What can I log?

[boulderjohn]

The definition of open water is murky, and the idea that it is anything other than a swimming pool is common for most agencies. If you use the definition that you cannot see shore for it to be an open water dive, I am not sure I have any open water dives by that definition, other than the ones I did on the outer Great Barrier Reef. I am not sure why I would want to have many open water dives by that definition. Usually you dive because there is something to see, and there is usually nothing to see if you are that far from land.

If you think anything that has clear boundaries is confined water, think again. With the exception of the oceans, pretty much all water is confined at some point.

Many Rocky Mountain area divers complete their OW certifications and other such dives in Homestead Crater in Utah, which makes a decent sized Aquarium look huge. I don't know any agencies that do not accept those as open water dives. Thousands of divers complete their training in the Blue Hole in New Mexico, which is a sink hole only 60 feet across a the top (but bigger a the bottom). Much technical training in the Rocky Mountains is done in Rock Lake, a sink hole about 400 feet across (and about 300 feet deep). How big are the various quarries in which people dive? What's the difference between a quarry and a reservoir? What's the difference between a reservoir and a lake? The Blue Hole in Belize is a sink hole, like the Blue Hole in New Mexico and only a little wider and deeper than Rock lake.

Where do you draw the line?

 

[Sas]

Where do you draw the line?

Wherever you want, as far as how you want to log your dives.

Agencies or instructors have their own interpretations which may discount some dives. But really, if one is struggling to come up with agency approved dives because a couple might be in an aquarium they probably should be doing some more dives anyway.

 

[JKPAO]

IMO making up paper dives, is like writing down lies in your diary.
See you topside! John

 

[airizzy]

I found a SSI instructor handbook and found a few answers. For the purpose of certification a dive is defined as lasting at least 15 min. and requires the removal dive equipment between dives. The depth of the dive is determined by the specific certification. ie. Open Water is to beat least 15 ft.

The advanced open water card did not include a depth requirement. It only gives a number of dives and a number of additional courses required to earn the card. Therefore, the definition of 15 min. would make sense. Depth in this certification is not specified so any depth in open water for at least 15 min would count.

I also saw in the handbook that the logbook could be used to log any dive open water, aquarium, pool dive or training dive.

 

[Goannaman]

I fall pretty much in the "I will log whatever I want" category. I retired my old, poorly treated log book, and just started jotting the information down in my computer. I even put things that are in no way dives in my log (in this case a resting SAC test) only because it seemed like a good place to write it down...

The captain, instructor, etc. can use what ever dives they want as proof of my experience.

 

[theduckguru]

So shore dives don't count?

No, If you want the dives to be logged as open water you are going to have to get on a boat and get really far out in the ocean.