beginer diving logs

[cressioceanicmares21]

I just got certified (open water) and am having trouble with what to fill in my diving logs. Is it just as easy as time, temp, depth, location, and date? Any help would be appreciated. Also the certificate i got for my open water doesnt have a raised seal; its just a regular certificate of completion. My friend said it should have a raised seal; is he just trying to be supreme?

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

The certificate isn't too big a deal, his instructor probably charged more for the class and paid a little extra to the agency to get him the "parchment" certificate. As long as you got the card you're certifiable, err...certified.

I like to keep the exposure suit and weight and tank size used and start/stop pressures in the log as well, especially when diving new size or material tanks (Steel 95 = X lbs, AL 80 = X lbs, etc). This way I can refer to the last time I dove my 3mm in freshwater with an AL80 and see that I wore 6 lbs.

Once you've got a few dives under your belt start looking for the equations to figure out your gas usage (here's why you keep start and end pressures and a second reason to track time).

A short description of anything unusual or exciting about the site and your buddy(ies). I've got everything from phone numbers to "Never again" in the margins next to some of the dive buddies I've had.

 

[spectrum]

I don't know about the certificate. The real proof of certification is your c-card which I assume is forthcoming. It will come from the certifying agency. certificates that I know of are something to run home with as you shout yipeeeee!

As for your logs there are 3 purposes;
* As a personal keepsake and dive tracker. I run an Excel spread sheets that I fill out from an index card I make notes on at the dive site. Dive # (overall and year) site, date, time, buddys, weights, suit, temps, max depth, cylinder. start and end pressures, avearge depth. I have some formulas that spit out consumption and SAC, notes of what we saw, did, who we met, whatever made the dive special.

* For some boat dives or dives beyond 60 feet an good log may suffice for an AOW card. Once in a while proof of recent dive activity is required.

* If you have professional aspirations then logged dives can be required and having a log will be your documentation.

For the vast majority of dives it's a keepsake and personal record of your diving adventures so let it reflect what you want to get out of diving.

Pete

 

[maj2]

In addition to all that CD mentioned, I usually, try and write down a bit about the weather conditions (sunny/cloudy/windy/calm), water conditions (calm, surf, etc.), visibility, bottom composition (sand/gravel/silt/etc.) any fish/critters seen, air temp, suface temp, temp at depth, time of day, etc. Boat and charter operator are also marked down when applicable. Site conditions can also be interesting to record, since wrecks deteriorate with time, and sadly, some artifacts may not be there the next time you dive the site.
I'll also mark down how the dive "felt". Anything I was uncomfortable with, or any skills I feel I need to work on.
Anything that I can reference back and either use to remember the dive, or plan a future dive gets recorded. I'll usually write down brief items immediately after the dive (pressures, times, depth, etc.), and then write a more detailed description as well.
Your log book can be a simple or detailed as you like. For my fist several dives, I kept very detailed logs for every dive. More recently, log entries have tended to be more brief.

Your log book can be just a list of your dives, or it can be a tool. Looking back at your old and recent dives can be useful for planning the next dive, or for setting your own individual goals based on your experiences.

 

[Charlie99]

A simple rule for what to put in your logs is to notice everytime you wish you had written something down. Add that item to your future notes.

As a beginning diver, recording info on exposure suits, type of tank, how much lead and whether or not it was the right weight are particularly important.

If you are using rental gear, take notes of specific make and model number of gear that you like or don't like. If you go shopping for a BCD in a few months, that info will very valuable.

I often jot down info on dive charters -- phone numbers, departure and approx return times, etc. On a few dive sites, I have some more detailed info, such as where some particularly active cleaning stations are located. (Where fish come to have parasites and dead skin removed by cleaner wrasses).

Just about any form of log will be accepted for the prerequisites for future classes. Mostly, your log is for you and you alone, so put into it what might be useful for you.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

* For some boat dives or dives beyond 60 feet an good log may suffice for an AOW card. Once in a while proof of recent dive activity is required.

When I started diving at Shedd the Aquarium diving safety officer inspected my log book and c-cards to ensure that I had the requisite experience.

 

[teknitroxdiver]

I just put date, place, psi's, max & average depth, time, and occasionally temp. If it's a non-standard dive I'll put down how much weight, if any, I used.

 

[DaveDog]

The certificate isn't too big a deal, his instructor probably charged more for the class and paid a little extra to the agency to get him the "parchment" certificate. As long as you got the card you're certifiable, err...certified.

I like to keep the exposure suit and weight and tank size used and start/stop pressures in the log as well, especially when diving new size or material tanks (Steel 95 = X lbs, AL 80 = X lbs, etc). This way I can refer to the last time I dove my 3mm in freshwater with an AL80 and see that I wore 6 lbs.

Once you've got a few dives under your belt start looking for the equations to figure out your gas usage (here's why you keep start and end pressures and a second reason to track time).

A short description of anything unusual or exciting about the site and your buddy(ies). I've got everything from phone numbers to "Never again" in the margins next to some of the dive buddies I've had.

If diving with spouse don't use the never again comment it'll come back to haunt ya.

 

[NadMat]

Because it is a tool to help you plan future dives better. I track as much as I can about location and water conditions along with air consumption. I am currently experimenting with using several different versions of available dive log software in an attempt to either find one I like or write my own. Plus am keeping an Access DB of them.

Partly because I like to play with software, partly because it is useful info. Nice to be able to track SAC and be able to view a graph on its changes. Or sort out all dives of a certain type (i.e. temp<X depth>70 sw) and get an average SAC for those dives so can create a more realistic and accurate dive plan. Also to look up buddy info, guide or DM info, site info, etc.
At very minimum, you should track your gas consumption and note any training or equipment lacks so you can correct them. At least IMAO

 

[boulderjohn]

You've already gotten some good advice. I include just about everything everyone has written here. I want to tell you how I have used that information as a way of suggesting some of its performance.

My most common usage is to check back to when I have dived under similar circumstances to see about thermal protection and weighting. For example, I have gone on a couple occasions to the Ft. Lauderdale area in late March, and those are conditions I don't usually dive. If I go again, I will check to see what I wore and whether I felt warm or cold. I will look at my weighting for that amount of wet suit and notice if I made any comments about it.

Let's say I go to an area I have dived before but not too recently. I will check the various dives I did there to see what I thought of the areas, what I saw, etc. to help plan the trip.

Finally, I have had friends ask me about a pace I have dived to help them with an upcoming trip. I can go through the log and make suggestions to them about all of that to help them plan.

It isn't just a technical exercise--logging your dives really does have a practical benefit.