Been getting conflicting imformation! HELP!

[SemperFi]

I am brand new to the wonderful world under the surface. to the point that I have (I completed the certification as of 2 days ago!) I have most of my gear and am ready to go, however I have eld back on one thing. The dive knife. I have been told that it is not needed. however I have also been told that it is very important. So my question is which is it? and if I do need to go out and pechase one what do I REALLY need in the knife.

Please help me out here PLEASE!! I would appreciate all the help I can get.

Also if there are any divers from the south east texas area I am looking for a few local sites to hold me over till I get Some time off and head out to... (to be determined!)

SemperFi

[O-ring]

Entanglements happen and you need a way to get yourself out..you can also use shears if you prefer, but you need to have at least one cutting device on you.

[metridium]

Knife and/or shears. You'll need something in case of entanglement.

[double125's]

My personal preferance is shears. I have actually cut myself underwater trying to get my knife back in its sheath. Lake water stings badly when entering into a fresh cut. You absolutly need some sort of cutting device though. Entanglements do happen and rumor has it a knife will not cut the super fishing lines like gorilla braid and spiderwire. A knifes andvantages are you can pry things with them, however I have never used one for this purpose and have never seen it done.

[miguel sanz]

No doubt, you need a knife or similar divice. It´s small and cheap piece of gear that can get you out of trouble. Infact some diving certifications have it as mandatory.
But, knife (and gloves) are forviden in the red sea!
Enjoy your diving!

[double125's]

one thing I did forget to mention is that companies like dive-rite are making tools called the z knife which has a very small exposed cutting surface. This is great for getting free from entanglements without having to worry about cutting yourself.

[Scubaroo]

One, preferably two, in case you drop it when most needed. I carry two pairs of EMT shears - one in a sheath, one in a pocket. Much easier to use single handed than a knife - a knife requires something to pull the line that you're cutting tight, a pair of shears can snip loose line.

[diverbrian]

I carry a small dive knife and EMS shears. I may not be able to reach one or the other depending how I get entangled, but if that happens, I should be able to reach the other.

BTW, I prefer the shears and welcome to the wonderful world of diving.

[scuberd]

I used to carry shears and a knife, until I lost the knife (does anyone know what to do with an empty sheath?), so it is just shears for me. Out here in California a cutting device is mandatory equipment because of the kelp. Chances are you will be entangled here and you should be able to cut yourself free.

[MikeS]

Always carry shears and a knife; the shears for clearing entanglements and the knife for making sandwiches during the surface interval.:D

I prefer a blunt tipped BC knife to reduce the possibility of stabbing bladder, drysuit, or myself. In any case, if you dive anywhere that fishing takes place or lines are run it’s important to have a way to cut yourself free. Snips are probably best for this; I carry a knife as a backup.

Mike

[dc4bs]

shears on left shoulder strap (low - can reach with either hand easily).

z-knife on right sholder strap (high - left hand reach - can also reach with right hand but it's harder in the drysuit).

knife on inside of right calf when wetsuiting (can easily reach with either hand).

knife built into right thigh when drysuiting (right hand only).

[ElectricZombie]

ALWAYS carry at least 1 cutting device.

[Waterborne]

I, like many others, carry a knife on my harness and a pair of shears in my pocket. I did pick up one of those cool Tekna knives for my Goodman handle too ( thanks for the link Eric. :D ) I think that at least one cutting device is mandatory on every dive. I would even carry one on a snorkeling venture if I still did them:D Entanglement hazards are everywhere, why not have the ability to get out of them quickly and efficiently?

[get-wrecked]

I am also fairly new to scuba diving, but I've been snorkling for years and have always had some sort of a cutting device. I currently have a Blunt tip knife made by OMS, and a really great device called a Res-Q hook made by Benchmade. The Res-Q hook is like a sturdier version of the Z knife. I'm an EMT and I use it alot at work too. Here is the link to one site that has them. It's a pretty good deal, they usually go for about $25-$30.

http://www.safetyleague.com/slstore/access/Benchmade/model5rescuehook.htm

here is the link to the OMS knife as well

http://s1059kxm.leisurepro.com/webapp/commerce/command/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=8645&prmenbr=946&cgrfnbr=968&parentCategory=965&sort=prsdesc

[Rick Murchison]

You're in Houston, I see... which means you're likely diving in the Gulf... which means you're likely diving where folks fish for king fish, which means there's likely stainless steel piano wire leader about.
Carry shears.
Carry a knife as well if you like, but carry shears.
Rick

[the_kuang]

I prefer to dive with both a blunt tipped knife and a piar of sheers as well. You should at least get a pair of sheers for safety--they're so cheap and could save your life. If you start with sheers there is a pretty good chance that you could find a decent knife on the bottom of wherever it is you like to dive :)

[Tekkie]

On my vacation I dove in Lake Travis. Very nice lake to go diving in, conditions when I was there: Temp 73F Vis about 8ft, but I am from VA quarrys so no big deal. The location that I dove was right next to the Travis Dam. The turbines can be a little noisey underwater, but u will get use to it. I would highly recomend Lake Travis Dam dive site. Other places to look at are Medina Lake, Other sites in Travis, Canyon Lake, fresh water springs and of course the Gulf of Texas wreck diving. Have fun and congrads.
Tekkie