Log book required?

[divetraveler]

Hi all,
Have been looking around for my next trip and noticed a line or two stating that some resorts require a log book or refresher course before they will let you dive with them. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? I stopped logging dives and as a result do not carry any sort of log with me except for the last few on my computer. In the past the dive ops just wanted to know if I had dove in the past six months, where and the details. . and the first dive out they'd keep an eye on me or watch me set up my gear, no further questions. I refuse to pay for a refresher course, unless I miss the magic 6 month window and making up a fake log book seems a real hassle. So has this happened to you, where and with what op? Thanks!

 

[RadRob]

First, let me express my feelings on log books. Like you, I went for a few years without keeping it up. I was never asked to show it. Maybe I was lucky, maybe it was the norm. However, I started logging my dives a couple of years ago. That gives you a chance to reflect on your previous dive and critique yourself. It will give you things that you should work on. I use my computer to get all the info and then put it to paper. Writing it down seems to really bring it home. When I was just looking at my computer's log, I didn't really get what was happening. My particular computer is downloadable to a pc and shows anything you could imagine. I look at the graphs and info on the pc and compare to what I wrote down. After thinking I was doing great, it showed me where my sac dropped, I ascended too fast, how close to decompression I was, and so forth. Plus, when I download it to the pc, I can just print it off and have it.

Now, as far as have I been asked for my log book. My answer is no. Like I said, I may have been lucky, I don't know. I just know I have been diving for almost 10 years and have never been asked for it. I have been asked to show my computer log book, however. Anytime I want to leave the group and do my own thing, all I have to do is show them my log book and computer and they let me do what I want. Even though they didn't ask me for it, I showed them anyway to get "unchained" from the DM.

It does have advantages. Do they usually require it? Not in my experience.

 

[WVDiver]

I've always heard this too but have never been asked to see it. I log all my dives though, just for myself. One day when I'm in the rocker it will be good to look back on it and reflect on all the good times and great places I visited.

 

[Damselfish]

I still log my dives, though usually it's just the name of the site and times unless there was something exceptional. Sometimes I actually look back to see where I've been. But never been asked for a log in 15 years.

 

[H2Andy]

i log my dives, but no one has ever asked me to see it, not in cave diving
shops, not in Jacksonville, not in South Florida, not in the Keys, not in Bonaire,
not in Grand Cayman, and not in Roatan

no one. not once.

i still bring it with me, of course =)

i record times and depth, location, some details about the dive (who with,
which tunnel, etc.) and other notes (equipment changes, if any, new
stuff, etc.)

more like a "short-hand" for my own reference later

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I move around a lot for my career. As a result, I don't have a "life-long relationship" with any local dive shop or instructor group. When I wanted to take cave training, I interviewed three instructors and selected the one that best met my needs. Same when I wanted to take advanced trimix. I did not know them. They did not know me. And in both cases, there is a certain amount of faith involved that the other person is truly as experienced as they present themselves to be. In both cases the instructors I selected asked to see my log books. They read them, too, because they asked me about things I'd written regarding previous dives.

So...if you're going to take advanced diving courses, having logbooks may open doors that may not be open to you otherwise. That's one advantage to having them.

I don't do much vacation travel, as I'm too busy diving close to home. But I've been informed (on this board in fact) that if you want to be taken to the more challenging sites, or if you want to penetrate deeper wrecks, etc. the charter boat operators ask to see advanced or wreck certifications (likely to reduce their exposure to liability). Logbooks would fulfill the same function, by documenting the diver's experience level.

I know for a fact that on many of the charter boats working along the east coast a new diver may be asked to show the captain a trimix card before the captain will allow that diver to execute any particularly deep or challenging dives. I've had to show my card on a couple occasions.

But those are cards, not logs.

Still, for more challenging dives and environments, I suspect logs are not a bad idea.

FWIW. YMMV.

 

[RumBum]

I stopped logging dives and as a result do not carry any sort of log with me except for the last few on my computer.

For the simplest possible way to keep a log, just link up the dive computer to your desktop or laptop once a month or so and hit "save". When going somewhere that you think they will ask for a log, all you have to do is hit "print". All they want to prove is that you know how to dive and have done so somewhere.

 

[Diveral]

Went years without logging a dive myself. I quit logging dives when I got rescue diver 20 years ago. I now log my dives because I can't remember many of the dives I didn't log. At the time it wasn't an issue but this summer we are going wreck diving in NC. I was last there 18 years ago and didn't log a dive. I have gotten some good information from the board but I would have liked to look at my own notes now.

I have never been asked for my log book.

 

[spectrum]

For the simplest possible way to keep a log, just link up the dive computer to your desktop or laptop once a month or so and hit "save". When going somewhere that you think they will ask for a log, all you have to do is hit "print". All they want to prove is that you know how to dive and have done so somewhere.

But that dosen't have the soul of a brief narrative and the numbers.

Pete

 

[ramblinpaul]

I've been asked for my logbook once by a dive shop/charter. It was before diving at Isla Coiba, Panama which is remote and can (and does) experience strong currents. In fact they told me to ensure I brought it with me, so they could review prior to setting out to the island for a 3 day dive trip.

I also have a buddy who was asked for his logbook by a charter operation before diving 2 deep wrecks, The Forest City (150') and The Arabia (120'), in Tobermory, ON (more divers have died diving the Forest City then any other wreck in Ontario).

For general resort diving I wouldn't expect to be asked for my logbook. But for more difficult dives, I think it's responsible of the operation to ensure the person with the AOW card is really an advanced diver. I'm sure we've all encountered AOW divers, where we just shook our heads.