Dive Safety: What is beyond the Basic Logbook?

by Dave Metrano

I think every instructor tries to teach the importance of a good log book. We go over this basic skill in our class room lectures. Hopefully, we carry this on by setting an example to our students by keeping an up to date log book of our own.

What is in a typical log entry? Normally we teach the students to number each and every dive. Also included should be the deepest depth, actual bottom time, air consumption, visibility, bottom configuration and our ever present buddy.

During our instructional classes, we stress that all dives should have a purpose. These dives could be for training purposes, search and recovery, lobster hunting, photography or just general enjoyment of the underwater world.

Just how much information can you really put into a standard log book? I look back to some of my old log books, some going back 25 years. Memories fade and I wonder if I had kept a detailed journal could I recall those many diving adventures of long ago. With a detailed journal, not only can we record basic facts of the dive but we can express what we thought, how we felt and would we do the dive again.

Journals can express the overall dive experience. Was the trip worth it? Did everything go according to the dive plan? Did the buddy system work? How did the communications underwater work out? Was it an enjoyable experience or did we have that feeling “what am I doing this for?” Would you do the dive again? All these can be expressed in a journal that is beyond the scope of the dive log.

Since I became an instructor in 1992, I have always kept a journal. This was drilled into us as an important part of our record keeping. Not so much as a reviewable document by other people, but for our own personal information. I keep the usual information as a basic log book, but, more important as a record of what went right, what went wrong and how to fix it before the next class. I use this journal as a valuable tool for self teaching. There is nothing like experience in teaching oneself. As we all know, good divers are always learning.

Maintaining a good dive log is an essential part of diving; creating a dive journal will add a new dimension to our diving experience. As we get along in our diving age, we can reflect on what we did and what we learned from that experience. The end goal, we will gain more from our underwater adventures.

I would like to thank Bob Rossier from Dive Training Magazine for helping with this article.

	What is beyond the Basic Logbook?
by Dave Metrano I think every instructor tries to teach the importance of a good log book. We go over this basic skill in our class room lectures. Hopefully, we carry this on by setting an example to our students by keeping an up to date log book of our own. What is in a typical log entry? Normally we teach the students to number each and every dive. Also included should be the deepest depth, actual bottom time, air consumption, visibility, bottom configuration and our ever present buddy. During our instructional classes, we stress that all dives should have a purpose. These dives could be for training purposes, search and recovery, lobster hunting, photography or just general enjoyment of the underwater world. Just how much information can you really put into a standard log book? I look back to some of my old log books, some going back 25 years. Memories fade and I wonder if I had kept a detailed journal could I recall those many diving adventures of long ago. With a detailed journal, not only can we record basic facts of the dive but we can express what we thought, how we felt and would we do the dive again. Journals can express the overall dive experience. Was the trip worth it? Did everything go according to the dive plan? Did the buddy system work? How did the communications underwater work out? Was it an enjoyable experience or did we have that feeling “what am I doing this for?” Would you do the dive again? All these can be expressed in a journal that is beyond the scope of the dive log. Since I became an instructor in 1992, I have always kept a journal. This was drilled into us as an important part of our record keeping. Not so much as a reviewable document by other people, but for our own personal information. I keep the usual information as a basic log book, but, more important as a record of what went right, what went wrong and how to fix it before the next class. I use this journal as a valuable tool for self teaching. There is nothing like experience in teaching oneself. As we all know, good divers are always learning. Maintaining a good dive log is an essential part of diving; creating a dive journal will add a new dimension to our diving experience. As we get along in our diving age, we can reflect on what we did and what we learned from that experience. The end goal, we will gain more from our underwater adventures. I would like to thank Bob Rossier from Dive Training Magazine for helping with this article.