Shears Vs Knife

[sschlesi]

Guess it depends on where you dive,I don't see my self using sheers with 5mm or drygloves on.

I have a regular size set of EMT shears and have no problem using them with dry gloves on. I have seen small shears in cheap first aid kits that would be too small for dry gloves.

 

[dkktsunami]

I carry both, small knife on waist belt, small shears banded to right chest strap, both reachable with either hand.

 

[fnfalman]

I carry both the Dive Rite shears and a Spyderco pocket knife. Fishing lines are a lot easier to cut with the shears than with the knife underwater, but I'm sure that if I were to have to saw through something thick, the pocket knife with serrated edge would do a lot better. BTW, I wear 5-mm gloves. No problem with using the shears.

 

[lowviz]

Great point. I am a sub-tropical warm water diver who prefers shears and this bad boy line-cutting replacment tool which is from a industrial/public safety/military supplier. Rips through kelvar, harnesses and anything else. Finger hole big enough for drysuit.

7 Details | Benchmade

THANKS Valhalla! I've been looking for a good Z-knife, the little plastic ones are crap.

With a lanyard. Heard of enough stories of panic induced dropped cutting tools...A knife is particularily good if you need to saw...

Lanyard idea is good, but adds yet another line to the mix. Stitch an O-ring to your glove and you can unclip the shears from your D-ring (where they are easy to reach) and clip to the glove of your cutting hand. (use an O-ring that you can break by pulling hard) I like this setup as you can just let go when you need a second hand. If you rig them this way you won't cut anything that you weren't intending to cut. -see pix.

 

[Scott L]

THANKS Valhalla! I've been looking for a good Z-knife, the little plastic ones are crap.



Lanyard idea is good, but adds yet another line to the mix. Stitch an O-ring to your glove and you can unclip the shears from your D-ring (where they are easy to reach) and clip to the glove of your cutting hand. (use an O-ring that you can break by pulling hard) I like this setup as you can just let go when you need a second hand. If you rig them this way you won't cut anything that you weren't intending to cut. -see pix.

Great Idea! Looks like those shears are due for replacement. Rusted rivet - no good...

 

[lowviz]

Great Idea! Looks like those shears are due for replacement. Rusted rivet - no good...

-and I showed you my good pair.

Yeah, it's time. Now to find a tangled ball of wreck line, shouldn't be hard...

 

[Scott L]

-and I showed you my good pair.

Yeah, it's time. Now to find a tangled ball of wreck line, shouldn't be hard...

Its funny that I never remember to take shears out of sheath for proper rinsing. They last about 8 months before they are made into a fast moving projectile into dumpster...

 

[billsreef]

Guess it depends on where you dive,I don't see my self using sheers with 5mm or drygloves on.

You should give it a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised how well it actually works

My Rescue instructor had us try cutting line underwater with both a knife and shears. The shears worked much easier than the knife, and my knife is always sharp. After that exercise I now always dive with a pair of EMT Shears, as well as a knife.

 

[scubadobadoo]

Yep, I try to always carry both BUT if I had to choose one or the other I would go with the shears. I try to avoid putting myself in situations where I would be required to saw through thick stuff with a knife. In over 300 dives I have only run into fishing line once and I frequently dive in murky water while people are casting lines in my general direction all the time. A quick snip with the shears and I was free. I have tried to cut crabs free from fishing lines many times using knives and found it more harmful to the crab. A quick snip here and there with the shears and the crab is free. But that's just my diving environments and my experience underwater. If I find I am in a position to HAVE TO saw myself free then I have likely made a few other dreadful decisions along the way I figure. Of course, crap happens usually when your not prepared that ONE time though so better to have both.

Now I have found my knife to be very useful on many dive days but only above the water. I have used it like a tool, I have cut oranges with it, and I have considered using it on a homeless man who tried to get in my car on a beach dive near JFK airport.

 

[Eagle-scuba]

I have had several occasions while diving in lakes , there... a good set of surgical scissors
were better than a good knife.. several times , getting caught in fishing lines I managed to cut right thru.. But a good kife can always handle more life threatning circustances, I KEEP BOTH HANDY FOR OPEN WATER DEEEP DIVING/