Unrepresentative profile "logged dive" numbers?

[MargaritaMike]

After reading this thread a while, and SB, I have realized that I have so little experience and knowledge compared to most everyone who posts on here, so I have just changed my profile to show nothing when it comes to number of dives.
I also have found it interesting that on SB no matter what anyone says on here, there is always someone else who takes exception to it.

 

[Sam Miller III]

The dive logs have been around since 1955 when Dick Bonin, an ex USN UDT diver was working for a large Chicago dive company "Dive Master " published his dive log - (@Marie13 & @drbill note- there was diving and instruction in 1955 in Chicago)

In 1967 LA County developed the three month long ADP- Tom Ebro developed the second recreational dive log which from that time forward was a requirement of LA Co ADP & UICC.

NAUI followed and either Nic Icorn or Ralph Erickson copied the LA Co log for PADI

Most- possibly all of you --are the first mass generation to become divers and exposed to excessive and often prolonged hyperbaric exposure.. This exposure could possible have an effect on future ailments or life longevity. At present there is no definitive evidence since all of you are the test subjects.

it would be reasonable and prudent that you maintain a dive log for possible future doctor visits and possible shorten life

And the are "interesting" to read - especially your children's dive logs

Now back to the divers who live in deep snow, 1000 miles from water and in the period of 2 years and 2 vacation dives maintain they have over 1000 dives, but just don't log dives--

It is beyond me to comprehend -- why?

Sam Miller, 111

 

[victorzamora]

I didn't log many of my first couple hundred dives, but then I started diving more seriously (I was just a vacation/cattle diver for years) and started into it as a real hobby and I regretted not having those initial records. My first ~50 dives were stolen, so I quit logging....but I'm very sad about it. I think it's nice to look back at dives I've done in the past, even if they're boring/repeat/simple dives. I've got all the requirements covered for nearly any cert I could want (besides deep Trimix and CCR), but I keep logging mostly-religiously because I like keeping memories around of my diving.

One thing I'll admit to, however, is moving on to a simplified Excel log vs a fancier/bigger-format log. Each dive is one row in an Excel spreadsheet that's stored on the cloud. Filling out a weekend's dives takes single-digit minutes for me now.

However, that's not really what the first post was about. The first post was about the profile on the left side of the posts. I don't have my number of dives up because I don't believe number of dives matter. I know folks with ~75 dives and their Full Cave and Deco certs that are fantastic divers, but I had ~250 dives and couldn't define "neutral buoyancy" if you gave me access to Wikipedia. I've seen one diver with over a thousand logged dives that was such a flailing mess he was a danger to himself and others and the dive shop refused to let him back on the boat (in the Caribbean, mind you). Number of dives don't matter...it's the quality of the dives.

 

[TrimixToo]

I also have found it interesting that on SB no matter what anyone says on here, there is always someone else who takes exception to it.

Not so! (C'mon, *someone* had to do it.)

 

[ReefHound]

For the most part, I don't think long time members pay attention to their profile. When you first join and you're the new guy maybe you fill it out to let people know who you are. After that, it's forgotten. I crossed 1000 a few years ago and only updated status last month when I accidentally clicked on my personal details link. I figured either update it to be correct or remove it. No info is better than bad info.

As for logging dives, that's another issue. I log mine by downloading from computer and only fill in extra details in the app if there is something especially notable. I don't bother with exposure suits or weight or such. Never once found that useful as a reference. Never browsed the logs and reminisced about past dives either. Too busy doing new dives. Maybe in my old age...

A detailed paper log might be useful for an occasional diver or the first couple hundred dives, after that you just innately know.

 

[drbill]

I logged dives initially back in the 60s, then stopped. I started logging again in 2000 in preparation for an extended dive trip around the Pacific. Since then I've done over 3,100 dives but have no clue what my total is.

 

[drrich2]

I'm curious the reason for those scubaboard members who choose not to display number of dives which correspond with the number of dives they have been on in their user info? Some say 50-100 but have been instructors for a decade (for example).

I've been following this thread since I wondered the same thing (I do list accurately; I just wish I had hundreds more dives!). It covers a range of issues:

1.) The diver who doesn't disclose a dive count directly. If his info. identified an advanced cert., people who've been in the hobby awhile can deduce minimal training background (e.g.: dives required to enter Instructor or DM training). Some people don't bother to keep a count once they've got the prerequisites for any further training they wish to do, some lost an old log, some do highly repetitive dives, etc...

2.) The diver who lists a substantial # of dives, but hasn't bothered to update it in awhile (e.g.: he passed 100 dives, or 200, etc..., and may not think it really matters whether your dive count is 98 or 148.

3.) The diver who lists a far lower dive count than actual, such as under 25 dives when it's obvious from posts over time the real dive count is at least into the hundreds.

# 3 Is what strikes me as strange. New divers new to the forum don't have a lot to gauge us by when we post. If someone lists under 25 dives yet talks from an extensive dive travel background, the newbie may not know how to take that. While having a hundred dives doesn't necessarily guarantee one knows more or is more capable than someone with ten dives, it strongly implies the former had more opportunity to learn, and probably picked something up along the way.

I don't equate any dive count with always being right about much of anything, but when I see another poster has over a thousand dives, I figure he/she has an experience base to respect.

Richard.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I look at dive counts with a skeptical eye. I don't count class dives, especially the pop up dives in rescue class but I know many do, including some instructors who count dives while teaching. To each their own. I began logging my dives on the day I was certified and still log them. I'm a creature of habit. I'm currently at 2247 dives. Hopefully I can change the number in my profile in two years.

 

[Diving Dubai]

It is quite an interesting thread. I updated mine only because it was 2 years since the last update and a change is as good as a rest. It could have been sooner, but I don't count dives less than 30 mins, training divers get a zero so they aren't added to the count and bounce dives just get merged with the previous dive to record the total hours

I do download regularly, I'm going about the mammoth task of filling in all the site and buddy details for this year because I find the stats interesting personally. Likewise (using Mac dive) I've tagged certain dives if say i see Whale Sharks, or other sharks locally so I can report the data. I like the fact I can look back at a particular time of year to see teh water temps as a guide for exposure. Now I'm tagging all dives where I'm instructing, because I want to see the data in the future (for personal interest)

But like others, you can generally tell someone's competence by the way they post and what they say, although for the new members, yes dive count can be a guideline I suppose

 

[jlcnuke]

I dove more than a decade ago (closer to 15 years ago) "briefly". Then I didn't dive again until this year when I went and got certified again. One thing I discovered is that while I remembered "some things", I could pretty much assume my "dive knowledge" and "remembered" experience about "how" to dive should really start from this year. Sure, I remember that I did pretty good on air during my first OW course, but I don't remember any of the tips/tricks/knowledge I gained in that class these days. So as far as I'm concerned, the dives I did that first year of diving, way back when, "don't count" for me. I don't have a dive log of them and I don't really remember too much about them so I'm not gonna bother telling a dive operation that I have 20 dives (10 this year) when I can't remember most of the dives from back then and certainly don't retain the "experience" I gained on those dives.