Why Logging Your Dives Matters

Logging your dives isn’t just a formality — it’s a habit shared by confident, safe, and skilled divers. Whether you’re just beginning your dive journey or already a dive professional, maintaining a dive log — digital or physical is an essential part of being a true diver.

Scuba diving, like any learned skill, can diminish if not practiced regularly. No, you may not forget how to breathe from your regulator. But diving is about much more than just breathing. Equipment familiarity, buoyancy control, situational awareness, and the ability to respond to unexpected scenarios are all perishable skills.

Even the most experienced divers can have an off day. And without refreshed training or recent dive experience, what could be a simple fix may spiral into a series of problems — eventually leading to panic. And panic is where risk skyrockets.

That’s why consistent diving, regular skill reviews, and logging your dives are critical. They don’t just keep you sharp — they help keep both you and your buddy safe, composed, and confident underwater.

Why At DiveCampus We Recommend Logging your Dives 

1. It Tracks Your Progress

Each dive helps you grow and become a better diver. Logging your dives allows you to reflect on what went well, what needs improvement, and how your underwater performance is evolving. Beyond the basics (dive count, depth, time), we encourage divers to track:

• Gear configuration
• Weight distribution (trim pockets, weight belts, integrated systems)
• Air consumption (to know your SAC rate)

These records help you identify trends over time — in buoyancy, air usage, and how you respond to different underwater environments.

2. It’s a reliable way to prove experience

Dive operations that prioritise safety will ask to see your logbook before booking you for certain dive trip. This isn’t gatekeeping — it’s smart dive planning. Dive recency information helps dive operations to:

• Manage buddy systems effectively
• Adjust dive profiles accordingly
• Assign appropriate dive guides based on experience

Certifications alone don’t paint the full picture. Even divers with high-level credentials can face challenges if they haven’t dived in a while. Your logbook offers a more accurate reflection of your current readiness.

3. It Counts Toward Certifications

Planning to advance your diving education? Most continuing education programs have minimum logged dives as prerequisites. Instructors may also request proof of specific types of dives assess whether you’re ready — and how to personalise your training.

• Rescue Diver requires recent dive activity
• Divemaster requires 40 logged dives to begin, and 60 to certify
• Technical diving requires min. 30 logged dives with at least 10 dives using enriched air and at least 10 dives to 30 metres

4. It’s a Safety Tool

Think your dive computer is enough? Think again. Dive computers can get lost, stolen, or fail. Some dive computers lose all data when repaired — including your dive history. That’s why it’s critical to back up your dives in an app or physical logbook. If something happens, your dive log is your backup and your proof of experience.

5. It’s Easier Than Ever

While the good-old logbooks have it’s own charm. We prefer digital dive logs so it can be accessed from anywhere in the world:

• PADI App (free)
• DiveLog (one-time purchase)
• Shearwater Cloud (perfect for Shearwater computer owners)
• Subsurface / Diviac

Many of these apps sync with your dive computer, making dive logging accurate, eco-friendly, and seamless.

So What Should You Log? Here’s a checklist of what we recommend you include in your dive log:

• Dive site & date
• Depth & bottom time
• Conditions (visibility, current, water temperature)
• Marine life spotted
• Start & end pressure (many apps auto-calculates your SAC rate)
• Gear used and any issues
• Weights used and buoyancy notes (especially tank pressure changes)
• Skills practiced and personal observations

Your Logbook Reflects Who You Are as a Diver

Your dive log isn’t just a record of where you dived — it’s a timeline of your transformation as a diver. When a dive operation asks to see your logbook, they’re not questioning your ability — they’re validating your experience and showing commitment to safety of you and those diving with you. And that’s exactly the kind of dive operation you want to trust with your underwater adventures. So start logging every dive — digitally, in a notebook, or both. Because logging your dives isn’t just a habit. It’s a key to save lives.