What makes a "good" trip report?

[Jax]

If this isn't the right thread, I'm sure somebody will move it!

What would 'you' like to see in a trip report? What makes it valuable? Let me propose a few topics, and you feel free to opine on which to keep, toss, or add.

1. Where and when - duh!
2. Dive operator . . . List the DM?
3. Water temps and visability
.....a. exposure protection?
.....b. depth?
4. Dive sites and what you saw

At what point is too much? too little? How many, if any, pictures?

One assumes a trip report has two functions - bragging rights and to inform others of the location in case you wish to dive there. So, what is useful?

 

[bamamedic]

I love pictures!!!

When I read someone's trip report, I get bored if it's just statistics about the dive. I like to hear the cool stories that go with it, the adventures you had, etc.

Dive operator is a good thing to list, especially if you had a fabulous experience with them.

I like to know the location, date, water temps/visibility, depth, cool sights or creatures you saw. I don't really care about exposure protection personally, because that's such an individualized thing (someone might wear a 3mm where others would wear a 7mm)

You should search for SuPrBuGmAn's trip reports...he's always entertaining to read, and provides enough details and pics to make you wish you had been there with him

 

[Walter]

What is your goal? To make the story interesting? To quickly report the facts? To sell a trip? To share something unusual? A combination?

There are several different ways to write a trip report. Most of them can be good if matched with the correct goal and if they take into account your intended audience.

 

[Jax]

What is your goal? To make the story interesting? To quickly report the facts? To sell a trip? To share something unusual? A combination?

There are several different ways to write a trip report. Most of them can be good if matched with the correct goal and if they take into account your intended audience.

Agree . . . and this question is to help set that goal. I believe most people post trip reports to inform, entertain, and a weeeee bit of bragging.

Given the inform part . . . what does a reader want to know? One would think that 'better' trip reports would benefit everyone.

 

[Walter]

Inform - just the facts, Ma'am.

Entertain - Narrative explaining all the cool things. Use correct spelling and proper grammar. Break it into paragraphs. Don't run on forever, we don't care about the uninteresting details.

Brag - Resist the temptation.

 

[vladimir]

I like to hear comparisons: "the muck diving was as good as in Tulamben," "the rooms on the Aggressor were smaller," "the food was better at CocoView," etc. If you tell me the diving was "great," I have learned nothing, except that you enjoyed it. If you tell me the diving was better than Cozumel, I now have a basis for decision-making.

I like to hear specifics: "our group saw three gray reef sharks, a pod of dolphins, and eagle rays on several occasions," "they served green chicken curry every day," "I counted 53 divers at blue corner," "the cabin smelled of mildew."

Pictures are great. Sure, show me your great whale shark pic, but shots of the boat, your cabin, and the head would be more helpful. I already know what a whale shark looks like.

Any great tips? "The local kids love ballpoint pens," "the crew appreciates recent dvd movies," "the no-see-ums are relentless."

Does the dive operator: allow solo diving? require a dive log, or an advanced certification? How many people on each boat? Stuff like that.

In short, anything that will help me decide between dive operators or between destinations is good information, especially if it is somewhat objective.

 

[Sas]

Well.. I'm biased but I write trip reports how I like to read them from others. I've never considered the bragging aspect but more the frustration I have felt trying to research places that have no information about them other than posts scattered here and there, or the dive operator's website. So I include the following info:

-how to get there
-accommodation: food, what rooms are like, facilities for non-divers, activities offered
-dive operator - how things are run, cost, whether you get babysat or not, requirements for diving, who the diving suits
-diving itself: temperature, how calm/rough the ocean is, expected visibility, what critters are common, how long it takes to get out to a site, how long you are allowed to dive for, SI food
-pictures - I find trip reports with pictures and videos a million times better than those with out. Anything will do but pictures that are green and blurry aren't so good...

I prefer longer trip reports, than shorter ones - if I am going somewhere I can never get enough info. And I like them split into sections for each relevant thing.

I've written a bunch now and gotten good feedback about them so some examples here if anyone is interested:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/australia/287030-fish-rock-trip-report-mar-09-a.html
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/pacific-islands/306293-beqa-fiji-sept-2009-trip-report.html

And I've written a few class reports too, tend to make them a lot less 'formal' though, here's one example:
Cavern/Sinkhole course

 

[vladimir]

I prefer longer trip reports

Apparently! I just [-]read[/-] skimmed the Fiji report--well done.

 

[Sas]

Apparently! I just [-]read[/-] skimmed the Fiji report--well done.

Well, as I said, I prefer to read really long ones so try to replicate that with my own Usually only people who are going there would bother to read it all I imagine... and even then maybe not

 

[MichiganScott]

What is your goal? To make the story interesting? To quickly report the facts? To sell a trip? To share something unusual? A combination?

There are several different ways to write a trip report. Most of them can be good if matched with the correct goal and if they take into account your intended audience.

C'mon Walter, NO ONE EVER just quickly reports the facts...
I don't think it's in any divers nature