Dive logs and operational records provide traceability and auditability for commercial diving operations. This page covers what must be recorded, how records must be maintained, and why this matters for regulatory compliance, incident investigation, and legal defense.

Why This Exists

Operational records serve multiple critical purposes:

  • Regulatory compliance — Required by IMCA, ADCI, HSE, OSHA, and national regulations
  • Incident investigation — Essential for reconstructing what happened and why
  • Insurance claims — Required documentation for commercial diving insurance coverage
  • Legal defense — Proper records protect operators, supervisors, and divers in disputes
  • Operational improvement — Historical data informs future planning and risk assessment

What can go wrong: Incomplete records, lost records, altered records, untraceable records. Each failure mode creates regulatory, legal, and operational risk — including criminal liability for supervisors in some jurisdictions.

Who This Is For

  • Dive supervisors maintaining operational records
  • Safety officers auditing record-keeping compliance
  • Regulators reviewing diving operations
  • Incident investigators reconstructing dive events
  • Insurance underwriters assessing operational risk
  • Legal counsel defending diving operations

Printable Dive Log Template

Use this template for a single dive entry. All fields meet IMCA / ADCI / USN Diving Manual requirements. Fill in your browser and print, or use as a reference for your own system.

Dive Log Entry
Log # Rev
COMMERCIAL DIVE LOG
U.S. Navy / IMCA / ADCI Compliant Record
1. OPERATION DETAILS
2. DIVE TEAM
3. DIVE PROFILE
4. DECOMPRESSION
5. BREATHING GAS
6. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
7. WORK PERFORMED
8. INCIDENTS, ANOMALIES & NEAR-MISSES
9. CERTIFICATION & SIGNATURES

I certify that this dive was conducted in accordance with applicable regulations, the diving safety manual, and the procedures contained herein. All information is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.

Retain for minimum 5 years (IMCA) / per applicable regulations. Incident records: retain indefinitely.

Reference: IMCA M 103, ADCI Consensus Standards, USN Diving Manual Rev 7 (SS521-AG-PRO-010)

Required Records

Dive Log Entries

Each dive must be logged with:

  • Date and time — Start time, bottom time, surface time, completion time
  • Location — Geographic coordinates (GPS), water depth at dive site, structure or work site ID
  • Diver information — Diver name, certification level, certification number, medical clearance expiry
  • Depth profile — Maximum depth (FSW), time at depth, descent and ascent rates
  • Gas information — Gas mix specified and analyzed, O2%, He%, CO analysis date, cylinder pressures
  • Decompression — Table and schedule used, stops completed with depths and times, deviations if any
  • Work performed — Tasks completed, equipment used, findings, issues encountered
  • Environmental conditions — Current speed and direction, visibility, sea state, water temperature
  • Team composition — Supervisor name, standby diver name, tender name, DMO contact
  • Equipment — Primary and backup equipment used, pre-dive inspection results, equipment issues

Traceability: Each entry must be timestamped and attributable to a specific person. Records must be immutable once created — corrections require amendment notes, not erasures.

Equipment Records

Equipment must be tracked:

  • Inspection records — Pre-dive and post-dive inspections, periodic maintenance, out-of-service events
  • Calibration records — Gas analyzers, depth gauges, communication equipment, O2 analyzers
  • Maintenance records — Repairs, replacements, modifications with part numbers and dates
  • Failure records — Equipment failures, near-misses, corrective actions taken

Audit-worthiness: Equipment records must demonstrate that equipment was maintained in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and regulatory requirements.

Training Records

Personnel qualifications must be documented:

  • Certifications — Diver certifications (ADCI, IMCA, HSE, or equivalent), supervisor qualifications, medical fitness certificates
  • Training history — Training completed, competency assessments, refresher training, emergency drills
  • Dive history — Cumulative dive hours, types of operations, specific qualifications (bell diving, saturation, etc.)

Incident Reports

Incidents, near-misses, and anomalies must be documented:

  • Incident description — What happened, when, where, who was involved
  • Causal analysis — Why it happened, contributing factors, root cause
  • Response actions — What was done in response, immediate and follow-up
  • Preventive measures — What will prevent recurrence

Legal sensitivity: Incident reports may be discoverable in legal proceedings. They must be factual and accurate. Do not speculate or assign blame — describe what happened and what was done.

