Logging Dives?

[GreggS]

To those divers using a spreadsheet because they're concerned about a dive log software company going out of business I will say this: There is dive software such as Subsurface that uses universal data files that can be exported in a format that can be imported into spreadsheets or other dive company software. Perhaps more importantly, Subsurface in particular as well as probably others- runs locally and offers backup storage in their cloud- but if they should disappear one day the software will continue to run, and the data is also saved to your local computer which can be backed up to the cloud to services such as Google Drive.

There are numerous advantages of using dive log software over spreadsheets- easy to use interface to enter and view data, you can attach photos and sometimes even videos to individual dives- I tend to take pictures of the dive briefing photos and add those, in Subsurface you can enter GPS coordinates or make a good guess using the built in map and viola.. there's a map of the world with dive flags showing all the places you've been. Zoom in, click on one and you are brought right to the log of that dive- or multiple dives will highlight if they are the same dive site. Try THAT with your spreadsheet as well as automatic calculation of your SAC or RMV if you're using air integration, as well as automatic import from your dive computer of data including but not limited to your EAN %, time of dive, temperature, and of course depth and bottom times.

Software such as Subsurface include an app so you've got all that information right there on your phone, to show to a dive operator your recent dive history or to check in real time for things such as dive site particulars, weights last used, etc.

It goes without saying that a paper logbook does none of those things automatically and is much more difficult to store and back up and is so technologically backwards it isn't even a practical consideration anymore.

Even if you don't have AI, all you need to do is input your beginning and ending air pressure on the Equipment page and Subsurface will still calculate the SAC or RMV or whichever you want to call it.

 

[Leighen]

Even if you don't have AI, all you need to do is input your beginning and ending air pressure on the Equipment page and Subsurface will still calculate the SAC or RMV or whichever you want to call it.

Right. But with air integration Subsurface calculates the SAC or RMV throughout the dive.

 

[GreggS]

Right. But with air integration Subsurface calculates the SAC or RMV throughout the dive.

Oh, okay, gotcha. I misinterpreted what you meant.

 

[Leighen]

You didn't misinterpret, I was more or less expanding on the original thought.

 

[Belzelbub]

To those divers using a spreadsheet because they're concerned about a dive log software company going out of business I will say this: There is dive software such as Subsurface that uses universal data files that can be exported in a format that can be imported into spreadsheets or other dive company software. Perhaps more importantly, Subsurface in particular as well as probably others- runs locally and offers backup storage in their cloud- but if they should disappear one day the software will continue to run, and the data is also saved to your local computer which can be backed up to the cloud to services such as Google Drive.

Yes. This. Much more reliable than using a spreadsheet stored on a PC. Hard drives can and do crash, though not as much today.

My setup is as follows. I have SubSurface-Mobile on my iPhones and my iPad. Subsurface for Mac is running on my Macbook. A local copy of the dive log is stored on my Mac, and backed up to a networked drive via TimeMachine. Dives are initially uploaded to the Cloud via SubSurface-Mobile at the first opportunity while at the dive site. When I get home, the dives are pulled from the Cloud to the local copy by simply running SubSurface. I also have another level of redundancy. My dives done on my Oceanic VT 4.1 are also downloaded using DiverLog locally only, and dives done with my Pedix AI are downloaded via Shearwater Cloud (Mobile and Desktop).

 

[Jcp2]

I log my computer into Subsurface as well as a paper log. Subsurface is much more detailed but I find I remember things differently when looking at a physical record. That also happens at work, where I have both the physical and electronic copy of various reference books.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Yes. This. Much more reliable than using a spreadsheet stored on a PC. Hard drives can and do crash, though not as much today.

And less reliable than a spreadsheet saved on that same iCloud/Google Drive/Onedrive/Dropbox account.

 

[Belzelbub]

And less reliable than a spreadsheet saved on that same iCloud/Google Drive/Onedrive/Dropbox account.

I guess, in a way. But highly unlikely that a full loss of data would occur. If my hard drive fails, I still have a second hard drive and the cloud storage. If the cloud servers were to shut down, I’d still have the local copies. The odds that all three were to fail at the same time are pretty much non-existent. Were that to happen, I probably wouldn’t care because I would have won Powerball that week.

I do agree that the servers run by Google, Apple, and Microsoft have more reliability, but nothing is preventing me from saving a backup to those services as well.

 

[Kelton]

And less reliable than a spreadsheet saved on that same iCloud/Google Drive/Onedrive/Dropbox account.

Hello I think you are trying to say that an electronic dive log stored on a server provided by the dive log manufacturer is less reliable than storing your dive data on a spreadsheet that is backed up to a Google Drive or other well known web service?

That may be true but there is nothing to stop a diver from backing up their logbook data created by a software company to one of those backup web sites as well- now you've got it in 3 places. Local hard drive + software creators server + backup web service server. Add one more if the logbook software also syncs to a smart phone or tablet device which mine does as well.

If the dive log software company suddenly goes away their software will still function unless it's entirely cloud based and most allow the dive data to be exported in a format that can be read into other dive log software.

 

[Prometheanfire]

I use subsurface as my 'source of truth'. Data there is backed up in google drive and on my storage/backup server at home and a remote hard drive (3 backups in two locations is considered the standard).
Data is entered into subsurface via my dive computer (i300C for now) syncing with my phone (using the DiveMate App right now, but should try out the subsurface app again). The app then syncs to google drive and from there is imported into subsurface.

I also copy data into my physical dive book(s). Currently I'm PADI OW only but may go for SSI AOW, not sure (don't let that distract from this thread), not sure what the various agencies accept as 'proof' or how it's verified.

As far as the data format for the 'source of truth', subsurface is good. Given it's an open source app (started by linus at that) and it is able to export into other formats (or other apps are able to import it's format) I have no problems with it.