How many have legitimately used your knife/shears underwater in an emergency?

[ZenDiver.3D]

Except a rope tightly wrapped around a prop shaft and locked in hard.

I have cut a 1 in. diameter rope. Cut, cut, cut. It managed just fine. Yours still sounds like a tough one. Glad you got it done. Good job.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

Twice, and both because of fishing line. First time was on my first Northeast wreck dive. One minute I was finning along, and the next minute I wasn't going anywhere at all. My buddy (now my fiance) was on me and had his knife deployed before I could even blink. I knew beforehand that fishing line was a hazard on these wrecks, so I was more than prepared to cut myself free. It was nice not to have to worry, though! The second time was my maiden dive after moving to Hawaii. I was thinking how wonderful it was to be in warm clear water with none of the hazards of home (the Northeast) when...tug! I was about to go for my knife before realizing I could simply lift the line off my manifold, which I did, and all was well.

I quickly came to realize that a cutting device is not optional here. There's a LOT of line here in HI, and whenever I see lots of line strewn around the place, I cut it away and take it with me, if I feel I can do so without harming the corals and sponges it's invariably twisted around. The number of times I've seen critters trailing monofiliment...well, too many times. My fiance has cut line off of Green sea turtles on several occasions, and in once celebrated incident on a neighbor island - Maui, I believe - divermaster Jennifer Anderson encountered a Manta ray with fishing hooks embedded in her head by her eye, with very thick fishing line running to her tail. The Manta had rolled with the line and was wrapped head to tail about five or six times. The Manta apparently allowed Jennifer to cut the line away. Ever since hearing that story, I've never dived without a knife, because there's always some monofilament to clean up in the hope I can prevent at least one critter from injuring itself or dying. Or maybe saving once directly.

 

[AbyssalPlains]

You're not gonna like this....

Explosively generated diarrhea upon ascent (not me thankfully !!). Guy sliced his suit then tore it open so he wouldn't foul himself. Fortunately he had the forethought to do it HEAD DOWN. Worked like a charm.

Would have made one helluva YouTube video !!!

For this reason I will forever carry a dive knife...

Why would I cut an expensive suit instead of washing it???

 

[mpgunner]

Great question. I've wondered that too but can think of situations where a knife would be needed.

 

[sallyliao]

I had to cut some bull kelp that had snagged my gear.

 

[AndrewA]

I used mine to sharpen my pencil so I could write something on my slate. Does that count?

 

[WetBoy101]

Only if you were writing " I'M OUT OF AIR!!!"