Why dive in a quarry? Should you log them

[stuartv]

For the past year or so, I have been keeping a completely separate "training" logbook from my main logbook, as I have been trying to get accustomed to a doubles-and-drysuit configuration in a lake and some of the FL springs, and my main logbook isn't really designed to record the kind of stuff I want to remember about those training dives. It's just a small spiral-bound notebook, and my log "entries" are as much stream-of-consciousness scribbling as data. I'm keeping track of hours spent in that configuration but not number of individual "dives." Last week I spent an hour in the lake ascending from 40 feet to 30, pausing, ascending to 20, pausing, ascending to 10, pausing, and surfacing, then back down to 40 and repeat.

Not to sound like a broken record, but if you were using Subsurface, you could put those dives in and use tags to distinguish your training dives from your fun dives. Or tags to indicate dives with reefs and/or wrecks and/or sharks and/or fresh vs salt, etc.. You can then filter the display to only show dives with certain tags.

The Notes section will let you enter your stream-of-consciousness blather. ;-)

I haven't played with it very much, but I *think* if you also used the mobile app, you could potentially enter notes about dives while you are actually still on site, even using the voice transcription built into your smartphone to actually dictate your notes, instead of writing or typing.

And, I think if you enter dives in the mobile app, you can have it automatically capture your GPS coordinates, and then when the mobile app syncs back up to the Cloud and you download your data from your dive computer, the DC's logged dives can be married up to the dives you entered in the mobile app, so you end up with one dive that has your DC's data plus anything you entered via the mobile app, plus the GPS coordinates of the dive site (which it will display on an interactive global map within the app).

Don't hold me to any of that about the mobile app, though. I have only used it to pull down my log from the (free) cloud storage and let me look at it on my phone as a reference (e.g. "Hey, what wrecks did we dive in the Saint Lawrence last year?" "Hang on." [whips out phone, looks at log in mobile app, answers question with correct information]).

 

[Lorenzoid]

Thanks, Stuart. You know I'm a low-tech kind of guy, but maybe I've reached the breaking point. I see the value in something that's more of a database than a traditional log. (Voice transcription?! Talk to my phone--ugh, not looking forward to it.) Anyway, I think the discussion of electronic versus paper log is off topic, so I won't reply further, but I do appreciate the Subsurface tip.

 

[Joneill]

That was only where I did my OW. That was the question posed.

I have provided no details on the rest of my diving, so not sure how you have jumped to the conclusion that you have.

Smiley face = joking/being facetious... per the running theme in this thread of folks saying quarry dives are not "real" dives and quarry dives not preparing you for ocean dives (i.e., many Quarry dives can be much more demanding than GC dives). No offense intended!

 

[Beau640]

This thread has been fairly amusing because up here in the Great Lakes the prejudice goes the opposite way - if you are coming up here from the south and have never dove the cold low viz Great Lakes or quarries you're going to be put on a leash/watched closely.

Up here "real divers" are quarry/Great Lake low viz cold water divers. We don't think you ocean types with your great viz and nice temps have what it takes to dive a wreck in Lake Huron at 36 degrees with 15 foot viz.

Dives are dives. The logs are for you. Log what you think is important or don't log at all. They are for your information for the future. Log a pool dive if an equipment decision needs to be remembered or something important happened. Who cares about someone else's logs? Are you worried their epeen is going to be bigger than yours because their log book is "inflated" with quarry dives?

 

[fish149]

I would dive that quarry with you in a heartbeat. The concrete building structure looked cool as hell. What are some of the details on that place?

White star quarry in gibsonburg, Ohio. It's a county Park. Here's a link to the website
Scuba Diving: Learning to Scuba Dive and Explore | White Star Quarry

 

[GreggS]

Stuart,

I use Subsurface as well and I'm fairly certain you are correct in being able to take co-ordinates for dive sites with the mobile app, then download that from the cloud to your home computer, download from your dive computer to Subsurface on your home computer, and then merge them into a single dive. And you are also right that there is not a way to download from your dive computer to the mobile app.

I've triad a few digital logbooks and like Subsurface by far the best.

 

[tech_diver]

A few random thoughts about this thread....

