Tips and Tricks for all divers

[Rich Keller]

A jagged edge knife is a poor idea - as opposed to a serrated blade. Poorly sharpened knives are far more dangerous and cause more accidents than a properly sharpened razor sharp knife. I have never found anything that my properly sharpened knife won't cut.

The way this works is lots of burrs cut through fishing line better but even without the burrs the edge is serrated due to the way it’s been sharpened. The serrated edge does not point out from the blade at a 90 degree angle, it’s more like a 50-60 degrees angled towards the handle that cuts better on the draw stroke which is the more powerful stroke when you are cutting. Don't confuse “poorly sharpened” with sharpened differently then what you are used to doing. I am sure your knife will cut through a 3” hawser just fine but I have never run into that kind of problem in the last 49 years. What kind of accident can a so called jagged knife cause?

 

[billt4sf]

I

View attachment 532368

WOW MAN! Do you look good, or what? Almost as good as me (I just ordered one - Thanks!)

- Bill

 

[outofofficebrb]

WOW MAN! Do you look good, or what? Almost as good as me (I just ordered one - Thanks!)

- Bill

Well, crap. I’ve been posing as a woman all this time and now the secret is out that I’m actually a man after I use a Google Image on the web to share the hat. I am glad you bought one. Let me know how you like it, if you remember!

 

[San Diego Climber]

Both work well. I have also used liquid bandaid. Before my last dive trip I accidentally kicked my scale with my pinky toe and it split open like a banana. I glued it all shut to keep out any nasties. It holds for a few days before the edges start lifting.

As a climber I'm frequently needing fixes for cuts, scrapes, preventative friction protection, or quick repairs; Mueller (Trango in the US) Eurotape is above and beyond the best tape you'll ever use. Beats bandaids, electrical tape, and even extra-sticky duct tapes. Stays on forever even after a dive (as long as it was applied to clean, dry skin). I always have a roll with me on dives, climbs, hikes, etc. Eurotape I think REI carries it now too, used to have to actually order it from Europe before Trango started distributing in the US.

NuSkin and the brush-on Krazy Glue are the best for liquid adhesives for medium and extra-strength fixes.

Home-made ear drops: 1:1 solution of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Dilute with (distilled) water if too strong. Useful when making many back-to-back dives or prone to water-logged ears or otherwise ear issues. Put a couple of drops in each ear after each dive to dry out your ears and prevent issues before they arise. (this recipe can be found all over the internet)

My mom used this on my since I was a kid, I've always gotten ear infections easily. Works like a charm.

 

[billt4sf]

Well, crap. I’ve been posing as a woman all this time and now the secret is out that I’m actually a man after I use a Google Image on the web to share the hat. I am glad you bought one. Let me know how you like it, if you remember!

ha ha ha

As a climber I'm frequently needing fixes for cuts, scrapes, preventative friction protection, or quick repairs; Mueller (Trango in the US) Eurotape is above and beyond the best tape you'll ever use. Beats bandaids, electrical tape, and even extra-sticky duct tapes. Stays on forever even after a dive (as long as it was applied to clean, dry skin). I always have a roll with me on dives, climbs, hikes, etc. Eurotape I think REI carries it now too, used to have to actually order it from Europe before Trango started distributing in the US.

This?

 

[San Diego Climber]

This?

View attachment 533488

No; Mueller's lineup is really confusing but the actual Eurotape (aka Griptape) they don't sell in the US for some reason. REI has it, or you can order from Trango (Eurotape | Trango Rock Climbing Gear & Equipment) or this place ships to the US too Mueller Eurotape Platinum | Vivomed.com. I usually order 6-8 rolls every few years to save on shipping.

 

[FinnMom]

I tore a latex neck seal while gearing up for a night dive. I put a piece of black duct tape over the tear and made the dive, expecting a flood any time. I ended up using that torn seal for another six months thanks to duct tape.

You can see why the Finns call duct tape "Jesus tape" - it's miraculous.

 

[Storker]

You can see why the Finns call duct tape "Jesus tape" - it's miraculous.

For some applications, electrical tape is better, because it's somewhat elastic. The duct tape I've used in the past isn't elastic.

The elasticity of electrical tape makes it a lot better than duct tape for taping stuff which is somewhat irregular in shape. Even if it doesn't necessarily hold up as long. A couple years ago, I broke one of the clips on my Antares glove rings. Electrical tape was perfect to secure the glove-side ring to the suit-side ring. Apparently, it also worked rather well for the guy who jumped into 10C water without noticing that one of his wrist seals had torn, got thoroughly flooded, got out of the water while swearing so hard that anyone within hearing distance got their ears blistered, and taped up his seal while still swearing. Everybody aboard the boat sighed from relief when he finally went under water, but the sulfur smell lingered for some 10-15 minutes.

 

[TrimixToo]

A jagged edge knife is a poor idea - as opposed to a serrated blade. Poorly sharpened knives are far more dangerous and cause more accidents than a properly sharpened razor sharp knife. I have never found anything that my properly sharpened knife won't cut. Even braided fused heavy test fishing line parts at a touch. Heavy mil tarps used in milfoil remediation slit with ease. Nylon, poly, and other types of rope part with little effort. A poorly sharpened knife is an accident waiting to happen.

I once knew a guy that sharpened his kitchen knives on a cement step because "that's the way the indians used to do it". Technology has far surpassed that method.

It turns out that a perfectly angled set of flat surfaces do not cut some materials very well. For example, if you will cut tomatoes with a "smooth" blade, you want to sharpen it with a coarse stone and finish it with a fine stone *without* completely removing the small serrations left by the coarse stone. Make no mistake, a knife thus sharpened will cut you deep and fast if you are careless.

While my diving knives (with their original edges0 have no difficulty cutting fishing line, it's a thought I've filed away for when and if they ever need to be sharpened.

 

[TrimixToo]

What I meant was that carabiners do not represent the same danger of line entanglement that the small brass clips are known for. Any line that gets inside a carabiner can be easily removed.

What kind of small brass clips do you mean?