Avic7
Contributor
What do you have with you? Shears or diving knife?
What do you prefer to have on you?
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jimdiverman
Contributor
For wreck diving, I carry a titanium dive knife and shears. For cave diving, I carry a z knife and shears.
I usually carry both, but if I had to choose one, I would choose the shears because I think they are more versatile. Plus, scissors beats paper.
scubadobadoo
Contributor
Exactly what he said.
I dived for years with a big old clunky knife on my ankle, and the only time I used it was to measure shell sizes (it had inch marks along the blade). Then I switched to shears, and I've used them several times to remove mono-filament from the reef. My buddy usually has a knife, if I really want one.
I carry both. Never used either, and expect I never will. But as said, I'd rather have it and not need it ... And I'll accept the advice that fishing line and other entanglement does happen.
Both are kept in separate pockets, and tethered to the pocket. I don't dive with anything that's not tied to me, whether it's in a pocket or not. OK, my buddy excepted.
If I'm so entangled that I can't get either cutting tool out of its pocket, so be it. I'm prudent, but I'll live with that risk instead of having to deal with more danglies, or the risk of trying to sheath a knife into something strapped to my BC or inflator hose, or to me.
The knife is about as small as they come, but it's hard to imagine something I'd need to cut while diving that it wouldn't handle.
Both are kept in separate pockets, and tethered to the pocket. I don't dive with anything that's not tied to me, whether it's in a pocket or not. OK, my buddy excepted.
If I'm so entangled that I can't get either cutting tool out of its pocket, so be it. I'm prudent, but I'll live with that risk instead of having to deal with more danglies, or the risk of trying to sheath a knife into something strapped to my BC or inflator hose, or to me.
The knife is about as small as they come, but it's hard to imagine something I'd need to cut while diving that it wouldn't handle.
also use a lanyard to cut down the possibility of "donations to Neptune".
I typically carry 3 cutting tools ... shears, knife and z-knife.
ChevaYEA
Contributor
I carry both at all times but i use my sheers much more than my knife. I have used the knife in thick kelp (usually to free buddies) but around here (Puget Sound) there are more fishing line hazards than kelp hazards.
drl
Contributor
I carry a small knife and a z-knife (line cutter). I've never needed either one so far, but I have seen fishing line some places I dive.
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