Log Book requirements for recreational and technical diving?

[Kirin]

I have been diving since 1990 and i have logged over 600 recreational and technical dives.

Recently, i have been doing some diving in the florida keys and a few times i ran into technical requirements with my log book.

1. Dive charter required all logged dives to have a buddy signature:Most of my bounded log books (ie. ones i purchased from a dive store) dont include a field to enter your buddy's name, let alone have them sign, so i have never dont this before. Also most of technical dives were "solo dives", so i wouldnt have a signature.

2. They dont accept unbounded log books and require log entries to be hand written:
As any serious diver knows, most bounded log books hold about 50 dives and cost about $12. Living in south florida, i log about 6-10 dives a week and it would be a financial burden to buy a new log book or refills every month or two. So about 400 dives ago i switched to log book software which allows me to keep my log book on my computer and print a hard copy of my dive log which i put in a ring binder and take with me. But, i have had charters not accept this because its not bounded or hand written.


So my questions are:

1. Is there any standard that all diving organizations accept, with regards to the minimum information a log book should contain? If yes, then what is it?

2. Must dive logs be bounded?

3. Must dive entries have a buddy signature?

4. Must dive logs be hand written?

5. Why arent computer log books accepted?

6. If i have a rollerdex of C-cards and i can demonstrate my knowledge and skill, why does anyone still need to show your log book? On a personal note, i rarely see any technical divers keep log books.

 

[DiveMaven]

Wow, which ops required this???

 

[GlazierB]

Woah.

All my dives have been transfered to SharkPoint and I like you just print off the pages and put them in a binder. Also there is a lack of Signatures because I print them off at a later date, I have name and cert number though...

Never had a problem having a place not accept this as a valid logbook

B

 

[jim T.]

Kirin, On logged dives where you just met a buddy (shore dives, club dives, etc.) where your buddy drove off without signing your log, did the shop's, club's or (on charter dives))dive boat's commercial sticker suffice in place of an actual signature?
Thanks.

 

[Charlie99]

Recently, i have been doing some diving in the florida keys and a few times i ran into technical requirements with my log book.

1. Dive charter required all logged dives to have a buddy signature:
2. They dont accept unbounded log books and require log entries to be hand written:

What you report is not common. Which operators have these unique requirements?

 

[isurus]

2. They dont accept unbounded log books and require log entries to be hand written:

Are you saying loose leaf logbooks as given out with the PADI OW pack would be unacceptable here? wow. I'd actually be keen to see diveops check logs a bit more but some of this seem to focus on format over substance.

 

[Brandon]

As Charlie said, those are very strict log book requirements that are almost unheard of.

I have been asked to show a C-card, and asked when my last dive was, but no one has ever asked to see a log book.

I don't see the point in logging every dive... I log just enough to show that I'm an active diver, and that I have experience in a variety of conditions (drift, night, deep, etc). Maybe 1/3 of my dives make it in the book. It's not something that I want to spend time doing, but see it as something I need to do... just in case someone asks.

If I knew no one would ever ask to see it, I'd stop logging dives.

This operation sounds like a pain in the butt... is there another one you can use? Is the policy firm once they get to know you? Can you do an in-water demonstration of skills to waive the log book requirement?

Talk to them about it... you probably have some options.

-Brandon.

 

[DiverLS]

Yea - which operator requested this? I've been diving all over the world and the most I was ever asked was to estimate the # of dives in the last year. I mostly dive the boats off S. Calif and all I have to do is list a C# on the sign in register.

I dove Blackbeard cruises and they did want to see the actual c card but that was it.

The only reason I log a dive is so I know where I took my pictures.

 

[Walter]

So my questions are:

1. Is there any standard that all diving organizations accept, with regards to the minimum information a log book should contain? If yes, then what is it?

No.

2. Must dive logs be bounded?

No. Dive logs do not have to be bound (bounded either)

3. Must dive entries have a buddy signature?

No.

4. Must dive logs be hand written?

That's plain silly, of course not.

5. Why arent computer log books accepted?

They are.

6. If i have a rollerdex of C-cards and i can demonstrate my knowledge and skill, why does anyone still need to show your log book? On a personal note, i rarely see any technical divers keep log books.

If you were to take a course from me in which standards require X number of logged dives, I'd need to see it before I could enroll you in class. Other than that, it's your log to do with as you please.

I would simply not do business with the charter op that is being so ridiculous.

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

I'm a fan in dive logs, but that dive shop sounds like more of a pain than anything.