Do I need a knife/tool

[cindycycle]

I was interested to see what kind of response your question got. I have never encountered fishing line or nets in the places I dive, but that's obviously not universal. Sounds like EMT shears might be the way to go - I wonder where people get those?

[whkento]

Me too. Shears in its own sheath and a Spyderco Pacific Salt folding knife in my utility pouch.

I KNEW someone else here would be carrying a Spyderco H1 folder. The H1 steel is impervious to rust. Seriously. I take one or both of mine whenever I'm in or near the water (usu. saltwater). They take and hold a very sharp edge, are easily used one-handed, and can be clipped anywhere on your gear/clothes. I never bother with my old leg-strap knife anymore. The Spydies are just soooo much better.

Regarding the EMT shears, I have 'em in my trauma bag, I wonder why I never thought to put some in my dive gear? I'm gonna put some in there now, though.

[fnfalman]

I was interested to see what kind of response your question got. I have never encountered fishing line or nets in the places I dive, but that's obviously not universal. Sounds like EMT shears might be the way to go - I wonder where people get those?

Dive shops, online scuba supplier, online military/police gears supplier.

I KNEW someone else here would be carrying a Spyderco H1 folder. The H1 steel is impervious to rust. Seriously. I take one or both of mine whenever I'm in or near the water (usu. saltwater). They take and hold a very sharp edge, are easily used one-handed, and can be clipped anywhere on your gear/clothes. I never bother with my old leg-strap knife anymore. The Spydies are just soooo much better.

I've always been a fan of Spyderco folding knives and the H1 blades are, in the words of Snoop Doggie Dog, da shizznits.

Regarding the EMT shears, I have 'em in my trauma bag, I wonder why I never thought to put some in my dive gear? I'm gonna put some in there now, though.

Hang them on your waist belt. Or wherever a blade would go. You gotta oil the link pin every so often or else they'd rust shut. Eventually the pin will fall apart from corrosion, but the shears are so cheap, it doesn't matter. I bought a bunch from this joint: County Comm

CountyComm

[Jake25]

aprentic: I agree with your original post. A knife is a very useful/important tool in or out of the water!

[knfmn]

I'm pretty sure I've been in the same dive shop as the OP, and IMHO the guy he talked to doesn't know what he's talking about. Get a knife, carry a knife. If you never have to use it, it doesn't take up that much space. If you HAVE to use it, it'll save your life.

Kristopher

[Hashime]

I have a USN Mk.3 Mod. 0 (part of craig's list deal, bonus) strapped to my BC / Harness and I am looking for a small knife to switch out for it so that I can calf mount the large knife. I am also planning on grabbing some shears.

Out of the water I always carry at least one knife (pocket knife), they are an invaluable tool. I managed to convert half the people in the lab I worked at into knife carriers.

[Martini]

Here is a link with a video demo of the Trilobite that was mentioned earlier. I carry one of these for diving off of NJ in heavily fished water. I have used it twice on monofilament and it cut through it like butter.

EEEZYCUT TRILOBITE with Harness pouch EEZ-203-Y *Buy EEZYCUT at DIVESEEKERS.com 888-SCUBA-47

[Krazytomdiver]

As a dive guide,I carry a small dive tool (knife),smooth edge on one side,shreaded with line cutter on the other plus a blunt nose. It's mounted to to my left shoulder upside down for quick access. I have used it a few times mostly on mooring lines,equipment repair & various other entanglements. Another is reason is my gun does not work that well underwater!

"living life without a hard bottom"
KT

[johnboywalton]

Since I moved to Portugal, I've had a lot of minor incidents on dives - guys running out of air; people who were supposed to be doing navigation, but couldn't use their compass; etc. I have yet to find a reliable buddy to work with here, and since I am bailing other people out of trouble about once a month, I pack a full set of tools.

So yes, I do use the knife. Only about half the sites I dive are in protected areas, and even in those poor enforcement means fishermen are always sneaking in. The result is that many of the wrecks I visit are draped with nets and line, and if you don't keep your distance, its easy to get tangled up in that. These days I carry my knife and a pair of cheap pocket sheers.

[DaveTheGreat]

I have a USN Mk.3 Mod. 0 (part of craig's list deal, bonus) strapped to my BC / Harness and I am looking for a small knife to switch out for it so that I can calf mount the large knife.

Calf-mounting looks pretty badass. But it's just looks. It mainly just means you will have a lot more use for the smaller BCD-mounted knife because you will spend so much time cutting stuff off the protruding handle at your calf. And since the calf if the hardest to reach area of your entire body, that just means that your new snag-magnet is endangering your life. I have seen wrist-mounts too that look equally badass on land, and are equally covered with every single string, line, net, seaweed and piece of tape within arm's reach underwater.

Best advice I have ever heard is to keep the legs and arms as free of snagable stuff as possible, and have your mount points for cutting gear be reachable by both hands without having to twist into odd positions. Since your hands are naturally pretty far away from your calf, it's bad. Your hands can easily reach your chest, waist, hips and face. Your face already has two pieces of critical gear on it, and your left hip is hard to reach with your right hand and vice-versa, so that leaves a chest mount and a waist mount for your emergency cutting gear.