents this from happening.

 

[jviehe]

How should a dive Op honor a OW diver with 200+ logged dives as opposed to a AOW diver with 25 dives?

Dave

Depends on the dive, of course. Lets say its the O. The AOW certed diver could have never been on a boat or a wreck. Same with the OW diver. At some point you have to let the divers decide whether they can do a dive.

 

[CompuDude]

I've never been asked for my log book, but last year at Sandals in Jamaica I volunteered it to get them to waive me out of the usual requirements for the "bunny slope" dive they make most divers go on. As soon as they saw my dive profiles, and the number of dives I had been on in the last two months they warmed considerably to me. I'd imagine it's nice for them to have something other than a vacation diver along. The Rescue certification also raises my stature quite a bit when traveling.

I have been asked for my C card many times, and NOT asked by just as many. Really depends on the dive op. A lot of them will size you (and your gear) up visually before deciding whether or not to ask for it. Those folks never ask me for my card. Others just have a policy one way or the other. *shrug* My logbook is on my cell phone (Palm Treo) and my C card lives in my wallet, so it has never been an issue for me one way or the other, as I never leave home without both in my possession.

My usual dives are on local shores, local boats and local LDS's where I am well-known enough that I'm never asked anymore unless there is a new crew member.

 

[lazyturtle]

In Grand Cayman we required divers to show a log with a dive within 6 months for them to go on the deep(100') dive. If the most recent dive was longer than a year we required a double shallow trip before deep diving. If it had been longer than 2 years we required a full refresher course. People who were regular divers and did not log dives were often angry. We also did not allow a computer as proof, it had to be a logbook.

Beyond GC I've never heard or seen anyone ask for a log. Logs are really for your own benefit.

 

[427Dave]

About 15 years ago in St. Martin I was asked for my log book and did not have it. They were very nice and requested I take a refresher, which was an hour classroom a written test and a open water dive. I did not mind at all and had fun with it all. I did have my C-Card but just could not prove my last dive time. After that could go on any dive I wanted. Actually I enjoy doing a shallow get use to water dive everytime I go on a dive trip. It gives you over a hour of playing around.

 

[SparticleBrane]

Sounds like you could really have some fun with the 'refresher' instructor if you forgot your logbook. *evil grin*

 

[Gilldiver]

As has been said, most good resort DM’d can size you up pretty quick by your gear and a question or two. Sometime, a new DM needs to be taken down a notch or two.

Back more years then I want to think about, say 1992, I was with a group of wreckers out of CT in the Keys. We were going through the quick check out dive routine and the brand new DM was talking big balls about how we would run out of air way before him and we all had to be back on the boat with at least 500 psi in the tank.

The leader of the group was a real old Navy diver who was about 5’8” with a body fat of maybe 9%. He could suck a bottle for way longer then anyone else ever could and we called him “no air Ronny ” and had a SAC rate close to zero. Ron said OK, what time should we plan on doing the dive for? The DM just repeated his line about coming up with 500 psi and we would all hit that way before he would.

About half of us were down at least 10 minutes more then he was when we hit 500, and Ronny just kept going and going – Ok he was skip breathing and doing all the other tricks he knew. The DM was at zero psi and on the surface and there was Ronny tooling around at 40’ waving up at him for another 10 minutes. When Ronny came up, he still had over 1,000 psi, the DM was bent out of shape and spouting off about him staying down so long, etc. etc.

Ronny just asked him if he should go back down till he was down to 500 psi, or had we passed his check out. We all just looked at the DM and said, “well you told us that we would hit 500 way before you and not to worry about how long we were down.

The DM fumed all the way back to the dock and when the shop owner heard our side of the story, he just started laughing and think us for teaching the DM a lesson.

 

[alijtaylor]

Until last week I had never been asked for a log book. The operator who asked was in the Similan Islands in Thailand, when advised that mine was on my computer at home the conversations stopped there and it was not a problem. They already had my number of dives (250), qualification level (rescue) and last dive (2 weeks ago).
I keep a dive log for my own interest, most of my dives are not accompanied DMs or instructors and nothing I have seen suggests I need to change my current practice.
Alison

 

[CompuDude]

Here's a thought: If you are about to go on a dive vacation and spend thousands of dollars, CALL OR EMAIL the dive ops you'll be working with (or a representative sample if you'll chose on the spot) and ASK them what sort of proof they require.

Then you know whether to pack (or print) ye olde log book.

Common sense strikes again!

 

[Zeeman]

OK, going out on a limb here.. Isn't the point of having a c-card to be proof that you can dive? And if you are really that concerned as a dive shop - why not have a check out dive? Provided it's a fun dive with stuff to see, I'm quite happy to do a "bunny slope" dive.

As for the operations who wont accept computer logs - what is it about paper logbooks that make them so high and mighty, whilst computer logs don't apply? We are in the 21st century people - F1 and Moto GP teams use computer logging - I'm pretty sure the NASA astronauts use computer logging well - if it's good enough for them, I dare say it's good enough for us. Is it really that much harder to falsify a paper log? I'm pretty sure it's much harder to hack into your dive computer and create false information. As for borrowing a friends dive computer - that is no different to just making up numbers and writing them down.

People REALLY need to learn to take responsibility for themselves.

Z...