Why do you keep a logbook?

[MB]

I use to fill my dive log out at the dive site or on boat,but they got wet and seems like most old time divers did not do it at the dive - some type of macho thing! you will find this crap with divers...

Not macho at all - just that paper and water do not go well together unless your objective is to creat papier mache' sculptures! I know many experienced diver who really enjoy a bit of comraderie after a dive - usually over Mexican food - and the log books come out (along with some tall stories!). If the new info isn't recorded shortly after the dive, a lot of good lies will be forgotten!

 

[OE2X]

i've thought about starting to log dives in addition to taking temperature readings (of myself) after i get out and trying to validate the theory that 'post-dive fatigue' due to not using nitrox / rapid ascents has a low grade fever component. that would be the kind of thing that might cause me to start doing some logging...

To get the correct body temp means taking your core temp. You know where you have to put the thermometer to get that?

 

[moneysavr]

Not macho at all - just that paper and water do not go well together unless your objective is to creat papier mache' sculptures! I know many experienced diver who really enjoy a bit of comraderie after a dive - usually over Mexican food - and the log books come out (along with some tall stories!). If the new info isn't recorded shortly after the dive, a lot of good lies will be forgotten!

That says it all!!
Brad

 

[freediver]

Why a log book? Well it justifies, on paper, to my wife why I have spent so much money on dive equipment.

 

[diveaussie]

I think keeping your log book as a way to track your progress is a great idea. Depths, conditions, air consumption, weight... as well as the memories...... Now days with so many people paying for the next level of certification I would much rather know that my instructor had experience in all conditions.. If I was to employ an instuctor, regardless of the amount of dives they had supposedly done I would want to check this against their log book. Say a person has numerous dives in a tropical location? This doesn't mean they will have any experience in bad visibility, cold water etc etc. Either way it's a good record for both yourself, your buddies and dive operators that you may choose to dive with recreationally or professionally now and in the future.

 

[miketsp]

..snip..
Say a person has numerous dives in a tropical location? This doesn't mean they will have any experience in bad visibility,
..snip..

I mostly dive tropical locations - doesn't mean we get 40m viz all the time.
I have plenty of dives in 60cm viz, rough seas, bad currents etc.
If you want to dive all year round you take what you get.

 

[lamont]

To get the correct body temp means taking your core temp. You know where you have to put the thermometer to get that?

Yet another reason not to log my dives!

 

[lamont]

I see a lot of people saying they use their logbook to track their weighting and air consumption, but don't understand why you need a logbook to do that... I guess if you don't dive often, and you rent your grear you could forget what you last dived with. I can always go check my belt to see what my weighting was last time, and I never have trouble remembering if I was floaty or unstable on the last dive... I also don't have an issue with tracking my SAC rate. I just recently started watching my weight again after I noticed my SAC rate shot up -- at the 10 min checkpoint of my dive I had burned a few hundred psi more than I expected and I knew it was time to start getting back in shape again... I suppose I've lost the exact recollection of how much weight I used with an AL80 before I got my steel tanks -- but IMO that's a good thing... aluminum.... *shudder*...

 

[GDI]

The log book can be one of the best ways for a diver to improve themselves by keeping notes on equipment, trim and buoyancy, air consumption, propulsion techniques as well as a listing of many other things

 

[jbisjim]

I was really bad at writing in my log book, or i'd forget it on trips. A lot of my log book was on scratch paper, knapkins, paper bags, You know "i'll transfer them later" I did but it was a lot later.

Best thing i ever did was get a dive computer that I can download the log. Now I never miss a dive.

Besides some places No log No diving.
Future Certifications as well.
Besides my memory is really bad so this helps jog it around a bit.