To log or not to log?

[kjunheart]

I have a friend who cleans boats for a living and has been doing this for over two years. His entire day is spent diving boats here in Florida. He cleans the bottom of boats by scraping barnacles, pulls props, replaces zincs, etc. All this is done while breathing off of a reg attached to a tank topside. Some times the dives are in as little as 5 feet of water, which is why the tank is topside - most are in little or no vis. About once or twice a week he has to go full gear (bc & tank) when they dive in 25+ feet of water. I guess in total, he has about 4-5 hours per day of bottom time.

So the question he asked me, is now that he is newly OW certified, can any of these dives count and should he log them? My first instinct is to tell him yes, but based on a few things I have read, now I am not so sure. What do say?

Sandy

 

[Packhorse]

Its his log for his own refferance. If he wants to log them then go ahead. If a DM or instructor wants to view his log they take what info they want and disregard the rest.

My rule is that if my computer logs it I will log it. But then I dont do 5ft dives or pool dives.

 

[lazyturtle]

I'd say log it. The log is really for your own reference, very few shops will ask to see a log, though this depends on where you dive (for example to dive in grand cayman you'll need a log to show when your last dive was). As a working dive guide I'd be happy to see that the guy had been underwater recently, and honestly this sort of diving is far more diffiuclt that the average recreational dive.
If the guy wants to get a divemaster rating though, he'd need to do more varied dives. The 25'+ dives would count towards his required total (padi requires 60), but the 5 footers would not.

 

[Hoosier]

Who cares.... The log is just number.

Just show your own skill in underwater....

 

[WarrenZ]

I would not log the shallow ones but I would log the deeper ones. Just my opinion.

 

[plot]

I've always been given the guidelines that to log the dive, it should be at least 15 minutes, and at some point in the dive should dip below 15 feet. Also, you need a 3-5 minute surface interval before a second dive, otherwise it's considered one long continuous dive.

Most instructors I know don't log any dives that deal with students, only recreational dives. (Just thought I'd throw that out there too).


He might want to make notes in his logbook (or a seperate "work logbook") about how long he's been under water during his work dives breathing off a reg... 2000 hours under water, even at 5 feet, stands for something.

 

[S. starfish]

Logging guidelines are B.S., no offence. I don't see why he shouldn't, a dive is a dive and you gaion experience from every one you do, no matter how long,short,shallow or deep they are (unless it's like 2ft for 2min, then you probably don't learn enything). It might be an idea for him to keep a separate log for work though, could be useful for future employment opportunities.

 

[pir8]

I still keep a log but don't log each up & down. I log each day now as 1 dive instead.

 

[Desert Pirate]

For my log book, I go by the 15 min, 15 feet, and a 10 min surface interval... However I like Starfishes Idea about a seperate log book for work. I know one guy who claims to have 600 + dives but when were teachin open water all he is doin is droping 20 feet to the platform and doing 15 down and 10 up. Then he will log 5-6 dives that day... what a waste of pages IMO. for training dives, I just log the day....