Record-Keeping Requirements

Timeliness

Records must be created:

  • During operations — Real-time logging of depth, time, and gas data
  • Immediately after — Post-dive debrief, decompression completion, supervisor countersignature
  • Within 24 hours — Final log review, incident notification if required

What can go wrong: Delayed logging leads to incomplete or inaccurate records. Memory degrades quickly — records must be contemporaneous to be credible in investigation or litigation.

Accuracy

Records must use measured values, not estimates:

  • Depth — From calibrated depth gauge, not estimated
  • Time — From synchronized timepieces, not reconstructed
  • Gas — Analyzed O2%, not assumed from cylinder label
  • Pressure — From calibrated gauges, with before/after readings

Completeness

  • All required fields completed — no blank mandatory fields
  • All dives logged — no skipped entries regardless of dive duration
  • All decompression stops recorded with actual times, not planned times

Immutability

Records must be immutable once signed:

  • No overwriting — Errors corrected with a single line strike-through, initialed and dated
  • Amendment process — Significant corrections require a separate amendment note with reason, date, and signature
  • No backdating — All entries dated and timed at creation

Data Provenance

Records must demonstrate data provenance:

  • Source — Where did the data originate? Instrument? Observation? Calculation?
  • Method — Direct measurement, estimation, or derived value?
  • Chain of custody — Who recorded the data, who verified it, how was it transferred?

Audit-worthiness: Data provenance enables auditors to verify record accuracy and identify potential errors. Records that cannot be traced to a source are not credible.

Storage & Retention

Storage Requirements

  • Secure storage — Protected from loss, damage, fire, water, and unauthorized access
  • Backup — Redundant copies in separate physical locations or cloud storage with access controls
  • Access control — Only authorized personnel can view or modify records
  • Format — Readable format that will remain accessible for the full retention period

Retention Periods

Record TypeMinimum RetentionBasis
Dive logs (routine)5 yearsIMCA M 103, ADCI
Equipment inspection records5 years or equipment lifeManufacturer / regulator
Training & certification recordsDuration of employment + 5 yearsStandard practice
Incident reportsIndefiniteStatute of limitations
Personal injury recordsIndefiniteLegal requirement
Gas analysis records5 yearsStandard practice

Operational reality: Many jurisdictions and contracts require retention beyond these minimums. When in doubt, retain longer.

Digital vs. Paper Records

Digital records — Advantages: searchable, easily backed up, can support audit trails, integrates with decompression software. Challenges: format obsolescence, system dependencies, cybersecurity requirements, integrity verification.

Paper records — Advantages: universally readable, legally established, no technology dependency. Challenges: physical storage, difficult to search at scale, backup requires physical copying.

Best practice: Dual records (digital primary, paper backup for critical dives) provide the advantages of both. The paper record must be a faithful copy of the digital record, not a summary.

Audit Requirements

Records must support the following audit types:

  • Regulatory audits — IMCA, ADCI, HSE, OSHA, flag state, coastal state
  • Client audits — Third-party verification of contract compliance
  • Insurance audits — Risk assessment and claims verification
  • Internal audits — Quality assurance and continuous improvement

What auditors look for: Complete entries, supervisor signatures, calibration records, training records cross-referenced to personnel, gas analysis certificates, incident report trails. Gaps in any of these create audit findings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must be in a commercial diving log?

Every commercial dive log entry must include: date and times (start, max depth, surfaced), GPS location, diver identity and certification, maximum depth reached, bottom time, breathing gas mix and analyzed O2%, decompression schedule followed and any deviations, work performed, environmental conditions, and supervisor signature. See the printable template above for a complete field reference.

How long must records be kept?

Minimum 5 years for routine logs (IMCA/ADCI). Indefinite for incident reports and records involving personal injury. Many operators keep all records for 7-10 years. Check your contract, your jurisdiction, and your insurer’s requirements — they may be more stringent.

What makes a record legally defensible?

Contemporaneous creation (not reconstructed from memory), measured values from calibrated instruments, complete required fields, supervisor countersignature, immutable storage with audit trail. Records that can be shown to have been altered, backdated, or estimated rather than measured are not credible in legal proceedings.