Trilobites, do you really need one?

[tursiops]

Yes, you need one. Reachable with either hand.
Fishhook in Finger

 

[loosenit2]

I used one to cut open an MRE pouch recently. Very versatile tool.

It is sometimes necessary to eat MREs but I hope you were doing it out of necessity rather than pleasure. I swear I am still constipated from dehydrated pork patties and that was 25 years ago.

 

[Bob DBF]

I am relatively new to the hobby and whilst I understand the need to carry a cutting device "just incase", how often does one really need it?

Short answer, it depends.

If your chance of running into a need for a cutting device is small, a small or medium sized sharp knife would be fine. The Trilobite is an excellent line cutter, however it is limited in the size it can cut. If I only carried only one cutting device, I'd choose a knife.

Since I dive solo and in areas that have entangelment hazards , I always carry a Trilobite, Shears, and my traditional BFK. Depending on what rig I grab, I may also have a small sharp knife.

I did a night dive on the Capt Tony in Boynton Beach. I got caught up in fishing line around my first stage that I could not get out of and was much too strong to break. I pulled my Trilobyte from my waist strap, cut the line, and was on my way.

After using the Trilobite, I wished it had been invented sooner. I got tangled in an illegal long line set out to poach rockfish, before I saw anything I was wrapped with hooks in my wetsuit. Cut myself out with my BFK, but I was sure glad it happened when I still had a lot of air in my tank. F'ed the wetsuit up, used a lot of aqua seal after that dive.


Bob

 

[Marie13]

Better to have and not need, rather than to need and not have.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

It is sometimes necessary to eat MREs but I hope you were doing it out of necessity rather than pleasure. I swear I am still constipated from dehydrated pork patties and that was 25 years ago.

I must confess that it was pleasure. Some of the newer ones are pretty tasty.

 

[Bubbles McGee]

I bought one after watching this video. If I never use it, that's fine. It only takes one time.

 

[scubadada]

I did a night dive on the Capt Tony in Boynton Beach. I got caught up in fishing line around my first stage that I could not get out of and was much too strong to break. I pulled my Trilobyte from my waist strap, cut the line, and was on my way.

I've carried it for years, this is the only time I used it other than to take line off the reef. You can bet I'm glad I had it

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

I bought one after watching this video. If I never use it, that's fine. It only takes one time.

Yup. That video did it for me too.

 

[michael-fisch]

Been diving over 30 years and still don't have a Trilobite, or seatbelt cutter. Since I'm kind of DIR, actually Holgarthian, I grab a new steak knife every year or 2 and cut a couple of inches off the end. Years ago I made a couple of sheaths using 2" stiff webbing and I've been happy ever since.

Michael

 

[MichaelMc]

I carry a ceramic cutter plus EMT shears for harder stuff, like steel line or heavy net. I carry two cutters for when I drop the first. They're small and the ceramic are low maintenance.

Entanglement is a risk you see in incident reports. If you're entangled and don't get free, you're not coming back up. DIR is fairly minimal equipment oriented. They have a cutter/knife on their gear list.

A big f***** knife might be overkill or the wrong tool depending. But not a line cutter, and a backup. I've used mine, but not for entanglement. Lots of stuff is best left ashore. A cutting tool for entanglement isn't one of them.