December, 2015
To log or not to log? What’s the use of a dive log?
The humble dive log. A piece of recorded history, filled with pictures and memories of dives long gone…
But is the dive log as necessary as everyone seems to think? Does the dive log serve any purpose beyond being a sentimental record?
Many dive centres, like Living Seas Asia, have divers visiting them from all over the world, with varying certifications and experience levels. When planning dives, one important question comes to mind: How can we sort the divers into groups, or categorise them better so that we can keep a closer eye on those who need it?
Certifications have their limitations; they do not tell you about the diver’s experience. So how else can we know what to expect before we dive with strangers?
Enter the log book. Once a simple way to keep track of dives, the dive log has now become the “quality control form” for many dive centres to get a sense of how a diver dives. (Of course, that’s assuming the diver hasn’t forgotten to bring his log book along—and that the entries aren’t forged.)
As a dive instructor, I find log books useful—only to an extent. Again, the data captured in the log doesn’t tell all. Consider the number of dives a diver has clocked up. A higher number doesn’t necessarily indicate a higher skill level: 100 dives in a shallow bay with no current and averaging at a 5m depth doesn’t teach you very much at all, does it?
And what about the most recent dive date? A dangerous diver who dived yesterday will still be a dangerous diver today, unfortunately…
Going beyond the log book
So what can dive operators do to prevent poorly trained divers from injuring the reef, and even worse, themselves?
Conducting “check out dives” is a good first step. That way, dive leaders can get a sense of the skills lacking in a diver before bringing them out to the “nicer” spots (read: deeper and more challenging dives).
However, most dive centres stop at that, and don’t take the important step of educating these divers to be better underwater. But whose responsibility should it really be? The certifying instructors? The Dive Master on a leisure dive?
Honestly, it shouldn’t matter. We should all be doing what we can to help teach these divers how to be better stewards of the environment. If we fail in doing that, then we are as culpable as all the other instructors who trained that diver before us.
That said, the number one thing that all dive centres can and should do, is to train their students well early, starting from the Open Water certification. If dive instructors can all do this, then it wouldn’t be such a challenge vetting each and every diver coming to dive with us. The certification levels would actually mean something once again!
So, to log or not to log—that was the initial question. Ultimately, I believe that it’s entirely up to the diver. For dive centres, the log does serve as a good reference for the dives that came before, but it will not give a full picture of how the diver performs underwater.
To fellow divers: Whether you consider your dive log a treasure trove of memories or a badge of honour, I entreat you to take personal responsibility of your diving: Seek out the knowledge and skills that will allow you to do challenging dives, grow as a diver, and become a true steward of the underwater environment that we all love!
Why use double tanks?
When asked this question, most people would answer that we use double tanks to get more gas for our dive. This is a valid answer, of course, but I think the more important reason is redundancy.
Redundancy: The inclusion of extra components which are not strictly necessary to functioning, in case of failure in other components (OED)
Running low on gas during a dive can be frustrating – we all know what it feels like to want to stay down longer and enjoy ourselves! The next logical step to overcome this limitation is to carry more gas, especially on deeper dives where a diver’s gas consumption will be much higher.
Without going into a discussion on decompression here, increasing gas capacity can be done in different ways, by carrying a larger tank, using a steel tank so you can fill it to a higher pressure, or carrying multiple tanks.
If one chooses the last option of carrying multiple tanks, one could consider simply strapping two single tanks together (called a sidemount or independent doubles configuration) to effectively double the available gas. So why not just do that? Consider a situation when a failure happens (for example, a faulty o-ring on a regulator or tank valve). The result is you lose the ability to access an entire tank of gas.
Another problem with the sidemount or independent doubles configuration is that you’ll have to double up on regulator hoses. You’ll need a primary and secondary second stage, an inflator hose and an SPG on each of the first stages. This in turn doubles the number of possible failure points. Not ideal.
That aside, we also have the issue of deciding which tank to breathe on. If we breathe on one tank fully, then what happens if failure occurs on the full tank that you were planning to switch to? (Sidemount divers will argue that there are ways to prevent this from happening, such as switching tanks at defined intervals to balance the gas consumption between both tanks, but these measures could lead to additional complications, IMHO.)
We can mitigate against some failures by using DIN instead of Yoke valves on our tanks, and by minimizing the number of hoses that we need, but the best method I’ve found is to dive with a double tank configuration with an isolator manifold.
So how is redundancy built into this configuration?
One important feature is the isolator manifold. In this configuration, we have two first stages, each connected to a tank valve, which are in turn connected to each other via the isolator manifold.
