Log Book Pages

[Gary]

Paper logging is one thing. Having the paper logs signed, verified etc. by your buddy/DM/Instructor etc. is something different! How many of you still do that?????

I never bothered with buddy/DM verification stuff. I suppose my first few OW dives in class were signed by the instructor but I never even thought of it that way. I remember a dive store trying really hard to "stamp" my logbook with their store stamp to verify. It was hard to explain to them that the log only existed in digital form.

I'm a complete data nut. I still wistfully think about transfering more of the old paper logs to electronic format (about hundred or so have still only basic data in electronic form because I haven't fully transcribed the text over). The written pages were often quite wordy. The Bridge software only alllowed 1000 characters of text for "comments" per dive and I was always resorting to a form of shorthand to cram everything in. Even when my divebook was only a few hundred dives it filled a thick notebook binder and stuffed with divesite research pages from Bennet and Elliots, pictures, etc.

Computer downloaded dives are a lot more "verified" than "signed" logs. Much harder to fake, crammed with info even before one starts to add comments and dive pressures. A single dive computer these days could retain a year of underwater dive activity in memory (as in the Sensus can be left in the water for a year and you come and pick it up and download the data).

[FW]

I log every dive, but have never had a buddy sign it.

Can Al even write?

[IowaCaveDiver]

my log book is simply for me... I use it as a reference at times, but mostly for memories. During my divemastering days at Olympus and in the Keys I rarely wrote much about the actual dives, moreso I wrote about what happened, the people and the events that made the memories for me. I'm only 28 and 1000+ dives later I can usually remember just about everyone because of the story I wrote.
I like the idea of being able to type my "stories" because I type much faster than I write and I'd still like to be able just print out the pages and toss them in my binder. I have several of the smaller 1/2 sheet size 3 rings I keep the log pages in... however a digital backup would be a nice benefit. I've been photo copying the same generic page I bought a pack of down in the keys back in high school... time to move on.

[sskasser]

I've used the download feature on various computers. I'm pretty content with all that I've used, details are there and plenty of space to write. Now, if I could just figure out a way to import my dive logs from Suunto's Dive Manager to my Uwatec dive log program....

[OFG-1]

Ho, Ho, Ho!

FWIW, that is only my most recent logbook, I have 3 older ones.

Yeah, I heard that your oldest log is just that. A log that you carved your dives in with your flint points.

And NEVER write anything down. Then you won't have to testify at the inquest.

[mag3]

Having a log book signed by your buddy is not really different. If someone wants to bump up the number of dives they do, how hard is it to forge a signature on a log?

Not hard. But then again, I started doing it (getting pages signed/verified) when one of my former instructors raked my log pages over the coals, and questioned what he thought was a pattern that seemed "at issue" to him..... Why he went that far, I have no idea. I guess maybe to see how gullible I was (and willing to buy either more training or gear). But I never used him again.

Now that I have the X1 (and I'm doing only tech/cave training), I really don't need the paper logs since I can write notes about each dive in the log itself. Perhaps I'll stop paper logging after I reach a nice round number of dives, and go strictly with the X1 computer logs (which I can save to PDF).


I guess it depends on what future verifications I might need and who's doing them. Perhaps for something where I'll have to show proof of 100 cave dives (like those awards, or diving with a guide at an "advanced" site) or some such thing.

[mag3]

I never bothered with buddy/DM verification stuff. I suppose my first few OW dives in class were signed by the instructor but I never even thought of it that way. I remember a dive store trying really hard to "stamp" my logbook with their store stamp to verify. It was hard to explain to them that the log only existed in digital form.

I did get some stamps in places I thought were "once in a lifetime" (ie. that I might not see again - Bora Bora, Palau, Belize etc.). And the instructors in Bora Bora actually have signature stamps with their instructor numbers on them. So that's what gets stamped on the log page. And, of course, I have my little "Blue Grotto" stickies etc.

I'm a complete data nut. I still wistfully think about transfering more of the old paper logs to electronic format (about hundred or so have still only basic data in electronic form because I haven't fully transcribed the text over). The written pages were often quite wordy.

So am I. It's my profession. I don't need to transfer the electronic logs to paper, as all of them to date are duplicated in paper. Believe it or not, the 1st 100 dives (in paper) are actually laminated. I figured since the book would be on boats etc. and subject to getting wet, I should protect them. Actually, the 1st 7 are in a separate book (my OW qualifying dives I did on Bora Bora). The rest are in a regular log book (like the kind you can get at scuba.com).

Computer downloaded dives are a lot more "verified" than "signed" logs. Much harder to fake, crammed with info even before one starts to add comments and dive pressures. A single dive computer these days could retain a year of underwater dive activity in memory (as in the Sensus can be left in the water for a year and you come and pick it up and download the data).

Very true. As stated elsewhere, I'll probably stop the paper logs after I reach the next major milestone and go with the X1 database. As long as those that need to verify in the future will accept that.

[Gary]

I don't need to transfer the electronic logs to paper, as all of them to date are duplicated in paper. Believe it or not, the 1st 100 dives (in paper) are actually laminated.

Ya' know it only just occured to me I can scan those incomplete dives (or all my old paper dive logs) to PDF!

[JerseyJersey]

try diverecord.com .... free, easy, online backup and storage of your log and, to date, I have never had any byproduct problems from the site

[mag3]

Ya' know it only just occured to me I can scan those incomplete dives (or all my old paper dive logs) to PDF!

Cool. Whatever works!