The Importance of Logging your Dives. The Advantages for new divers (and old)

[Jackie Treehorn]

I upload via bluetooth from my shearwater to my iphone running macdive.

The iphone syncs the dive information to dropbox where I can also view the dives on my Macbook running macdive.

It's stupid easy and I have all the data I would want to reference down the road. I actually go back and look at the low value of water temps quite a bit.

I will add the location (i.e. Grand Cayman) to the dives.... but I don't log dive sites unless its a tech dive or something really unique that I might want the data at a later time.

I don't log anything else that my computer doesn't log.... like weights, gear, exposure suits, etc.

 

[Storker]

How many varied sites do you dive?

Quite a few. Under rather varied conditions.

Why do you ask?

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Weights.. water temps. Crap, do you have to note that in a log book? How many varied sites do you dive? I know I've said that before, so sue me.

Have to? ... No. After all, it's your own log book. Log as much or as little as you want to. However, I also log weight and water temps. Not sure why that is so shocking. By logging those two pieces of data I can use my log book to see:

• How much weight I used for the given exposure protection and tank being used
• How much weight I used before/after a significant weight loss or gain
• What water temps to expect at a given site based upon the time of the year
• Compare water temps at the same site over time and from season to season

Being able to answer questions like that is important to me and is easily done by logging these two simple pieces of data.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

Have to? ... No. After all, it's your own log book. Log as much or as little as you want to. However, I also log weight and water temps. Not sure why that is so shocking. By logging those two pieces of data I can use my log book to see:

• How much weight I used for the given exposure protection and tank being used
• How much weight I used before/after a significant weight loss or gain
• What water temps to expect at a given site based upon the time of the year
• Compare water temps at the same site over time and from season to season

Being able to answer questions like that is important to me and is easily done by logging these two simple pieces of data.

I’m in the same boat. I’ve dived from 44*F In fresh water to 85*F in salt water. 3mm short to 5mm full wetsuit. It’s nice to have a reference on the amount of weight that you need so it’s not a guessing game.

I don’t log “everything” (Ex. Like in OW course), but I log everything that I care to reference or that I might want to know later.

 

[TMHeimer]

OK. One may have various tanks and other equipment at times. May have 3 or more exposure suits, requiring different weighting. Are there any other variables?
OK, possibly a (serious) change in body weight (not 10 pounds for someone weighing 150-250 pounds).
Why would one log this stuff in the book? One sheet of paper taped on the wall doesn't do?
I log all the other stuff mentioned, especially water temp., but I can find that online anyway before I dive. But you gotta log something....

 

[Divin'Papaw]

OK. One may have various tanks and other equipment at times. May have 3 or more exposure suits, requiring different weighting. Are there any other variables?
OK, possibly a (serious) change in body weight (not 10 pounds for someone weighing 150-250 pounds).
Why would one log this stuff in the book? One sheet of paper taped on the wall doesn't do?
I log all the other stuff mentioned, especially water temp., but I can find that online anyway before I dive. But you gotta log something....

How about you log what you want to log and everyone else can do the same and we won’t question the utility or applicability of it for each other?

Everyone’s log book is after all just that ... their own log book.

 

[Mark IV]

When my brother and I started diving in the early 90's, we were kicking around Cancun, basically being chick-chasing/beach-bum/surfer-stoner dudes (hey, somebody's gotta do it). Then a PADI instructor friend that worked for Marina Aqua Ray (now the behemoth Aqua World that everyone's heard of), certified my brother and I, basically for the cost of the PADI PIC.
We decided right then that we were going to try and follow through to Divemaster, and Instructor, so we started diving all around Cancun, with borrowed gear, and bumming trips on dive boats from friends, and very meticulously logging every dive, anxious to get to that 100 dive milestone (and prerequisite).
Flash forward a couple years, and I'm a PADI instructor, and working in Cozumel, and I filled up yet another logbook, and went to Micheles Dive Shop (where i later worked for several years. I believe it's the OXO store now ) to buy yet another one of those damn $7 logbooks, and right then and there decided I was done with buying logbooks, and done logging dives. I was around 1700+ at that point, which I figured was plenty enough for any reason I might have to prove my dive experience, and I hadn't logged a dive since then.
(which reminds me, the poll should have another option: "Used to, don't anymore".

 

[Trailboss123]

How about you log what you want to log and everyone else can do the same and we won’t question the utility or applicability of it for each other?

Everyone’s log book is after all just that ... their own log book.

Drop the mike!

 

[TMHeimer]

How about you log what you want to log and everyone else can do the same and we won’t question the utility or applicability of it for each other?

Everyone’s log book is after all just that ... their own log book.

WELL YEAH OF COURSE. THIS IS JUST the Scubaboard LOG THREAD THAT POPS UP SINCE I JOINED IN 2007.
Who gives a %&#$? We could be buddies- are you a Trump supporter? Oh man.....
SORRY to offend you Jim.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

WELL YEAH OF COURSE. THIS IS JUST the Scubaboard LOG THREAD THAT POPS UP SINCE I JOINED IN 2007.
Who gives a %&#$? We could be buddies- are you a Trump supporter? Oh man.....
SORRY to offend you Jim.

Wow. I actually wasn’t offended at all. Not sure why you thought I was.

Just questioning why you care so deeply about what other people log? I may start logging what outfit I wore on the boat so I don’t wear the same one on the same boat two times in a row. Just because I want to. That’s the beauty of it. It’s MY log book. I can log as much or as little as I want and it makes ZERO difference to everyone else.