The Neptune Warrior

There is something about my old leather journals with hand drawn maps, fading pictures, and hand scrawled notes that I love. Like manh divers I was diligent and logged my first dives. Most was just raw data. Depth, time, starting air pressure, location, sac rate, etc. I simplified later when I was given a Citizen Hyper Aqualand in the mid 90s that did most of that work for me and even transfered it to my clunky PC. But it was only capturing data, not the life I was living as a young diver discovering ship wrecks, bottle dumps, or new fishing and hunting spots.

Here are a couple of VIDEOS to reference as well

Dive Journaling

Make a Dive Journal (Master Diver Class)

So I took up hand writing my journals again and 25 years since starting my dive career so glad I did. I now capture just basic data of the dive but go into depth on the events of the dive. I put into paper the journey. I share my thoughts, feelings, activities, and many other insights to my own personal adventure.

Here is what I capture in each journal:

• Dive #
• Location
• Depth
• Time
• Air Temperature
• Air Temperature
• Weather (Cloudy, Sunny, Rain, etc)

I might add in my protection such as wet suit, dry suit, etc and how much weight I had just because it’s a good reference to fall back on when going back to the same conditions.

Next I add comments, pictures, business cards, cutouts of brochures, dive master stamps, etc

I like the flexibility a paper journal gives me. I can provide info I feel is important, create hand drawn maps and figures, and do some self reflection.

I also keep special journals. I have one of just dive trips with my daughter, one for all my notes on my pool sessions with students, and one with my research on PTSD and how diving helps to heal. This is probably a bit much for most, but it helps me keep things sorted out.

So go get yourself a journal, something that invites you to write and start capturing your memories.