Log Book

[*Floater*]

I log 'em because some courses I'm interested in require x number of dives (of certain kinds) as prereqs. Even if they didn't I'd still log them because I like to have a reference for my experiences. For example, if I try out a new regulator or new fins, then I like to write some comments about it. Or if I happen to rent a wetsuit that fits really well then I'd write the brand and model, or if I learn something new I'd make a note of it and so on. I also write down comments about instructors, resorts, dive sites, etc. When I have nothing new to learn from scuba I'll probably stop logging the dives.

 

[nkw5]

I log every dive. I'm just short of 200. Sometimes I don't put a lot of details, but usually I write something I learned or something new I saw. It's fun to go back and look at them. Plus I usually paste a small copy of my favorite pic from that dive in the corner.

 

[DiverBuoy]

I log every dive and never dive without my log book. Of course when there are too many pages to fit the binder, I grab the whole lot of them and file them away and insert another couple of packs of pages. Recently I let my stock run out and had to photocopy a bunch of blanks to hold me over.

Every couple to three dozen dives I dump my dive computers logs into my dektop software and spend a hour or so annotating and document whatever I feel like it over from my logbook. When I still had my pocket PC I used to subscribe to an online dive log for about a year or so but stopped uplinking when I lost my device. The latest software from Suunto allows you to upload your logs to their server and share this info with fellow divers. And there are a number of services who will take your log info in comma seperated value (csv) format and upload to DAN. There are just so many options if you want to take the time.

 

[ItsBruce]

If you don't log it, it didn't happen. I log my dives. I don't log stuff I do to my car. Therefore, you can deem it that I don't maintain my car, which may be accurate. I log sailing events. I don't log my health. I log ... ah whatever.

Sometimes my dive logs are minimally, sometimes in great detail. I have had occasion to go to my log book to remind myself how much weight I need for certain gear or how much thermal protection I need for a particular location. I always log depth and time. (The only exception are some pool dives.)

 

[TSandM]

I only have 66 dives so far, but they are all logged. For one thing, I have struggled so much with different equipment configurations that keeping track of how much weight and where I placed it has been very useful.

But also, the other day, I decided to figure out how many dives I've gotten out of my ill-fated dry suit that have actually been DRY. Going back through the log book, I was reminded of many good dives and fun experiences. It's like thumbing through a photo album . . . it brings back things you have otherwise forgotten.

If I were Diver0001, and had over a thousand dives, perhaps I wouldn't be quite so excited to relive them. But I hope I would be.

 

[Zeeman]

I"ll be logging the first 100 on good old fashion paper, but the rest will be downloads, with comments added if need be.

Z...

 

[Tom Smedley]

I averaged 150 dives a year for ten years before I started logging. Of course, officially, those dives never happened when I try to apply for the SSI Pro 5000. Lately more dives have no comments than those that do. I am thinking of switching to the professional dive log that only logs the stats, ie time depth etc and keeping a separate book for scrapbook type stuff. Of course some dives, ie the 100 and even the 130 foot club ;-) deserve comments.

I don't log my car maintenance, etc either but I do log my pilot hours.

Keep that log - you'll regret it if you don't! It also is a great source for recalling memories on cold winter nights.

 

[Iruka]

5,683 as of today...I logged the first 50 on a "real" logbook, then the next 2,000 or so on a 3-ring binder, and the last 3,600 or so I just log into my PC. Some have virtually no information....site, date, # of divers, maybe max depth & time. Others will have a few of the more interesting/unusual fish listed. One site here, I've done over 1,200 times....so it's very rare that I'll see something new THERE. On other (lucky) days I might go to a brand new place...so I'll write quite a bit about what's there, mostly to help me out on future dives there where I might have divers to guide, and I'd like to be able to take them directly "to" that really nice anemone or whatever, rather than just wandering around aimlessly. Logging them into my PC, it takes virtually no time (for the "not many comments" sites) and no trees die to provide paper for me.....so part of it is just being able to KNOW how many dives I've done, rather than taking a wild guess at it. (I also record how many dives I've done at each site....497 right now for Blue Hole, probably our most famous site.......how many night dives I've done (265), that sort of thing.)

 

[Diver0001]

If I were Diver0001, and had over a thousand dives, perhaps I wouldn't be quite so excited to relive them. But I hope I would be.

It just changes. I wouldn't say I'm not excited about the dives, although it may have come across like that in my post. I'm just not one to flip through old photo albums either.

The excitement I have about my diving has more to do with plans that I have as opposed to things that I've done. The fact is I literally can't remember a lot of the dives I've done. I can't even remember some of the dives I've done *this* year. But I remember feelings, faces and moments and I remember places that I've been and my inspiration for the coming year flows from these memories.

Just to give you an idea of what I mean, I can remember many times diving in water so cold that I had the feeling of a nail being driven through my forehead for the first couple of minutes. It's not a feeling I like but the experience of diving in water that would turn to ice if it were standing still is very much unique. I'll be going ice diving in the Czech republic in January partly as a result of letting myself be inspired by these experiences.

This year I went diving in Turkey and Egypt. They're very different but both very inspirational places. I've also been to Mexico several times both in the Yucatan and on the west coast and although I can't remember specific dives I can remember specific experiences. Turtles, huge schools of passing jacks, sharks and ripping drift dives. These experiences inspire me to travel to dive. I don't know where I'm going next year, but I'm going somewhere.

Finally, I can remember the first wreck I dove on the North Sea but not the last one. I do, however, remember what I did on the last wreck I dove and who I was with. It was with a friend of mine who wants to get more involved in wreck diving. I also have a growing network of buddies who are also fanatics about it. We have a whole series of dives lined up for next year and we're all looking forward to them in a big way.

The point is, we're not looking back, we're looking forward, but we're looking forward by virtue of where we came from....

R..

 

[_Bella_]

On trips I'll jot down the site and what I photographed or spotted at the end of the day and then add it to my pc software log. If I'm not likely to repeat a trip to that destination I may not add it to the software though.
Like Chris, I dive some locations so often I don't even have to write down something special. I'll remember that I spotted the horned, blue ringed, winged, pygmy, ornate, whoseewhatsits that will stand out from the hundreds of other times I dived that site and didn't see it.