Dive log requirements - what's necessary to show?

[maj2]

I have only been asked to show a log book with charter operators wanting to be sure that you have experience in some of the deeper and colder local dives here. Electronic works just as well as paper. I haven't logged a dive on paper in over a decade. All electronic now, and available on my phone. I do not collect stamps and buddy signatures.

Otherwise, in warmer locales, I have only bee asked for proof of certification.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to dive. Did the 4 open water dives, and then 13 more or so on a recent liveaboard+a few fun dives.

However, on the recent liveaboard, I don't have all the details on the dives I did.

I didn't think this would be a big deal, but then realized that some future diving may require proof of dives.

When other dive operators need you to show a minimum # or recent dive log, what do they expect? Is a little hand-written note enough?

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Name, rank, and serial number.

If you provide only name, rank, and serial number and if you happen to get twisted on a dive event you want to make it as difficult as possible for an attending doctor to provide accurate DX and RX.

You certainly want to have your options open for mis-diagnosis and a treatment, so you have legal recourse after the mis-diagnosis and a treatment and you are hobbling around

if you have been logging your dives you make it so easy for the attending doctor to DX your diving medical problem(s ) and provide appropriate RX. And we certainly don't want that

Do we?

SDM

 

[stuartv]

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Name, rank, and serial number.

If you provide only name, rank, and serial number and if you happen to get twisted on a dive event you want to make it as difficult as possible for an attending doctor to provide accurate DX and RX.

You certainly want to have your options open for mis-diagnosis and a treatment, so you have legal recourse after the mis-diagnosis and a treatment and you are hobbling around

if you have been logging your dives you make it so easy for the attending doctor to DX your diving medical problem(s ) and provide appropriate RX. And we certainly don't want that

Do we?

SDM

Are they really going to diagnose or treat someone based on what's written down in a paper log? If they want dive log info, aren't they going to look at the diver's computer and the log in there first?

 

[Steve_C]

I had a case with doing some dives as part of some certs and realized later that I did not get all the cards. Having the instructor signed pages and labeled with what it was made clearing it up easy. Needed the dives official later. Now I just log for fun. Good for estimating what type of suit/weights I will need in a given situation.

 

[longtimer]

I try not to speak in terms of regrets, but I've had a few. IF I had a do over I'd keep a detailed log book as described by some of our um ana uh obses hmm detailed, that's it, detailed brethren on here... where, when, with whom, sights, thoughts and impressions, gps coordinates or landmarks etc. I have no idea how many dives I've done, sometimes don't even remember wrecks or caves until I'm in them again, who I was with or did... It's truly regrettable. I started diving before BC's and C-cards and I have no record. Now my son tells me if I don't send a picture it didn't happen! At least he still listens to me tell my stories lol. Yep, I'd keep a log.

 

[Hoag]

I obviously do not have the number of dives as many who have commented on this thread do, but here is my 2 cents worth.

I still log every dive, but not in the type of detail that I used to. I no longer have a paper log, but rather, I use an app on my iPad called "Dive Log". I like this app because it is pretty much fill in the blank (and it will auto fill to a degree). It will let you enter all of your equipment and enter JPEGs of your dive (I don't). As for what I typically log, it falls into two broad categories: Things I might need (or find useful) later and things that are unique to this dive.

Normally, I log (some variation of) the following:
Date
Dive site name
Depth & Bottom Time
Water temp & exposure protection
Weights
Visibility (in very general terms: Good, Fair, or Bad)

Did I see something unusual (Was the dive "Sharky? Did I see turtles, dolphins, really interesting landmarks, etc)
If it was a kind of dive I don't do often (I don't do a lot of night dives, so I will note them in my log)

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I have had dive ops want to see my logbook. For instance, IIRC, the Aquacat wanted to see everybody's logbook the first night. Then, they keep track of anybody who hit a "milestone" dive on the trip and they recognized that person/accomplishment at the end of the week.

 

[TMHeimer]

I've rarely written anything about exposure protection in my log. Years ago I made one (actually written) list of what to wear for what water temp. (and possible thermocline). Why would writing this in a log help? From what I read quite a few list exposure protection regularly on logged dives. We've been in Nova Scotia 12 years now after 25 years in Northern Canada, so I am feeling the cold VERYgradually more & more while diving. But nothing that writing in a log would make a difference.

I am remiss--the summer before last out ocean temp. reached 68F in Nova Scotia. I did write "Holy cow, used my shorty today in Nova Scotia".