Dive knives ... attaching to you

[divethecooper]

if you really wanna be safe, take three cutting devices. they can all be small and attached in different places or pockets to ensure that at least two can always be reached. keep a good grip on whatever one you pick first and remember as advised, the environment you are diving is critical to your dive plan and emergency procedures. And, no matter how much planning you do, if it is your time, then it is your time...
have fun and remember safety first

 

[ucfdiver]

I have a dive knife that has a hard plastic sheath. On the back, it has a belt loop that's attached with screws. I undid those screws, and put the belt loop around the piece on my BC that secures the inflater hose. It's mounted upside down for easy access. To ensure it doesn't fall out, I've taken one of those silicon rubber snorkel keepers and attached one end to the belt loop, and the other end goes around the knife so it can't fall.

I don't like using multiple knives, especially not on my leg, just one more thing to get caught. I keep a letter opener in my BC pocket to cut fishing line without having to have an open blade knife underwater.

Also if you'll look closely at my sig, I duct tape my fins around the area where the connector is, so that line can't get down in there and tangled.

If you look on my left shoulder, you'll see the knife, and how it barely sticks out in this way

 

[Clammy]

Or three even, I have adopted 3 cutting devices now, 1) large knife on my leg 2) BC knife on my left shoulder 3) trauma shears on my waist

I place all of them such that I can get to them with either hand, oh ya, I learned from John Chatterton, buy cheap knives, that way when you drop one your not tempted to do something dumb to get it back. I think I paid $5.99 for my BC knife and the trauma shears I think are about a $3.

I have the exact same thing. Sometimes I don't bother with the knife on my leg but the BC knife is attached to my computer hose so it's always there. The shears are cheap (they also don't last long due to rust). My knives aren't that cheap though.

 

[imasinker]

Good points made, would it be bad to wear a leg knife on a drysuit? Maybe i should attach mine to my computer hose i like that Idea. Seems leg knives are becomming a thing of the past.

 

[Flightlead]

I was wondering, other than having the dive knife attached to you (or to your BC) while diving, do you do anything EXTRA to make sure that once you take it out of the holder, that it's still "attached" to you?

My question comes from a discussion of this with my Mom (who is not a diver, but I think she's pretty smart! ) who asked, what if you're tangled, and you take out the knife, and then accidentally drop it out of reach?

Anyone take an extra precaution to insure that this scenario doesn't happen?

I take three. All relatively cheap except for one moderately priced. I have an OMS small hook knife in a pouch at my belly button on my belt. This knife I put a loop of bungie on which is tucked behind the pouch and helps hold the knife in there when its closed. the loop can go around my wrist when it use if needed. when put away it does not present any entanglement hazard. I have a cheap BC knife in my right pocket and EMT shears in my left. the EMT shears are in a sheath which is attached to a bungie loop fixed inside the pocket. again, the bungie loop does not present any hazard as its inside the pocket.

I also have a 6" shark sticker my wife got me for xmas when I started diving. its for sale

 

[scarefaceDM]

You are all forgetting one thing....Your buddy has a cutting tool. Unless you are solo..then prepare for fending for yourself.

Cutting tools do not need to be big ass sea hunt bowie knives. I laugh when I see a diver strapping on the attack knife to do a 30 foot dive. I even seen a diver strap on his big ass knife to his thigh as a gun holster ..when I asked the nice man he said to me.« If I get tangled I can get at it quickly » I left it at that..but the scenario came to mind...« Ok fish ready ...DRAW!»

You need two cutting tools. Three or four-your buddy that should be your back up. Avoid leg placement. waistband shoulder strap or in a pocket. Some have them on the BC hose. I have my 2 inch betty crocker special on my waistband, a Z knife in a pocket. Sometimes i have a small Remora attached to my inflater hose.

 

[Teamcasa]

...Cutting tools do not need to be big a** sea hunt bowie knives.

Just because this is a reoccurring theme does not mean it is right or everyone. Sometimes it is nothing more than old habits die hard. I use a nice 5” blade strapped to my calf and feel funny if it not there. I’ve used in many times, for many reasons other than the extremely rare entanglement.

Besides, you never know when you may have to fend of an underwater KAOS agent.

 

[dogenia]

Well in typical compulsive shopper fashion (hey at least I did some research beforehand) I ordered me a spiffy Spyderco Caspian 2 knife.

Now I'm standing in front of the bcd thinking how on Gods green earth I'm gonna attach the knife without causing damage to the bladder or the vest.

 

[pickens_46929]

Get nothing too fancy, that you can't leave behind or would feel bad if lost.

Get nothing that has a lanyard, bungie or coil that would just tangle you up more.

Get nothing that you have to really have to use two hands to open (eg. folding knife) or use.

Get something or two that you can use one handed to cut (eg. a plain knife sometimes won't do the trick since it has nothing to cut against)... eg. shears or Z-cutter

One small knife on my belt, a Z-cutter on one of my shoulder straps and occasionally dive shears on my other shoulder. Both my Z-cutter and shears have about 1 inch of webbing and a snap or velcro to keep them from falling out. My knive uses plain ol' friction to stay where it's at.

 

[ucfdiver]

Seems leg knives are becomming a thing of the past.

Which is a very good thing.