A method and apparatus for transferring data from a logging tool to a surface computer that involves attaching a stand-alone data dump device to the logging tool after the logging tool has gathered data about downhole parameters. After attaching the data dump device, data contained in a memory of the logging tool is copied to a memory of the data dump device. In one embodiment, once data copying between the logging tool and data dump device is complete, the data dump device is disconnected from the logging tool and connected to a surface computer which reads the data previously copied to the data dump device. A second embodiment of the data dump device has a radio frequency communication link between the surface computer and the data dump device to allow a wireless communication between the surface computer and the data dump device and/or logging tool.