Log books mandatory?

[ReeferBen]

FWIW I am planning another trip to dive in the BVI, this is the first time I can take my son he is 10 and was just certified. I went through my log books to look at my depths at certain sites to make sure I remembered them correctly, since he is limited. One I did a bunch of times that was the perfect depth but in the comments over half the time I wrote there was a ton of current there, something I hadn't remembered and otherwise it looked like a perfect site for him. I am glad I kept those logs.

 

[eponym]

I dove down at Sandals in Jamacia this spring and they needed to see my log with a dive within the last 6 months. I had my AOW card and over 200 dives and they still made me do a pool check out becuse my recent dives weren't "stamped" by an instructor or dive shop.

Crikey, that stinks. Sounds like they've found a new income stream.

Eighty percent of my logs are local shore dives, no shop, no boat, no stamp, and hardly ever a buddy signature. Overall I might have maybe one boat stamp per hundred dives.

Hey, if an instructor shows up on vacation does he or she need stamps in the logbook too?

-Bryan

 

[Levigarrett]

I am actually surprised how many people will forge a log book, or think that the act of forgery is trivial. I know if I was a dive op, and an accident did happen, I would have a strong case that I am not responsible as the diver in question forged his credentials. I view my dive log the same way I view my pilots and airplanes log. They can contain invaluable information, provide a documented proof, especially when I get the dive op or buddy to sign my book. Along with simple information, I can add all kinds of notes about equipment, conditions, even the buddy I was with just incase I meet up with them somewhere else. Due to my age and failing memory , I rely on this sort of information. Not mention I believe it is actually illeagal...

Aviation logs are required by Federal Law in the US. Coincidentally, the logging of "pilot" time in the US is only required to show currency or training in preparation for a rating or certificate. In other words, the logging of daily flight activities is not required. It's common practice but it's not compulsory. No such law exists in the diving community, nor is there internationally recognized convention like there is in aviation via the ICAO. The ICAO mandates a global standard for certain things which are uniformly applied and accepted. While there is a reasonable correlation in your argument, the "requirement" to log dives as proof of skill or training is not universally mandated and I've never seen a uniform application of prerequisite skill to say.....dive this or that site. I think such a thing is desperately needed.

As a novice diver myself, I've been subject to both sides of this problem. I was recently told by an op that I would need an AOW ticket prior to diving with them on a reef drift dive. This requirement was being told to me in their boat on the way back from the most harrowing dive I've ever done. They never asked about my dive experience or anyone else's on board before we all splashed in for a 90ft wreck dive in visibilities that were less than 10ft. Divers were lost, and many surfaced away from the boat. There were 2 divers on board doing their first ever dive after being certed. One was separated from the DM and her husband. After the husband boarded the boat without his wife or DM panic set in. 10 min later the DM surfaced without the woman and this gentleman has a reasonably serious meltdown...I suspect that none of us should have been on that wreck in those conditions.

Again, dollars drove the op and uniform requirements didn't exist. I've begun logging dives now simply because I wish to add certificates but not because I think I'm going to be routinely asked for my credentials. In the end, dive ops can't survive turning away customers.