Two 300 bar scuba cylinders connected by an isolating manifold
With this set-up, a single failure on a regulator will not result in an immediate loss of half your gas. We could shut off the valve that the failed regulator is connected to, and effectively shut down the leak. Because of the manifold, we can still access all of the gas in that tank. In this situation, one failure will result only in the loss of some functions (one second stage and either the inflator hose or the SPG), but not in any loss of gas.
But what if the manifold itself fails, you ask? Well, this is where the isolator comes in. If any side of the manifold, or tank valve fails, then we could isolate the two tanks by closing the isolator valve. This cuts off the flow of gas from one side to the other, resulting in only one of the tanks draining, as opposed to both, if the valve was left open, or if there was no isolator.
When doing more extreme dives, whether you’re going deeper or diving in an overhead environment, you’ll want the confidence of knowing that failures won’t result in you losing so much gas that you won’t be able to get to surface safely. Personally, I’d say that’s a pretty good reason to have the heavy weight of a set of double tanks on your back!
Is the DM course for me?
Many people view the Divemaster (DM) course as a logical extension of recreational diving education, when they’ve already done Advanced and Rescue and are looking for the next course to take. Unfortunately, this might not make the most sense for everyone, and you’ll see DM trainees that are either not ready, or don’t have the right attitude towards the course.
Currently, this path of diving education (Open Water to Advanced to Rescue to Divemaster) is the one that is most marketed, and thus most visible to newer divers. Divers are then naturally channeled towards this path because of business interests, rather than the individuals’ passion or aptitude.
One big distinction between the first three and the DM course, which many people forget, is that the latter is a professional level diving course. This distinction has been steadily eroded over the years, due to the demand for profit and readily available labor at the dive centers, which push the DM course to customers who may not realize the true responsibility of being a DM.
To me, one should only do the DM course if leading, helping and instructing other divers is a passion. It’s not another recreational course! It shouldn’t be viewed as a way to get free dives or to stay in a tropical country on an extended holiday! Neither is it an extension of regular leisure diving, which unfortunately is how it’s marketed.
In my opinion, the current training that a Divemaster receives is woefully insufficient. Here’s what’s listed on the PADI website for the topics and workshops in a Divemaster course.
- The role and characteristics of the PADI Divemaster
- Supervising dive activities and assisting with student divers
- Diver safety and risk management
- Divemaster conducted programs and specialized skills
- Business of diving and your career
- Awareness of the dive environment
- Dive setup and management
- Mapping an open water site
- Conducting dive briefings
- Organizing a search and recovery project and a deep dive
- Conducting a scuba review and skin diver course
- Assisting with Discover Scuba Diving and leading Discover Local Diving programs
While the above might sound good in theory, the actual syllabus falls short. Many topics are not covered in depth, leaving gaps for the instructor to fill. For example, you won’t find a list of common problems that new students face when using a mask for the first time, or the solutions to them.
The quality of learning thus depends on the caliber and experience of the instructor. Without a good instructor to guide them, it’s no wonder most DM trainees do not acquire the crucial know-how and skills from the course.
What’s more, a DM trainee need only have logged 60 dives as a prerequisite for the course. I’d argue that 60 falls on the low side, and a number doesn’t say very much. Consider this: 60 dives in a shallow bay with no current and averaging 5m depth doesn’t offer much learning by way of experience.
While there is no way to exhaustively cover all the problems and scenarios that a DM might face while diving, the topic of crisis prevention is a glaring omission from the list above. Being able to prevent a situation from escalating into a crisis is, I believe, a primary role of a DM.
That said, of course there are dive professionals around who truly deserve the name, but what identifies them from the rest?
One defining characteristic of good dive professionals, I’ve noticed, is a true passion to serve. They don’t teach or lead dives because of the money or “free” diving, but because they want to contribute to environmental protection, either by sharing its wonders with others, or inspiring a conservation ethic in the students that they teach. People who truly love the marine environment are the ones I would want to go diving with!
How then do we identify these dive professionals from the others, and how can we train more of them? Well, simply talk to them about it! Someone who has passion for the underwater world won’t be able to stop talking about it, just get them started and listen to the stories they tell, and the experiences they’ve had. They are the ones who will be looking at nudibranch pictures on Facebook well into the night, and poring through marine identification books early in the morning.
These are also the dive professionals that divers return repeatedly to dive with. You know you’ve made a difference when other divers trust their lives in your hands.
