Hiding my shame... the secret log book... and the 4 coffee 5am incident!

[nielsent]

So when i first started into solo diving. I was living and diving in a place where almost all the people I know not only didn't talk about it, but actively chastised people for doing it.

As a result, I didn't say anything to anyone except my closest dive buddies that I was solo diving. However, I didn't want to lost track of my solo diving, so i hid it away in a secret log book to help keep track of my time underwater. I really didn't like hiding it, and this was before i really spent much time researching it on the internet, and found internet forums which helped me out immensely, and moved to a place where it was not only accepted, it was the norm.

Some Context: So in my secret solo log book I have 50ish hours of dive time logged and in my real log book i have around 60-70 hours logged. I tend to count time underwater rather than number of dives, as I find that dive number can be a poor indicator of the underwater experience someone has, I am sure this is a point that may be argued, but not the point of this thread.

Anyway... To the embarrassing part. I was up at 3 am one morning getting ready to start a long day and was at about coffee number 4 at 5am and still not really awake, sort of at that zombie state of awake, where i could respond to commands and communicate in grunts and groans. Anyway, while getting ready to work on the water for the day I spilled coffee all over my log book. Needless to say my log book was ruined, and I cried a little groaning zombie cry. This has led me to do a couple of things and a question to ask of all you solo people that log your dives

Lessons learned:

1) I am from this day forward only using rite-in-the-rain paper or plastic paper for my log book sheets

Question to all you solo guys:

1) Would you have done (or do) as I did and keep a separate logbook for solo dives if living in a place where it was chastised?

2) I now am stuck with half my log book gone, and need to rewrite it. I wouldn't even care normally, but I am doing an tech specialty instructor course in a few days and need to rewrite my log book for proof of dives, which is a lame requirement that I was told is necessary.

So now what do I do? Keep my solo journal separate, or combine the two into a full log book.?

I have grown a much thicker skin now and I don't really care about the chastising like I used to, and I live where solo diving is accepted, so it seems like if i gotta rewrite the damn thing from my excel backup, then i might as well keep it all in the same place.

So what would you do?

thanks for the help.

-- nielsent

 

[Cave Diver]

As a rule, I generally don't dive solo. And if I did I really wouldn't care what anyone else thought about it. As far as your log book goes, something you might wish to consider: If you kept all your dives in one log, vs. your two separate logs, you'd have ruined the entire thing with the inadvertent dunk. It seems in this instance, having a separate log worked in your favor.

 

[gypsyjim]

I was also wondering how having only one log book would have prevented the loss.

I do some solo, and I log them as such in my personal log book. What/how I log in is my own business. For nearly 20 years I logged no dives. Simply did not bother until I was diving and doing some training with a PADI course director, who decided to try to help me reconstruct some of that dive history, and begin logging all dives.

Reconstructing a dive log is certainly an inexact, and difficult chore. I do not envy you.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Create a computerized log and keep a back up copy on an external hard drive or carbonite.

 

[James R]

I log solo and "regular" all in the same log book. When i download and update on my computer, I set my buddy as "Han Solo." Every couple months I zip the log book data file and email to myself in gmail and save to my external HDD. I couldn't care less what the "scuba police" have to say...I can politely tell them to pound sand, so to speak.

Also, I never bring my complete paper log book with me to any dive site or on any trip. My dive computer keeps hundreds stored, which should be fine for any weird dive op that wants proof (never has happened before).

 

[smorneau]

There is no shame in doing what you love!

 

[VooDooGasMan]

This dive buddy of mine has an incredible dive log of about 40 to 50 yearsJanKocian's PhotosThere is no one man that even compares to this diver, enjoy.

Reminds me, I need to go do a dive with him, Its been way to long.


Happy Diving

 

[VooDooGasMan]

Oh, Niel, solo is a league in its own, I would suggest keep you solo logs seperate, it sound unique. I have never logged, I guess I do when I put the vid cam on gauges, that is sorta a logged dive, other than that I just remember all of them. The one thing that has all my dives in common, THERE WET.

I actually tried it for a bit and it faded.



Happy Diving

 

[Doc Harry]

1) Would you have done (or do) as I did and keep a separate logbook for solo dives if living in a place where it was chastised?

Nope, I log everything in one book. I wouldn't tolderate being chastised for diving solo.

I would consolidate everything into one log.

 

[sylpha]

i don't care either, if you want to keep your solo logs seperate then that's your choice and anyone who chastises you should be treated with the contempt they deserve!