Dive Knives?

[diver 85]

Here's the one I now carry--in a BC pocket--(link below) along with their 5 to 10 dollar shears......btw, bought this knife(blunt blade) for about 5 dollars one time when they were 'further' on sale......

http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-30/024100/Scuba-BC-Knife.html

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Unless you really need to compensate for being under endowed, a cheap set of shears or line cutter is all you need. I do carry 2, one in a sheath and one in a pocket on a lanyard.

The one think I do not want to do is have an expensive knife, drop it deep and be tempted to go back down after it when when the conditions and depth are not safe. It is a subjective decision, sometimes made at depth being slight narced. To avoid this, mine are cheap and I have already made the decision to leave a dropped cutting tool to Davey Jones regardless if it means deviating from my dive plan.

 

[Mike Boswell]

I'm sure there are situations where a big knife is needed, but not in the kind of diving I do. Shears are actually better at cutting most things.

My wife is a fanatic about cleaning up the junk other people leave in the ocean, and she uses her trauma shears on fishing line, nets, ropes, etc. all the time.

We dive in kelp a lot and sometimes get tangled up, but it's much quicker just to back out of it or snap it in two, and we never need to cut it. Also, spring straps on my fins have cut way back on the kelp-snagging problem.

 

[mudhole]

I carry 2 or 3.

The type of knife (blunt, sharp, steel, titanium) is up to you, but I prefer steel. Whatever you choose, make sure the blade is SHARP! A dull knife is worse than useless.

Best wishes.

A cutting tool underwater should be chosen by what entanglements you might encounter. If you dive where fishermen are fishing for toothless fish,they use monofilament line, and a small knife or quality EMT shears will be enough. If the local fishermen are using steel leaders, because the fish have teeth, you will need wire cutters, and any fishing tackle store can show you what you need.

Another concern. . . rope. If there are boats in your diving area, there will be lost anchors with rope that can entangle you. Small boats usually have small ropes. Big boats lose big ropes. Small knives can cut small rope, but 3/4 inch or 1 inch rope, need longer bladed sharp knives to cut easily. EMT shears, or "Z" knives won't work on thick rope. Choose the tool for the area where you are diving.

 

[boulderjohn]

To avoid this, mine are cheap .....

Agreed with full vigor.

I got a really nice, expensive knife as a gift once. Soon after that I took it with my on a liveaboard. I attached it to my BCD when we set our gear up. I went back inside the boat and came out a while later to prepare for our first dive. The first thing I noticed was the empty sheath.

There is no reason to have an expensive knife. On the rare occasions that you might actually need one, you just want one that will be there and function as needed.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Small knives can cut small rope, but 3/4 inch or 1 inch rope, need longer bladed sharp knives to cut easily. EMT shears, or "Z" knives won't work on thick rope. Choose the tool for the area where you are diving.

FWIW: I was touring Woods Hole a few years ago with my Scouts and they were proudly showing us the new spectra line they were using for the worlds largest core sampler. This was "stronger than steel" and a good 2 inches in diameter. To make a long story short, they had a scrap piece and one of the Scouts asked the guide if he could try to cut it with his little pocket knife. They say sure, try it

He did, less than a minute later to our astonishment he had cut completely through 2" of the line with his $10 pocket knife. So I am not too worried about size.

 

[ONESPEED]

Do you carry a dive knife, and if so, what kind?

I wouldn't dive without a knife, on most dives I carry two.

 

[fnfalman]

I carry both a good pocket knife (Spyderco Pacific Salt) and a Dive Rite shears.

I disagree with the notion of carrying cheap knives. Cheap knives don't have much of an edge to their blades. You're carrying a knife for a reason and that reason is to cut yourself out of danger. A quality knife from a real knife company (Spyderco, Benchmade, Boker, Cold Steel, SOG, ad infinituk) that comes with a razor sharp edge is what I'd want for my cutting instrument. When you need to cut something, you'd want to effortlessly zip through it instead of trying to saw through the line. Anything that's worth cutting should be cut fast and clean.

As far as blunted or pointed tips go, YMMV.

 

[Bogie]

You won't use a knife much if at all. I have a small, steel, blunt, with line cutter slot, serrated and straight blade, attached to my bcd with a hard sheath. It is small with a decent sized handle. Snaps nice into the hard sheath that is very secure and keeps it accessible but out of the way.

I tried a fold out knife but it was hard to get to, open up and ripped up my pocket. I know divers who dive with the 8"+ knife. I guess it makes them feel macho. You must be very careful with your knife, mine is extremely sharp.

If you take care of a steel knife (rinse, dry, WD40) it will last a long time. I considered getting a titanium but I felt that there is a higher chance in loosing it than any added benefit.

Kelp is easy to bend and snap and not to cut with a knife.

 

[FireInMyBones]

I carry shears on most dives in the lakes around here.

In a cave I carry a $2 SS parring knife from Walmart with the tip blunted with a Dremel tool. I put it in a homemade sheath made from 2" webbing.

Wreck diving: both.

If I loose either, I will not go after them, I can make or get new ones for close to nothing.