A great dive professional will still have a sense of wonder when diving at easy recreational sites for the 1000th time with their Open Water students, as opposed to one who swims away and does his own thing, or gets bored on a dive if there’s “nothing” to see. There’s always something to see on any dive if you look closely enough!
Another key trait of a great dive professional is the talent for teaching and instructing. Contrary to what the recreational agencies will have you believe, not everyone is born to teach! I truly believe good teaching comes first from passion, then next the ability to sharpen the saw, to keep on improving. Instructors and Divemasters who don’t do dives that challenge them or dives outside of “work” that hold their interest, will definitely lose their passion and burn out eventually.
The DM course isn’t and shouldn’t be for everyone. Ultimately, being a Divemaster means having other people’s lives in your hands; the decisions you make underwater can have real and dangerous implications. If you feel you are ready for that responsibility, then by all means, seek out and train under a good instructor who will show you the best ways to extend your diving knowledge and skill sets.
If the passion is really there, then keep going, and share it with the world!
To tech or not to tech?
This is a great question, as one of the first things people consider after they’ve completed their Advanced course is where to go and what to learn next. There are a few common paths, most notably the Rescue/DM/Instructor path offered by all the recreational agencies. The other path available would be tech or cave diving, a gateway to exploration and more “exciting” dives. Meanwhile, there are others who have no desire to do more, and are happy just traveling and clocking up more leisure dives.
All paths are great, and part of the beauty of diving is that it’s such a wide field that there’s something for everyone to feel passionate about.
Most people end up taking the Rescue/DM path, as it’s the more commonly available path, and some would argue, the cheaper option. Technical diving is less common and harder to get training for, but I’d argue that it is an equally vital part of continuing dive education. Divers should consider an “and” approach, rather than an “or” approach when choosing between the various paths.
Some people get into tech diving because they want to go deep, see big wrecks, or just feel the thrill of it. My personal reason was wrecks – the bigger and more interesting the wreck was, the deeper the water would be (typically).
I’d argue though, that going tech shouldn’t just be about going deep, which is the misconception that many people have. I’d argue that technical diving is about understanding diving a whole lot better. That, plus acquiring more skills, and removing some limitations of time, gas and decompression from any dive that you might want to do.
One important reason for going tech is the skills that you’ll gain. With more task loading (from carrying multiple tanks, for example) and the greater necessity for excellent buoyancy (because of high PO2 concentrations in deco gases – more on that in another article), you’ll need excellent in-water skills to become a technical diver. These skills aren’t just important because you’re a tech diver though; good buoyancy, good technique and good awareness are important on any dive. Just because you’re on a warm water recreational open water dive doesn’t mean that you should dive without good technique.
The knowledge learnt in a technical course also includes a comprehensive study of decompression, which is a factor in any dive that you do – and not just in deeper dives. Isn’t it prudent to better understand where the boundaries are, how better to manage your decompression, and what to do if you exceed the currently accepted no-decompression limits?
Another great reason for doing a technical course is to gain access to more gas, and to acquire the ability to choose the most appropriate gas mixture for the depth that you are planning to dive. What if you wanted to explore a large wreck or reef that sits between 25 to 30m deep? Or want to wait at a deep cleaning station longer to get a good video of the elusive thresher shark?
Dives like these, despite being within recreational limits, would be better served with a set of double tanks and EAN32%, extending the limitation of gas consumption and decompression, allowing you peace of mind to accomplish your goal! Better still if you carried a decompression tank as well, that would definitely allow you to do a two hour long dive!
Once you understand decompression procedures, are able to manipulate stage bottles and plan your deco gases effectively, this will remove any limitation on the type of dives that you might want to do.
This could mean spending more time on your favourite dive site, since you don’t have gas consumption or decompression limitations anymore. To me, tech means getting to do any kind of dive you might want to do, be it long and shallow or deep and short.
Everybody loves spending more time in the water, and this traditionally meant doing more dives. Wouldn’t it be more comfortable being relaxed underwater, enjoying and taking in everything at your own leisure, without worrying about decompression limits, or running out of gas?
A simple comparison between GUE and other recreational agencies
It’s pretty common to get a blank stare whenever we mention Global Underwater Explorers (GUE). Many divers have not and would not hear about GUE unless they were curious about technical diving. Partly because GUE is a non-profit organization, there’s not a lot of marketing money going into promoting GUE among the diving public. Most existing instructors and dive centres are affiliated to PADI, so that’s what usually comes to mind when people think of diving.
With GUE, I consider differences between them and other recreational agencies as starting from the basic philosophies of how one views diving and what its role is within the world. In other words, the very soul of the organization.
