Logging dives.

[Lou]

Anyone can fake it.  Any instructor can pass a student/mate who isn't up to it either, so really cert cards aren't cast iron proof.  

The first line of checking is the card, the second the log book, but the only thing that shows the "skill" (and that is subjective) is diving with them.  Hence the check dives at the start of holidays etc.  I wouldn't do a dive I felt was challenging with  buddy I didn't know....but then I always buddy my other half anyway.

Interesting to me was a recent trip which saw us on a rib with some very experienced BSAC instructors.  Their particular interest was wrecking, in the lump hammer sense.  The dives we did were scenic, through some gullies etc, in Cornwall.  My eyes were opened by the realisation that most of their large experience was gained sat on the sea bed, weighted to ####, and that bouyancy and finese were strangers to them.  Following on the heels of one of them he managed to strip the walls of all the beautiful anenomes and urchins and even tugs on his fins were ignored as he was so unaware of what he was doing!

So vast numbers of logged dives, even at large depths mean sod all if your diving styles are different.

[Jay]

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Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]Quote: from Lou on 10:41 am on Nov. 1, 2002
Anyone can fake it.  Any instructor can pass a student/mate who isn't up to it either, so really cert cards aren't cast iron proof.

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Easier to fake a log book though - at least the higher cert cards (DM and up) have a significant minimum number of dives before issue.

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Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]The first line of checking is the card, the second the log book, but the only thing that shows the &quot;skill&quot; (and that is subjective) is diving with them.

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Agreed but how many places do this is reality?

[jlwarlow]

I don't know about PADI but BSAC have a minimum number of dives/minutes between grades. I know log books can be faked but our DO would know something was up if someone made out they logged more dives than they should. Other than loggind dives for the quals, I like to write what I've done. I also record my equipment and weight so I can refer to it later. I've only logged 86 dives so far so give it another year and I may think sod it on certain dives :-) For now I write them as I go. In a few years I may read them again and laugh at myself :-)

[jlwarlow]

Just an after thought. Don't some dive guides abroad want to look at your log book to see what kind of diving you've done?

[PaulC]

I log my dives; don't spend too long doing it but its nice to have a record (esp. in relation to configurations in foreign parts). I've seen a lot of CMAS divers with notebook style log books which clearly only have room for dive number/time/depth/one or 2 notes as to weight/kit: if I get bored (or embarrassed) with my A5 style log book I think that's what I'd go on to.

[Narked@50]

Gave up logging dives a while ago, got fed up writting the same things in them. I think divers should log the first 100 or so and then see how they feel, I recently bought download software for my computer so I may keep the dives numbers even if I don't fill in the info like "name of site"!

James

[scubalil]

I know some divers who log their time in the pool with students as bottom time and dives. I know PADI doesn't define what a dive is (except for minimum requirements for training dives) but it just seems to me that a dive should be in open water. When I was diving everyday I didn't bother to write it down but got the minimum data from my computer every week or two. I couldn't remember the details (except when I went chasing after a student) but at least there was something written down and I didn't have to take my logbook onboard the boat (everything I bring on the boat ALWAYS gets wet).

[Mark Chase]

I never loged my dives prior to 2001, then I got a Suunto with down load softwhere. All the dives i have done with the Suunto are logged the ones where I forgot it arnt (I dont use it for anything else but loging dives now)


I have been asked for my log book before but I just offer them the Suunto and say there you go Generaly a few questions about a few well known wrecks will sort the divers out. I cant see the point in looking at pure numbers when people are logging most of their diving in Stony Cove.

It hasent been much of a problem but I here it is more so in the USA

ATB

Mark Chase

[Eee]

I'm the other end of the scale I log every dive, including pool dives with students (I like to keep a good record of them especially)...

However the only time I've been asked to provide my logs are during courses, and need proof of a minimum. All the trips I've been on they only take my cert. card just so that I'll pay my bill....

Ee

[tonhil]

Logging dives is fun. ( I sound like the PADI video!!) I reached a significant landmark a couple of years ago. Quite chuffed I was. The guy I did that dive with seemed to dive OK even by my own high standards He then logged his dive and he had a shade short of 5000 (that's 5000) logged. I then decided that experience is indeed relative and I intend to continue logging my own - at least until I reach 5000.