Why do you keep a logbook?

[Potapko]

I have been thinking about this for a while and would like to ask the rest of you. Why YOU keep a logbook? Most of the dives I do are repetitive. Same 6-10 locations, unless I go on vacation somewhere. My perspective is that I do not see the reason for continuing to log every dive. I will probably do so until I have achieved the "required" number for any further certification. Please correct me but isn't the level needed for instructor only like 100 logged dives?

Anyway, whay do you keep your log?

1. Simply for personal reasons
2. For bragging rights/In order to "prove" my dive history
3. Because it is needed for further certification
4. just need the extra paperwork
5. Other?

As I already said. I keep one as necessary proof for dive ops or further certification.

 

[SteveDiver]

I like keeping my logbook so I can reflect on my dives ie: sights, problems, who I was with etc. It is also a good record of bottom time and air consumption for reference. I use it more as a journal.

 

[SteveDiver]

Not only is it a good log however when I was in Hawaii the dive shop would not take us out without looking at our log book...

 

[AmyJ]

I am keeping one, because as new diver, thus far, each time I come up I find things I should have done differently, wished I remembered, acted stupidly, or any number of things that I should learn from and by noting them and reviewing them I am hoping to one day be a great (translate 'safe) diver!

 

[Far_X]

I like to see how my air consumption is improving; how warm it really was in September compared to November. I have read back over my log book and because I try to fill in all the spaces with written words, there are things I have written down that I had forgotten about. Maybe not important things but stuff that makes me think, "oh, yeah". Plus, any mistakes I have made, I write them down, no matter how minor. I can spot trends easily - twice I forgot to attach my dry suit hose after only a few weeks between dives. You can bet I have not repeated THAT again. So for continuing education, despite numerous dives at the same site, I write it all down. I don't do it for the certification levels though if I went to a different LDS then it would be required, but I do it for myself.

 

[mk57nato]

A couple of reasons, it helps to write what you should have done differently or changed its a record there. Also you can look back at that time of year and get an idea of what conditions might be like and what you will need, ie.. rainy season, water temps around a certain time of year, certain critters show up seasonally.
Also its a nice rememberance of your past diving, sometimes its nice to read back and reflect on things you saw or did, i still get laughs reading back into my log book.
Also certain dive sites or boats will ask to look at your log book to see if you are able to attempt a more advanced dive, or if they will let you attempt it.

 

[SteveDiver]

That's right.... People tend to forget things as time goes on. At least I will have a wriiten reference..

 

[OE2X]

Personally I choose not to. I average about 5 dives a week and am on track for 200 dives this year. To me it's not needed. I suppose if I want to take more advanced courses then it would be wise...

I've never kept a journal of any sort, so, for me this is sort of like keeping a diary.

Any travelling that I do might want to see a log book, but on only one occasion have I been asked for it. Most places like that have a max depth of 100' so you have to stay within rec. limits. That said I'm doing some wreck diving next weekend and not planning on bringing the log book that I don't have.

 

[The Kraken]

Diving wrecks, archaeological sites it helps to keep information of depths, currents, points of interest, danger, etc. recorded somewhere.

I can always go back to my dive log, extract information and input it to any applicable data base or whatever.

I'm getting too old to commit these things to memory. I grew up in the punch card computer generation so my memory can't be upgraded.

 

[Jim Baldwin]

For the first 20 years of my diving I did not keep a dive log. I was working as a police officer when I started diving doing search and recovery. Wish I had kept notes on the dives, locations, and things that I found.

When I started doing advanced training the instructors wanted to see log books. I had to do additional dives and fill in all the records. Most divemaster and or master diver ratings require at least 50 logged dives. While all the technical and deco classes usually require around a hundred.

One of the other nice things about a log book is that you can list the gear,weight, and things seen as well as the water temp and visibility.

I can now look through my log book and see that when I dove Palancar Bricks in Cozumel last week that I did not see the same things that I saw there in June.

If I'm doing deco dives I can list my deco schedule and run tables or if I'm working with students the skills that were performed and how well they did.

It really has nothing do with ego or bragging but simply is a written record of your diving experience and it's something that you can review in the future when people ask what's it's like to dive there and what can you see.


Jim
Louisiana