Ideal knife?

[Wozzer]

I don't want to lose any expensive knives down there, so I plan on carrying a pair of shears and a 3" serrated blade blunt tip for "backup". If I lose the shears, I'll pickup a set of trauma shears to replace em.

 

[hollywood703]

Also, you should check your state laws....Here in Michigan it is unlawful to possess a double edged blade. Only one side can be sharpened...they will not cut you any slack being that its a dive knife. It is a felony.....



on another note, I carry a blunt tip knife, but I also carry a Seat Belt cutter.......Its nice because the blade isnt exposed, and i dont have to worry about cutting something I dont want.....And their cheap so if it rusts or breaks i can just get a new one.....

I saw this and it looks interesting...seatbelt cuter, prying tool......etc...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Columbia-River-CRKT-Extrik-8-R-Seat-Belt-Cutter-2051_W0QQitemZ320143847627QQihZ011QQcategoryZ63794QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Wozzer]

A lot of states outlaw double-edged blades, I would definitely be careful with that.

 

[bolantej]

hey, if they sell em, I can wear em. That's how I look at it. I dive with one of those little squeeze lock knives, but think I need a bigger one. I have big hands and I fumble too much with that thing.

 

[SNaslund]

I carry a four inch knife, blunt tip, one serrated edge, titanium. It is a squeeze lock which clicks right into the BC sheath. Nice thing about the titanium is that I don't need to do much to it after a dive. My dive buddy and wife carries a set of trauma shears. I think the shears might be the most useful but since we are always diving together we each carry something different. I think that is an overall good thing if you always dive with the same buddy. We don't use the same models in most of our equipment which probably helps if one of us has a failure.

Have fun.

Here is how you use your knife on a shark.....Stab your buddy and swim as fast as you can so the shark concentrates on him instead of you

 

[Scubastud16]

Big and sharp.

Oceanmaster Beta Titanium on the leg, UK Remora on inflator hose.

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

Meanwhile, I use:

Green, is that knife a Buck with the scales removed? If it is, I've got one of those.

I also carry a Benchmade Rescue Hook. I think the OP was concerned with cutting someone's gear free without cutting the someone. In that case, the Rescue Hook is designed with this purpose in mind.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

Easy answer... A Seahawk with a 7" blade... serrated edge optional. Knives are weapons and not tools. They should be used to intimidate and show marine life who the boss is.

For those of you new age, metro-sexual whiners who think that a big knife is to 'compensate for a short-coming'... try picking up knitting, it sounds more your speed.

Fishboy, your setup is for sissies.
Real divers carry a baseball bat. We don't need no stinkin' knife!

 

[Nitrox_scuba_diver]

When I was diving in a small lake today, I watched new divers donning their gears for their first OW dive. A young man has a long, 6 inch bladed, slender knife, with double edge and sharp point. Holy moley, I am not sure if I'd want him to rescue me from an entanglement situation.

What do you think an ideal knife should be? I am thinking of small, 2 to 3 inch blade, serrated on one side, compact, relatively flat, blunt tip. I am not sure if you need more than this? Perhaps an EMT shear? I think I'd rather use a shear or scissor over a knife to get myself out of a tangled web.

Picking the proper knife depends on what type of diving you do. If you dive in cold water you need to be able to get it out with gloves on. A larger knife will be easier to control. A small knife will fit in more places on your BC, hoses, web belt etc. Blunt tips are good for digging and prying. A pointed tip would get into a smaller spaces, and you could fulfill the fantasy of being able to fight off a shark if it attacked.

As for me I have a pair of shears, a big knife on the inside of my leg and a small BC knife. I'm still working on placement of all of these as with a drysuit I can't reach as far as a wet suit. If you can't reach your knife, and get it out it's useless.

 

[Nitrox_scuba_diver]

Here is how you use your knife on a shark.....Stab your buddy and swim as fast as you can so the shark concentrates on him instead of you

I've always gone by "You don't need to swim faster than the shark, just your buddy. Works with bears on land too.