Log book mockery?!

[tracydr]

There is another post asking whether people use their log books/why log dives, but my question is - do you mock people who enjoy keeping a log book?

I recently completed my OW course with PADI and through the course the instructor never once referred to my log book with me. It was only at the end when he was signing the mandatory pages he was surprised I had filled in details for the dives. I did not know some of the answers such as visibility, temperature, so I asked him for these and he seemed surprised I wanted to bother logging this.

I think it's neat to log all of your dives from a personal and experience point of view. My boyfriend on the other hand thinks I'm being "lame"!

I'm signing up to a dry suit course and now I'm going to feel embarrassed getting out my log book in front of the instructor and asking for their input on temperatures/visibility - should I be?

I think that was very unprofessional and immature.
you should never be embarrassed for adding details to your log. Add all the details you want, including exposure suit, weights, new gear used, what fish you saw, how you felt, any problems you had and who you dived with. Add little smiley faces and stars if you feel like it and be proud of it!

 

[smorneau]

Still being a new diver, I log all my dives. Mostly for the gear configs. I dive with several different tanks both AL and AA, wet and dry, fresh and salt water so trying to remember all the different weight schemes used it difficult and I often look back to see what I was wearing for exposure protection and how much weight I was using and where to put it. On my way home from the dive I usually enter the information in Dive Log 5.0 on my phone and later enter it in my paper book.

 

[BabyDuck]

i think logs are for the diver. i'm 'meh' about signing others' books & have never asked for signatures, but it's not off-putting as much as very momentarily slightly annoying. *but*, if that's what you want done, ask! i also don't get stamps, but if you want to, go for it! i mean, i don't get mickey mouse's autograph at disney either, but lots of folks love to.

i still love walter's log best - a big blank journal with detailed descriptions, drawings, how he felt, what he saw, and some dive info. i lean that way, too, by using a small blank journal. if i write up a detailed report online, i print it & tuck it in the correct spot.

i've had my log inspected once, for the abe davis. but i really consider that it is for me. others can mock all they want - i'm a big girl & i can take it.

 

[tracydr]

Still being a new diver, I log all my dives. Mostly for the gear configs. I dive with several different tanks both AL and AA, wet and dry, fresh and salt water so trying to remember all the different weight schemes used it difficult and I often look back to see what I was wearing for exposure protection and how much weight I was using and where to put it. On my way home from the dive I usually enter the information in Dive Log 5.0 on my phone and later enter it in my paper book.

I'm glad you brought this ap up. I just looked into it and I'm going to purchase it. Sounds like a great ap!
My log book was inspected when we dived in Galapegos.

 

[AH_Matt]

Agree, if only so that you have the proof you need to participate in dives or to take advanced classes. The operator on my last boat dive visually verified I had recent cold water deep diving experience before he would let me go on the 100+ ft New York and the 85ft North Star.

I also feel that it is important for us newer divers to keep a record of weight for salt/fresh, warm/cold, and suit type. For example, your weight in July in St. Lucia with a 3mm suit is nowhere near that for October in the Great Lakes in a 7mm suit. SAC is helpful to plan your dive and select a good dive buddy. I also second the MacDive comment, which I use in addition to my log book.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[TMHeimer]

Agree, if only so that you have the proof you need to participate in dives or to take advanced classes. The operator on my last boat dive visually verified I had recent cold water deep diving experience before he would let me go on the 100+ ft New York and the 85ft North Star.

I also feel that it is important for us newer divers to keep a record of weight for salt/fresh, warm/cold, and suit type. For example, your weight in July in St. Lucia with a 3mm suit is nowhere near that for October in the Great Lakes in a 7mm suit. SAC is helpful to plan your dive and select a good dive buddy. I also second the MacDive comment, which I use in addition to my log book.

Cheers,
Matt

Am curious that a lot of divers use the log book to keep track of weighting as they change exposure suits. I've got 3 wetsuits, each which could be used in salt or fresh water-- That's only 6 possiblilities for weight. Three actually if you just figure out what you need in salt and subtract 5 pounds for fresh, etc. So, unless you're changing equipment a lot, possibly a tech. diver, why would you note weights in the log all the time or often? I also have both steel and AL tanks and add or subtract 5-6 pounds accordingly for that. I have this stuff on one list--My body weight rarely changes and my scuba weightings have not changed. Of course it would be wise to do a weight check often and note it if you are in the process of gaining or losing a lot of weight or are perhaps a growing teenage diver.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Get a drysuit and start varying undergarments. Then you'll see why. Or have a number of different setups. I use steel plates, al plates, soft pack(zeagle express tech), add or subtract stages, pony bottles, can lights, switch between al and three sizes of steel tanks. Or have to use someone else's bc when they want to take your plate and wing for a dive. It helps to not have to do a weight check every time. Just flip through the log, say oh yeah that's what I used four years ago, load, and go.

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

 

[faze]

I log mine as I simply enjoy it - sometimes I log a lot of info, sometimes just the divesite and date - all depends... I met a lady in August who writes a full page in a journal for every dive...... and she dives two or three times a week and has been for years... each to their own as far as I'm concerned

 

[kimbalabala]

I log mine for a few reasons. One, I have seen divers turned away while on vacation because their log books indicated that it had been over a year since their last dive - yes, really! Two, I need to refer back to what I wore to make adjustments in how much lead I need to carry - as I get more experience I'm able to use less and less weight and that's nice. Three, I have a terrible memory that benefits from notes like "I saw a nurse shark"! It helps me remember where I saw things. But I really like to look at the data from my computer and see my SAC rate - that's COOL!!! (yep, I'm a geek!) No mockery coming from this direction.

 

[TheMic]

I log all of mine. I like to look back and see how things have changed over the years. I would never mock somebody if they do/do not log there dives, that is thier perogative. If an instructor does not want to give you info you ask for then I would personally find a different one.