If I can't get to the ocean, I'll still dive a small muddy quarry because I like being underwater. Also, Every dive is training for the next. I'll get in the local mudhole sometimes in full tek gear so I keep my skills sharp. Over the years, I've come up with all kinds of witty retorts for people questioning a fully equipped tek diver walking into a small pond.
-"It gets really deep in the middle!"-
-"I never dive without my back-up gear"-
-etc. etc.-

BTW, 'quarry', as in flooded quarry, is a broad term. I've dove quarries that were 20 feet deep and some approaching 300 feet deep.

I don't think anyone would choose to dive a quarry when the could dive clear ocean water.

I do log quarries dives the first time I dive a location but at my local mudhole I usually log a few dives there then stop.


Finally, the cool thing about being a grown-up adult that makes his own way in the world, I don't have to give a flip about what anyone thinks of seeing me scuba diving at the local duck pond just because I like being underwater.

 

[Trailboss123]

Previously posted by Trace and I agree
New
Logging dives only really serves 5 purposes in the industry:

1. For you to record anything that might help make future diving safer and more fun.
2. As prerequisites for various certification courses.
3. The date of your last dive so resorts can cover their butts and know what divers might be rusty.
4. To earn awards. Awards you earn help the industry prove diving is safe.
5. To create arguments and drive away participants
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trace and others
I would suggest there is a much more important reason.
I salvaged and modified my post from our resident "ChiTown street fighter" Marie13 post complete with verbiage (Marie13 you are in good company John Cronin founder of PADI was a "SUPER ChiTown street fighter")

I would suggest that ALL Divers

Log every dive
Fresh water
Quarries - Murky water - - Warm water- Winter and Summer
Ocean water
Cold water - Warm water -- Clear water _ Winter and Summer

The ole Mark One body cannot distinguish between types of water-fresh or salt- cold or warm or location

It is all a HYPERBARIC exposure and it all counts
Keep a log of all your dives ( Some just don't log dives but live in the snow belt and have made 500 dives in 2 years of diving ! Amazing ! )

if you ever get twisted, log books, computer and dive buddies accounts are a huge asset to the treating doctor/ chamber technician .
In a recent conversation with a very experienced Hyperbaric doctor he indicated as with all patients history is of prime importance, but with divers who do not maintain history other that a computer which has often been lost in the rescue or transportation to the chamber. If they have no history there is only one RX stuff them in a chamber and hope for the best.

The genesis of recreational diving was confined to the west coast - Specifically SoCal. I recall a party at my home a number of years ago Tommy Thompson of US Divers (Aqua Lung) came to a party at my home which was attended by local divers , At the party he proclaimed " I just established a dive shop in my home state of Oklahoma -- I wonder what mud hole they will dive in?" That was long before SCUBA instruction was available nation wide, the establishment of dive resorts and dive travel...Now every area in US & Canada has dive shop and instruction complete with tropical dive travel as well as diving in streams, lakes, stripper pits, mud holes, quarries and even in the ocean.

Your generation is the first generation to reap the benefits of Tommy's statement of so long ago

So all Dives Count --streams, lakes, stripper pits, mud holes, quarries and the ocean.
They are all hyperbaric exposure subject to the same diving rules

SAM MILLER

I have read all 13 pages of this post and have been quite entertained. As soon as I read this post from the Scuba Legend @Sam Miller III - The first thought that came to mind was, "Drop the microphone and walk off" -
So brilliant and succinct! Hyperbaric Exposure = Count it

 

[Centrals]

I logged every dive that I had done regardless of bio-diversity, depth, location, time etc etc.
A dive is a dive. Period.
I had never dived a quarry because none exist around here. But if I have the chance I certainly would not hesitate and dive it and definitely log the dive afterwards.
I do not need any opinion from anyone for logging my dive.

 

[TMHeimer]

It's funny that the "what do you log" threads always generate so many posts. This one questions quarry dives--why do it and/or log it? Then everyone tells their own story, and many say "who cares what you log, it's only for your own sake anyway" (well, unless you need a certain number to take a course).
A new one on here is about training dives--- two of my examples:
--Deep Course diving wet to 130', and then 120' inflating my sausage on the bottom in 33F (late May) ocean water and following it up and safety stop. 15 minutes of the coldest I've been since leaving the Sub-Arctic. THAT gets logged.
--the OW courses I assisted as a DM. Lots of work, responsibilities. Those get logged.