Excel spreadsheet

[emttim]

Hey, on the subject of logging dives, do any of you guys happen to know of (or have) a simplistic excel spreadsheet that keeps track of your dive log info such as depth, pressure group, comments/notes, etc.?

I use my logbook now after a failed attempt at computer software (let's just say there's more bugs in the software I used than in a bag of sugar next to an ant mound) to keep track of stuff but I'm just worried that if I lose my logbook, I can't reconstruct my dives. I probably shouldn't be using my logbook with my training stuff in it anyway, but I figure if I at least can just get a new logbook and write in info from what I have saved on the computer, well it'd suck but I'd be able to get my dives back on paper at least.

 

[scubapatton]

Get a computer that can download your dives. Also, if you think you may lose your logbook so easily, maybe photocopy key benchmark dives - eg 25, 50, 60, 100. After 100, you will not need to account for your dive history per se. You only need to show proof of dive 100 at the IE. 60 is for DM. All this is for PADI anyway...

I use one of the binder style logbooks and just pull out pages after a while and leave them on the shelf. I still account for every dive, as well as keeping track of my underwater time.

My buddies and I put together an Excel page file but then one computer geek guy got carried away and made it too much in too little of room... We never did re-visit it after all that if I remember correctly...

-D.

 

[DivingPrincessE]

I don't know about a spreadsheet...but after a weekend of diving I bring my logbook into work and make copies, then I keep those copies in my file cabinet at work. Figure if my logbook takes a swim or there is fire or something I'll still have a copy of everything. I also have several laminated copies of my c-cards

 

[diversteve]

I haven't used it but saw it in another post here:

Download Dave's Divelog

A quick Search for Excel logbook turned up some other possible options.

I'm really liking www.diverecord.com, it's free, captures all your info and has a lot of options for printing condensed versions to carry with you. I just transferred all my dives there.

And if you ever (not that it's ever happened to me) have to show your log to someone, it's possible if they have Internet access.

 

[Sas]

Try looking on Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com for diving software. I was doing that the other night as I am wanting the same thing as you emttim but never got a chance to check out the results - there were a few though. Instead, my partner is currently making me a personalised program and if it gets finished in the near future (a week or two hopefully) I can send it your way if you want to check it out. It will just be a bunch of fields I fill out and submit all the info, and will be automatically uploaded on my webpage after. Based on just a standard log book page with a space to upload pics

But yea I am sure someone has made one before too, just google around.

 

[bubba105]

The bride uses an Excel spreadsheet she made. She's going to e-mail it to me, I'll erase her info & then ??? I'm an admitted cyber moron. The bride just suggested you could PM me your e-mail address & I could send it to you. That I can probably do. If you have a better idea, let me know.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Take a look at DiveRecord.com. It's an online dive log but it also has an excel spreadsheet that downloads everything from your online log. It has everything you're looking for. Follow the link in my signature line.

 

[emttim]

Get a computer that can download your dives. Also, if you think you may lose your logbook so easily, maybe photocopy key benchmark dives - eg 25, 50, 60, 100. After 100, you will not need to account for your dive history per se. You only need to show proof of dive 100 at the IE. 60 is for DM. All this is for PADI anyway...

I use one of the binder style logbooks and just pull out pages after a while and leave them on the shelf. I still account for every dive, as well as keeping track of my underwater time.

My buddies and I put together an Excel page file but then one computer geek guy got carried away and made it too much in too little of room... We never did re-visit it after all that if I remember correctly...

-D.

Well....I just did get a VEO-250 actually, but I haven't gone back to work yet (injured my arm & was on disability) so I don't have the money for the $100 to spring for the USB cable for it...I know PADI only needs 100 logged dives but I plan to keep logging every dive, even if I don't put too many notes in.

I don't know about a spreadsheet...but after a weekend of diving I bring my logbook into work and make copies, then I keep those copies in my file cabinet at work. Figure if my logbook takes a swim or there is fire or something I'll still have a copy of everything. I also have several laminated copies of my c-cards

Hmm, that's not a bad idea actually, both on the copies of logbook & copies of cards.

I haven't used it but saw it in another post here:

Download Dave's Divelog

A quick Search for Excel logbook turned up some other possible options.

I'm really liking www.diverecord.com, it's free, captures all your info and has a lot of options for printing condensed versions to carry with you. I just transferred all my dives there.

And if you ever (not that it's ever happened to me) have to show your log to someone, it's possible if they have Internet access.

Thanks, I'll check it out!

Try looking on Free Software Downloads and Software Reviews - Download.com for diving software. I was doing that the other night as I am wanting the same thing as you emttim but never got a chance to check out the results - there were a few though. Instead, my partner is currently making me a personalised program and if it gets finished in the near future (a week or two hopefully) I can send it your way if you want to check it out. It will just be a bunch of fields I fill out and submit all the info, and will be automatically uploaded on my webpage after. Based on just a standard log book page with a space to upload pics

But yea I am sure someone has made one before too, just google around.

Sure, let me check out DiveRecord though. Wow, I didn't expect so many helpful responses, didn't reply to all of them because I don't want to spam you guys with my reply, but thanks everyone! I'll take a look at DiveRecord and go from there.

 

[Charlie99]

Why not just do freeform text entry in a word processor?

I used to maintain a standard logbook but also maintained a very concise summary sheet in Word. On the summary sheet a 1 week trip with 20 dives would just be a short paragraph with things like hotel and dive op names, total number of dives / cumulative bottom time, and a few notes on unusual critters, new gear config etc.

At about the 450 dive point I stopped keeping the traditional log and just maintained the journal/diary sort of entries in Word.

The key thing is to sit down and think for a few minutes about what YOU want out of your logbook, and then jot down that info.

Charlie Allen

 

[robint]

we have Suunto computers with USB and download the info into the computer with the software. Its a very nice program.

we also keep detailed dive logs. Stop at 100? Who told you to do that? We hit that many years ago but still log every dive for many reasons. I can't tell you how many times people ask us (my husband is an instructor so dealing with students) or even here on the board about different dive sites. We can easily pull out the dive log and tell people what dive sites we did, wetsuit we wore, what water temp was, what we saw.... We also use it for our own references - like next month we are doing the Nekton again after 2 years. So we pulled out the logs to check out the dive sites we visited and what we saw so that if there was something unusual at a site we know where to look this time. We can also see how much we liked or didn't like a dive and why. We can also check through our dives and "re-live" a vacation and decide a year or two later if it was as good as we remembered and worth doing again.

We only keep the last 50-75 dives in the log when we travel, the rest are in our file cabinet. Never had anyone ask to see our logs anywhere. I know some dive ops say they do, never had it happen to us.