Considering Scuba

[Littlerayray]

Exactly when diving don't do anything your not sure of and if you get anxious or excited stop everything and just breath till you calm down a level head is a living head and most accidents happen cuz ppl panick

 

[SeaTriskeLion]

Ooh, I like that: "A level head is a living head." Can I use that in my signature area? Quoted from you, of course. It's a good thing to remember.

Fortunately I am the type of person who, instead of panicking, will slow down and think about a problem and what I have to do to fix it. Hopefully that will remain true underwater while I am strapped into a BCD and not swimming free.

Thanks for all of the input! I hope to take the OW scuba course sometime in the spring or summer of 2016.

 

[Littlerayray]

Yeah go ahead and use the quote if I end up working hard or feeling stressed I stop everything I'm doing close my eyes and just concentrate on my breathing it calms me down and improves my air consumption

 

[SeaTriskeLion]

That's exactly what I imagine myself doing if I get stressed out when diving. Calm down, relax, think about the problem/what I need to do.

Thanks!

 

[3D diver]

Any blade is better than no blade at all.
One, or more well placed, where you can reach it with either hand is a good idea.
Although in all my diving I have never had a serious entanglement, it is wise to be prepared.

I used to carry a big knife on my ankle...'til I got snagged in fishing line and couldn't reach it. My buddy cut me loose and I got a smaller knife I can strap to my wrist.

 

[SeaTriskeLion]

I love the idea of strapping a small knife to the inside of my ankle, but I've read mixed opinions on it. Some people say that it's great and you can reach it with both hands, but others say it's better to have a small knife/trilobite or two placed on your torso so you can easily reach it. The downside of strapping a knife to your wrist is that you can only reach it with the opposite hand, however it is easily accessible to the other hand. IDK, I'll figure it out after I actually get my certification and know where I want it/them.

 

[Storker]

I used to carry a big knife on my ankle...'til I got snagged in fishing line and couldn't reach it. My buddy cut me loose and I got a smaller knife I can strap to my wrist.

I carry two knives. A large one - my underwater multitool - on the inside of my left calf and a small one - just for cutting - with a 5cm (2") blade on my waistband. Not so much for fear of being so trapped that I can't reach one of them as for having a killknife easily accessible when I'm busy holding on to the large as it protrudes from the head of the fish I've speared with it

If you want to carry a knife on your calf, outside right gives a bigger risk of snagging it than inside left does (if you're left-handed, switch left and right here).

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I have my dive tool on the waist strap where I am able to reach it with both hands. I find that to be the most practical. Once I got my leg caught in some line, and reaching to a knife on my calf wouldn't have worked out as well. I use a small dive tool. I have a triolobyte/eezycut on one of my shoulder straps, but I've been thinking of moving it to the strap of my dive computer. While it is true that you can only grab it with one hand, the fact is, my hands are not likely to get caught in anything.

An early welcome to the world of scuba diving. May it change your life like it did mine. Post on the PNW group when you are heading out to the sound for your OW dives.

 

[SeaTriskeLion]

If I decided to carry one on my ankle, I'd put it on the inside of the left ankle. I am mixed-handed (well, I write and eat with my left, but shoot archery and hit a baseball right-handed), but I would prefer to use a knife with my right hand. I can still reach it with my left hand if I need as well.

@Storker - I'll probably do the same as you - I think I'll carry a knife on the inside of my left calf, as well as a small blade or line cutter/trilobite somewhere on my torso.

@wetb4igetinthewater - Cool, thanks! As soon as I get my certification, I'll plan a dive trip with my (already certified) friends. They've been diving for years, so they will know the good diving spots for beginners.

 

[3D diver]

If I decided to carry one on my ankle, I'd put it on the inside of the left ankle.

That's exactly where mine was & between the fishing line and kelp there was no way I could get to it. I was already a pretty experienced diver at the time, and had used my knife on several occasions prior to this, so it was a surprise to find myself in this predicament.