Witness for logged dives

[fnfalman]

I agree. About the only thing I can think that is more boring than logging dives would be to actually go back and review old dives. Absolutely no interest to me. Out of around 10 local boat charters and 15 foreign dive ops no one has ever asked to see my log.

So that's why you never asked me to sign your log book.

 

[Robert Gillcash]

The main reason I log dives is to learn (weight, etc) and to record memories of the site.

The secondary reason is to have the requisite number of logged dives for courses shoul I want and potentially for operators that want so many logged dives before they let you dive a site with them.

Question is..how important is the witness? You don't always take you book to some boats/sites and it is out of the way to catch up to your divemates later.

Many times I log the dive and staple a tank rental receipt etc to the page. My computer only holds so many dives. Would a dive shop want the logs witnessed to before counting the dive to become a rescue diver or other?

At the very least, record their names. Even without a signature that's pretty good.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I guess I'm the exception, as every one of my almost 1000 dives has a buddy or DM or other signature. ABout 200 of them have Debbie's signature. I get them for the same reason an autograph collector gets autographs. I like to follow up with dive buddies I've met and dived with. So they sign and write their contact info into my book. I carry my last 50 or so dive logs plus blank pages on all trips. On a liveaboard trip, or training weekend, signatures are a snap. If I am on a trip with a friend, they often will sign at the dive day. I have become the designated "dive logger" when I travel, and others often copy data out of my book. It's all fun to me, and when I cannot dive, I like to use the log book to review and remember trips.
DivemasterDennis

 

[Robert Gillcash]

I have some that slip by me without a signature, but pretty well all of my dives are logged in my logbook and have signatures. Not long ago I revised it so I have room for eight students signatures and a Divemaster signature too. Now that the clear water is back, I might have to change that. Also, having other Instructors tagging along to see how I do things, means I can actually have quite a lot of divers in the water with me. Oh, well, I need to redo my divelog template anyways.

I guess I'm the exception, as every one of my almost 1000 dives has a buddy or DM or other signature. ABout 200 of them have Debbie's signature. I get them for the same reason an autograph collector gets autographs. I like to follow up with dive buddies I've met and dived with. So they sign and write their contact info into my book. I carry my last 50 or so dive logs plus blank pages on all trips. On a liveaboard trip, or training weekend, signatures are a snap. If I am on a trip with a friend, they often will sign at the dive day. I have become the designated "dive logger" when I travel, and others often copy data out of my book. It's all fun to me, and when I cannot dive, I like to use the log book to review and remember trips.
DivemasterDennis

 

[goflyplanes]

I keep one. I make a point after all my dives with students to log dives. Helps me remember different things for when I'm teaching in the future, and most of my students are amused by my stamps. Also I do like to collect stamps from dive centers. Like someone said before it's a social thing. Plus I like having my log book to show people all the cool places I've been when they ask.

 

[tdtaylor]

For better or worse, no signatures since OW training, although I have the names and contact info of all my buddies.

Short story- I was in Key Largo and no one checked anything or asked anything in respect to dives. Their website mentioned that you had to have 5 dives over 100 feet in the last year, and a certain amount of recent dives. We were diving a number of wrecks, down to depths of 130 feet in current-boy, was there current. Well, after were done with all the paperwork, I mention "do you want my dive info." She then asks, how many dives do you have, and I (deadpan) say 5. Well, the next 60 seconds was interesting. To be fair, I did show up with all my own tanks, equipment, etc., and am a rather relaxed person. After a rather uncomfortable period, I broke the tension by mentioning I had 5 dives to their depths in the last 5 days. Boy, was she releived.

Never had my log checked, although it is all on my iPhone.....

Terry

 

[tracydr]

I've been asked for my log book once, in Galapegos. I have many dives not signed by a witness ( plus I lost a logbook and also have many dives I failed to log).
They had no issue with the dives not being witnessed. I think they were looking for cold water experience, date of last dive and number of advanced dives.
It can be a problem if you're going into an advanced course like DM or IDC. Not so much though that I believe it would be a show stopper.

 

[Tigerman]

If that where to become a problem, Id just email my favourite vacation dive op and have them mail the instructor that accused me of forging my logbooks.. Or maybe id just do the training while at vacation instead..

 

[boulderjohn]

I only had to show a log book once, and that was more than 10 years ago. I don't think it would have been a problem if I did not have one.

But I have one, and I still use it. What I write in it varies--sometimes next to nothing.

As for signatures, I rarely ask for one, but I do sometimes. It is usually when I am taking a class. I have had both my cave instructors sign, for example. In those cases, it was something of an autograph action, as I consider them both to be noteworthy divers and I am happy to have their signatures in my log book.

I don't use a computer log. I often don't use a computer, so I would lose those dives. Sometimes the only thing I really care about is the comments I make, which don't show up in a computer log. I don't care about all the other computer related stuff-like the graphic dive profiles, etc.

 

[spectrum]

It's a dive log, not an affidavit. Just record all the pertinent stuff as you have and be done with it. Anything that shows current relative activity will suffice. If you get to a situation of needing X number of dives as a prerequisite for a certain class your record will stand. Presumably you won't have the dive count by the skin of your teeth. in the unlikely event that the log is reviewed in detail anything not considered worthy can simply be discounted.

I would not bother with signatures, receipts or any sort of corroboration. Do try to have something redundant either as an electronic files or by keeping scans of a hard copy book.

Pete