Primarily, the other agencies are focused on recreational diving, but GUE was rooted in the exploration and conservation fields. In these types of diving, skill and good procedures are a must, because such dives have specific objectives. The organization focuses on building divers with the adequate capacity to accomplish tasks in the water, rather than to simply survive in the water.
The primary course in GUE’s curriculum is the Fundamentals course. Its main objective is to get the student diver stable underwater. My students joke that we spend a week in the pool just to be able to do nothing! It’s not that simple to stay perfectly still in a specific position while doing a specific drill underwater, but that’s exactly what we work on – to build buoyancy and propulsion skills to a point where it is possible to do that, and to also be completely relaxed while at it.
The importance of being relaxed and yet in control of one’s position in the water cannot be overstated, because if you are totally focused on the diving skills, then you won’t have the capacity to appreciate the environment, much less actually accomplish a task.
I personally see this as an enabling skill, because with it, all other things that you might like to do in the water – taking a photo, stopping to look at a nudibranch, posing for the camera, taking a closer look at a fish, etc – become a lot easier when you are stable in the water, and in full control of yourself and your position. You also become a nicer diver to dive with, because you are more aware of your surroundings and are better able to assist your friends if they have trouble with anything.
Lastly, you’ll also learn more about the different risks that diving creates, such as decompression, gas limits, and accident prevention. It’s really quite a comprehensive course!
In contrast, the recreational agencies promote courses that were developed by the World Recreational Scuba Training Council (WRSTC), with a focus on minimum training standards that all recreational scuba training agencies have to follow. (GUE is not a member of the WRSTC, by the way.) The primary training goal of these courses is to teach emergency procedures to student divers, rather than build the comfort and stability of the diver.
Teaching emergency procedures is, in my opinion, a more reactive way to approach diving education. Rather than just focusing on what to do after something has gone wrong, why not adopt a more proactive style, which involves teaching the prevention of accidents? I truly believe that if a diver is comfortable and stable in the water, then more often than not, that diver will have an awareness of the environment, and thus be better able to react and make a good judgement call on what to do to rectify a situation if it presents itself.
Of course, I’m not advocating that we don’t teach emergency procedures, but these procedures shouldn’t be all that the course curriculum focuses on. The “softer” skills of “how to be” in the water should be balanced with the “harder” skills of “what to do”.
There are many other differences between GUE as a training organization and the recreational agencies, most notably the GUE’s strict adherence to standards with 100% quality control forms for all students, stricter instructor requirements, and stringent fitness prerequisites.
The key difference between GUE and other dive training agencies is, essentially, a philosophical one: What defines a good diver?
Personally, I think GUE answers it best. In its efforts to build and accurately assess diver competency, GUE’s stringent standards make sense, even if such indicators as stability and awareness are harder to measure.
Why This Blog?
As a scuba instructor, I get a lot of students asking questions, prefaced with a “Can I ask a stupid question?” First up, there’s no such thing as a stupid question! There’s only information that you haven’t yet discovered!
In order to help new divers and experienced divers alike, we’ve created a place where any diver can ask any question they want, and also find answers that they are looking for.
We try to answer all questions in an organization- and brand-neutral, logical and unbiased manner, but please forgive us if we don’t manage to do so because of our diving context and experiences. Our answers are carefully thought through and we hope they provide a balanced perspective. Please comment and contribute to make this resource even more useful to others!
Leon Boey is a GUE, HSA and PADI instructor based in Singapore and Bali. He runs the dive education centre Living Seas in Singapore and Bali. Diving since 2005, he first fell in love with wrecks. He enjoys all sorts of diving, and loves being surrounded by fish.
When Leon is not busy diving the lengthy coastline of Bali and the volcano lakes inland, blogging or teaching, he can be found exploring the numerous nice restaurants around Bali!
GUE Fundamentals, Documentation and DPV 1 Instructor
GUE Technical Diver Level 2
GUE Cave Diver Level 2
Handicap Scuba Association Course Director
ProNRC Nitrox Instructor Trainer
PADI Specialty Instructor
+65 9641 6580
+62 821 474 50770
leon@livingseas.com.sg
Living Seas
13 York Hill
Unit 01-02
Singapore 162013
+65 9149 4624
www.livingseas.com.sg
www.facebook.com/livingseas.sg
Living Seas Bali
The Graha Cakra Hotel
Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai 28
Denpasar Bali 80237
Indonesia
+62 361 462673
www.livingseas.asia