I've established some criteria for myself on logging dives, and it goes along with what a majority of people have posted already, what are you logging for?
I basically call it a dive if: it is 15 ft or lower, and it is 10 mins long or I use 1000 PSI. There are exceptions to this though:
I also log it if: we aborted due to reasons unforeseen
(too strong current, equipment failure, etc.)
OR if I learn something really valuable
ex: I was setting floats once, and my buddy went ahead of me whilst I was reeling in the line. Well, it got tangled, and I started to sort it out before it got really bad. My buddy was ahead, didn't see me stop, and kept going, viz was about 5 - 10 ft and it was a 100m line. Needless to say, he kept yanking on the line and making me angry, and screwing up the line even more. Lesson: a buddy swims beside you, or slightly behind, so that if I stop he will too. Now, I am able to avoid this situation.
Why log these?
Aborting dives, and showing you are level-headed and won't push it if the conditions don't warrant is just as important in my opinion as underwater experience. Sure, I dont' get to add to my 'dive number', or my uw dive time... but its still logged the same. (Plus, if I need a certain 'number' of dives, DANG!! I have to go diving again!!!).
Second, is any time I learn something, I want to write it down, so if I explain to someone else why I do things the way I do, I can show them my log; or even just to remind me.
To dive is to learn, to log is to remember.
I basically call it a dive if: it is 15 ft or lower, and it is 10 mins long or I use 1000 PSI. There are exceptions to this though:
I also log it if: we aborted due to reasons unforeseen
(too strong current, equipment failure, etc.)
OR if I learn something really valuable
ex: I was setting floats once, and my buddy went ahead of me whilst I was reeling in the line. Well, it got tangled, and I started to sort it out before it got really bad. My buddy was ahead, didn't see me stop, and kept going, viz was about 5 - 10 ft and it was a 100m line. Needless to say, he kept yanking on the line and making me angry, and screwing up the line even more. Lesson: a buddy swims beside you, or slightly behind, so that if I stop he will too. Now, I am able to avoid this situation.
Why log these?
Aborting dives, and showing you are level-headed and won't push it if the conditions don't warrant is just as important in my opinion as underwater experience. Sure, I dont' get to add to my 'dive number', or my uw dive time... but its still logged the same. (Plus, if I need a certain 'number' of dives, DANG!! I have to go diving again!!!).
Second, is any time I learn something, I want to write it down, so if I explain to someone else why I do things the way I do, I can show them my log; or even just to remind me.
To dive is to learn, to log is to remember.
