Faking Logbook Entries Fact or Fiction?

[pt40fathoms]

Numbers have to be put in context because you can do 100 dives or you can do the same dive 100 times. They aren't the same.

Well put.

I log dives in catagories, and have taken the time durring the winter months to enter them electronically. (borring, but when it's -40 what else do I have to do?)

Teaching: (others)
Training: (self)
Pleasure:
Tech/Wreck:
Deco: (may be Tech or Wreck dives, but only logged as Deco if Deco is planned)

It became obvious to me after creating this log that I spent over 3/4 of my time under water either teaching or being trained! It was then that I decided to get a little "me" time under the water and relax a little.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It became obvious to me after creating this log that I spent over 3/4 of my time under water either teaching or being trained! It was then that I decided to get a little "me" time under the water and relax a little.

Well, you looked pretty darn relaxed in Bonaire ...

We were showing the Bonaire slide show to some friends last night, and when we got to the one of you and Janet at the BBQ one of them said "that fellow sure looks happy" ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[StSomewhere]

A slight threadjack:

I'd like to find a ledger-style log book made of waterproof paper that I could jot down just the critical details (location, date, starting pressure, temp, time, max depth, avg depth, ending pressure) in some sort of one-line format rather than a whole page for each dive.

I don't need room for a bunch of graphics with checkboxes on them to remind me what exposure protection I might've used, or a four paragraph narrative.

Feel free to PM me if you don't care to wade into the morass this thread has become.

 

[StSomewhere]

What good are *any* records that could be faked? In the event of a suit, pretty much any shop records could be faked, I suppose. But I'm sure as hell not going to do it. If I were involved in a potential liability case, I think I'd be concerned enough about potential liability issues without worrying about fraud or perjury...

Look, I'm not trying to belabor the point here. But that is EXACTLY the issue.

There comes a time where fraud and/or perjury seems to be a lesser problem, and can even seem to be a way out, to a defendant facing pending liability issues. Those are the times when documentation tends to get faked. Truckers, safety studies, etc. once again its not a problem exclusive to the scuba industry but the scuba industry isn't immune to it, either.

SM, I'm sure your scruples are impeccable. But I play enough golf to know that its also the people you least expect who can be the biggest cheaters. Color me skeptical when it comes to the overall honesty of the human race. :frown:

 

[Wayward Son]

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity" - Robert A. Heinlein

 

[Nemrod]

I don't think you can be sued over a document that is not legaly required nor which has ever had any legal definitions applied such as is the case with a Pilots Log. If I am wrong inn that then that is ever more reson not to log the dives anywhere but in my memory, then, if a Lieyar asks me about my log I can say, what log, I forgot, I don't recall, can you define "is"?
A simple ledger would seem best, if you were going to log dives, that way it could always be lost or burned if need be. Anything on a computer is open to evesdropping even if supposedly erased, that is how they finally caught BTK.

If your brain was eraseable like a super Etch-A-Sketch, would you still be responsible for yesterday if there was no memory of it or anything beyond this moment?

 

[Orlando Eric]

I did not log my first 100~200 or so dives that were beach dives as a teenager and I wish I had. The book comes in very handy to flip back through as a refference for names of people I dove with, maps to sites, and local eateries.

I have a friend that worked everyday on a west palm beach charter who recorded every sea turtle she saw, the size and sex. She later ran into a Biologist that got this information from her to assist his work.

As to fake logs. That is the same people who were SEALS, trained with SEALS, has a friend whose uncle is a SuperUberCovertGillieWeedGoldenGrandMaster Diver and trained him privately in a secret missle silo in Nevada...but he can not talk about it.

Wow I really like that title.. I am going to have to go to fake id dot com and see if I can get one of those cards....

 

[Wayward Son]

I did not log my first 100~200 or so dives that were beach dives as a teenager and I wish I had.

Me, too. I started diving before I was old enough to be formally certified. Took & passed the class, but no card. I dove for several years as a teenager in Turkey. They did not stress log books in the class, I didn't even have one. I prolly made 300 or so dives that are not reflected in my logs now. It's not so much that I care about not being able to show them to anyone, but memories fade & now, 30 years later, I wish I had logs of them just so I could look through them myself.

 

[scubabrandon]

My dive log to me is like another piece of equipment. I take it on all dive and record info on places to eat, people's emails I dove with so we can swap some pics, and its got my first dive I did with my dad. Sure its nice for some people to have racked up 500 dives in a log book, but if you didnt do them all then its a book of lies.

 

[thisisandrea]

After doing some diving in South Africa, an instructor who was signing my log book for the dive that I had just completed also offered to stamp and sign the next few blank pages "to get me started!". He said that everyone did it and it would help me get the number of dives needed to start my DM etc. I declined the offer.