What constitutes a logged dive?

[b1gcountry]

Seriously tough, the only dives I ever do less than 20 min are training dives, or dives where something goes wrong. These are usually the dives you learn the most from, so I always log these. I do group dives together when there is a short surface interval between them.

Tom

 

[imasinker]

Logically if you are not including pool dives in your total number of dives then you shouldn't include them in your total bottom time.

Just to try and make sense here, being I am new...

My dive computer under history tells me I have

33 hours of dive time with 96 logged dives.

In reality I only have 73 logged dives. I don't count the dives where I went past the 4 foot surface start on the computer where I may have resurfaced for equipment issue's or a dive buddy then headed back down. I didn't add in the pool dives during class. I could change and add these dives and make out I almost have 100 dives, but I don't feel this is honest in my opinion although I am sure some do use this to gain dives.

 

[islandwheels]

"Logged" = dive recorded in a written logbook &/or by a dive computer.
That being said, the rest is subjective. Dubiously, some boost their numbers by counting every submersion in scuba no matter how short or shallow (even to 3 ft to clean the pool filter). Training organizations generally count 20 mins/20 ft as a minimum.
It's about documenting your true experience. If documenting a very short dive, were there circumstances that made it a learning experience worth remembering/sharing?
Logs are for you as you discover the 3/4ths of the Earth that is underwater. You will be asked to show logs as you pursue further training or at some dive destinations that offer spectacular but challenging dives and want to see that you have the experience/training to make those dives safely.

Well, i've thought i'd never pursue anything further than OW, but you make a good point. we've got a profile for logged dives but not unlogged dives which has been my procedure for awhile now

 

[mood]

My current Instructor defines a dive as:
Underwater for >=20 mins, >=50 bar consumed, >5 meters deep

Off topic: any knows how i can set the atom not start logging a dive until i hit 5 m?

 

[C Diver]

Typically, I log every open water dive my computer logs as a dive. For example, I just logged a dive that was 7 minutes at 36 feet. From what I have read this is too short a duration dive for some, however in this particular case this was the second dive of the day, the water temp was 48 degrees and I was wearing a 3/2 mil suit, the first dive was 17 minutes at 57 feet in 46 degree water, with a 3/2 mil suit. I learned a lot about my personal tolerance for cold as well as other things. I usually log dives using the RDP to figure my pressure group at the end of the dives, if I choose not to log a dive in a series it seems to me that pressure group will be incorrect. Granted, the computer "automatically" does these calculations, but i like to know where I stand on the chart.

Being fairly new to diving it seems prudent to me at least to have a record of every dive for two reasons... 1. I am still learning something on every dive I do and I think there is something to learn from every dive I do. Usually I make a few mistakes (yes I hate to admit it) and hopefully logging the dives will help me prevent those same mistakes again.
2. DCS can occur 24 or more hours after a dive, and from what I've read a very common symptom is denial. If dives are logged and something should happen, maybe the logged information could be of use to my doctors or at the very least to other divers in avoiding similar circumstances.

 

[sibermike7]

Off topic: any knows how i can set the atom not start logging a dive until i hit 5 m?

Try starting manually just as you enter the water.

 

[ItsBruce]

I log everything, including gear maintenance and certain medical procedures ... anything that I might want to remember or document. However, I do not necessarily count everything as a dive. I have no firm rule for what I count as a dive... If it does not feel like I should count it, I don't. I count my first experience in water with compressed air as a dive, even though it was in a pool for less than 20 minutes. I count the surface interval in which a whale shark came over to play with us. Everyone on the boat went into the water with just masks and fins. I count that as a dive, in fact one of my very best.

 

[sibermike7]

I log everything, ... as a dive. I count my first experience in water with compressed air as a dive, even though it was in a pool for less than 20 minutes.

Hey, you even got a photo to prove it! (avatar)

 

[drmax]

What you choose to log is entirely up to your personal preference, there are no 'regulations' or 'accepted practice' when it comes to this.

Personally I don't log any pool dives since I just see them as training sessions and are not part of my 'diving history' that I see any need to recall at a later date.

I log all open water dives, I don't set any time limit on what constitutes a logged dive. With due respect to the choice of the previous poster who chooses to log only dives greater than 20 min I cannot for the life of me figure out why you wouldn't log a dive of, say, 15 mins while you would log one of 20. I have done dives that have been quite short but nevertheless significant in some way and definitely dives that I would want to remember.

I do a lot of quite shallow dives since I have an area only 5 mins drive from home that provides very good, but shallow, diving. Many of my logged dives are around 3-4 m (10 - 13 ft). These are great dives and I definitely want to log them - if I applied the "greater than 20ft concept" I would probably 'lose' about 60% of my annual logged dives. Seems ridiculous to me!

I do however agree that if I did a very short dive, say of only a couple of minutes, for no other purpose than recovering a rod some fisherman had droped over the side of a pier I would probably not log it. However if something of significance happened while I was down there that was worthy of note I probably would log it (eg a great white swims past!!) Or maybe I may have to abort a dive early on and the reason I had to abort is of significance and something I want to record as a learning experience - so I would log it.

As I said, it all comes down to personal choice - its your logbook so you can put anything in it that you want!

Well put, BlueDevil. As a recently certified Master Diver (SDI), I spent a great of time researching the "what counts as a dive?" topic and beyond the incessant drivel that fails to count as quality discussion on the Internet and on forum sites, I would like to share the thoughts of my amazing Instructor (5000+ dives and every certification known to God and man). I asked him this question this past weekend as we prepared for our Rescue Diver course and here's how he answered: a logged dive is any dive that has a defined objective, requires one to be submerged below the surface of any type of water using SCUBA equipment, and one in which safe diving parameters are followed.

That said, I see no reason whatsoever why an 5-10 minute dive to 18 feet during a Rescue Diver course should not be counted. Did the diver safely assemble his or her equipment using their previous organization-sponsored training? Did the diver conduct the appropriate safety inspections, e.g., buddy and bubble checks? Did the diver enter the water and defend safely? did the diver effectively employ their dive computer to monitor the parameters of the dive? Did the diver pursue a defined objective specified in the pre-dive plan? Did the diver follow the dive plan, ascend safely, and then conduct a post-dive debriefing? If all these criteria were met, who really cares about the depth and duration? And in the case of those dives that one pursues during the Rescue Course, as each of these was performed under the watchful eye of a qualified Instructor, I see no reason not to log them.

As one of the other embers stated, there is a distinct difference between logging dives for personal growth and historical value versus doing so to meet some sort of organizational criteria. If, in fact, said diver is simply accumulating logged dives to satisfy a requirement for class, e.g., the 100-dive requirement for the Solo Diving course, I say we should rely on the discretion of the Instructor to determine if said diver is fully prepared to ascend (!) to the next level.

 

[DiverDean59]

I feel that a logged dive is for your records and can be used to make you a better diver. It will give you a record of weight, skills and how you are progressing as a diver. Even some pool dives can be logged to keep track of valuable information learned by that pool dive.