The most dives...

[scubadada]

Everyone says dive numbers don't count.

They why is that the only dive statistic that dive shops ask? (They only ask certification level and number of dives, never total bottom time, never variety of dive types, never average SAC etc.)

Not many people know this. Avg RMV +/- std dev for last 1511 dives is O.36 +/- 0.04 cu ft/min. I gave my bottom time and run time above.

 

[Akimbo]

I assume that saturation diving has decreased significantly with the advent of other methods to monitor deep depths, is that correct? Of course, there are certain things that only a diver could do.

Simple and routine tasks like visual inspection have largely been taken over by ROVs (Remote Operated Vehicle). But ROVs also find problems that divers need to repair. Quite a few sat lockouts have a ROV watching them work, helping to light the site, and even fetching tools.

ROVs can be made to do a lot of specific and complex tasks, but fall short on completing diverse tasks. It's complicated but it comes down to the most cost-effective tool for the job, which is an ever-moving target. The cost of a sat diver, a ROV, or even a sat system is small potatoes these days. It's the ship and crew required to support them that is the big bucks. Typical North Sea DSVs are in the 350-400' range.

Time is extremely expensive in the offshore oilfield. Daily interest costs are enormous. Lost production is never recouped so getting back online is worth more than most of us can imagine. Fields are being developed far out of diver range, but the longer times to make repairs with ROVs and bring equipment back to the surface for repairs is factored into the life-cycle cost estimates.

As deep work technology improves, discovered fields that were capped and abandoned are reevaluated. Developing deep offshore fields is a very complex and a high risk gamble. Sorry for the rambling response but there's a lot of moving parts to what should be a simple question.

 

[Akimbo]

Points well taken. So I have 1972 dives since 1997, 1953:49, for an average dive time of 0:59. This is in a wide variety of circumstances. Of course, this is nothing compared to professional divers.

Maybe, maybe not. Most professional divers are not very good (safe or productive) Scuba divers. They are very good at their job (or get run off), but is that the person you want to dive with? Depends on the dive doesn't it?

One of the best dive supervisors, and a US Navy Master Diver, that I ever worked with could run through a set of doubles like the valve was wide open... and get bent to at the same time (thanks to an old knee injury). But I never hesitated putting my life in his hands. Where is he on the spectrum?

 

[CuzzA]

The person with the most dives most likely doesn't log dives. I'd guess that title goes to a commercial spearfisherman somewhere in the US and they'd likely never brag about how many dives they've done.

 

[Boston Breakwater]

Ok, my 11 year old has been bugging me to ask this question. I have been resistant in the past because it is silly, but I understand why he is asking. He has been reading some posts and very interested in diving. He certified at 10 and has been diving and learning a lot about science of diving and marine ecology.
So he wants to know, who on this board has logged the most dives?

Hello, again. The O.P. stated......
"Ok, my 11 year old has been bugging me to ask this question. I have been resistant in the past because it is silly, but I understand why he is asking."
As, it turns out..........It's not really a silly question at all. The replies have been very interesting. I think it's a matter of actual bottom time, and also a matter of perspective. I would also have to say it's also a matter of experience.
Also, would the ocean/lake/pond/bathtub/quarry/swimming pool conditions, and depth come into play???? Would the task at hand, or objective of the dive come into play.
Is it "Technical." "Recreational." "Commercial."
If a diver......Let's call him "Duart." gets certified, and progresses through Cave 1 Cave 2 Cave 3 Cave 4 and Rebreather 101 in 6 months, with a total dive time of 62 hours.
Does he have the experience of a diver....Let's call him "Dubbapappa" who has over a 1000 dives, at say 60 minutes bottom time each dive? Regardless of the reel, and toys..................
I would say "Not."
Does a new diver that just completed (2) 100 Ft dives scouring wrecks for a total bottom time of 47 minutes have more experience than a diver that just did (1) Deco dive to 100 Ft. , and just hung on a rope at 20 Ft, and then at 10 Ft. for a total bottom time of 38 minutes? (Relax...Pedant ones...Just throwing numbers.)
So, now. Is it also a matter of knowledge, against experience....or is it both?
I "Logged." 168 dives my first year. I haven't logged a dive since. To me personally...It is not important.
Cheers.

 

[TMHeimer]

"logged dives"? First, just scuba or does that include free diving? Then you have the person with 1000 dives of 20 min or less, and others with a 1/4 of that but their dives are all over an hour each.

A good example is my recent entry into cave diving, other than training dives, I dont have a "dive" of under an hour bottom time, and some are 3 hours or more. So I log 1 dive of 3 hours, someone else logs 9 dives of 20 min.

Point, tell him not to get caught up with numbers. One good dives is worth 30 bad ones!

I think several folks are making it way too complicated. The OP's question is who on SB has the most logged dives. IMO, and I'm sure many agree, that does not include free diving (question is asked on SCUBAboard). A majority would say pool dives shouldn't be logged (or yes, log them if you wish but with no number assigned). The question mentioned nothing about duration, depth, or total experience the diver may have.
IMO it means who has done the following the most times:
--geared up.
--done a dive in salt or fresh water.
--geared down (after last dive of the day).
--logged it (them).

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Everyone says dive numbers don't count.

They why is that the only dive statistic that dive shops ask? (They only ask certification level and number of dives, never total bottom time, never variety of dive types, never average SAC etc.)

Exactly. I’m not going to say that everyone asks (that would be an exaggeration), but if you get a group of divers together...sooner or later...the topic of dive count generally comes up.

I did have one occasion where a dive operator inquired about my experience, I mentioned one place I hit and he said “oh, you’re good then.” With the exception of that one occasion though...as you said...it’s just “let me see your cert card” or “how many dives have you logged?”

 

[Boston Breakwater]

Exactly. I’m not going to say that everyone asks (that would be an exaggeration), but if you get a group of divers together...sooner or later...the topic of dive count generally comes up.

I did have one occasion where a dive operator inquired about my experience, I mentioned one place I hit and he said “oh, you’re good then.” With the exception of that one occasion though...as you said...it’s just “let me see your cert card” or “how many dives have you logged?”

Hello. 20 years ago....There was a dive charter on Cape Cod that "Required."
25 New England "Logged." dives.
Believe it or not....It's true.
Logged dives is just a measure, with no real parameters. I guess.
Cheers.

 

[Lostdiver71]

I stopped logging dives over 20 years ago except for when I taught classes and I stopped teaching around a decade ago. I recently started logging dives again because I want to renew my instructor certifications and teach again in the next couple of years and will need to show recent experience. I spent 4 years working on dive boats full time at one point so somewhere easily over 2000 dives since 1986, I probably logged around 250 of them, unfortunately my old logbooks were lost in a move and will probably;y never be seen again!

 

[100days-a-year]

In excess of 8k OC scuba dives on a variety of mixes. Of which only training dives and prerequisites were logged. Likely missed 1k since my accident.
I have a couple of buddies with significantly more than that like hundreds a year for 50 years plus and quite few with hundreds per year for 30 plus years.
Average dive times probably well under an hour for all of us.
Wife is like around 2k or so.