Dive knives when out with a DM

[kinoons]

We all play the odds.

<snip>

If the forecast for the day is hot and sunny, I don't wear a raincoat, ski parka, or hip boots. They say you can never be too prepared, but you really can. If you wear a ski parka on a 100° day in case an ice age happens unexpectedly, you could die of heat exhaustion.

So, yes, I play the odds.

The parka example is a little extreme and borders on reductio ad absurdum, but I get where you’re going.

this comes to a notion of preparedness and the extremes there of. You can kinda think of this similar to some anxiety or compulsive behaviors.

In a gross simplification of the condition, mild anxiety or compulsions that do not cause avoidance or otherwise hinder day to day activities can often be tolerated or worked with.

OTOH once avoidance of normal day to day activities occurs then there is a clinical problem that should be addressed.

Bringing this back to diving and what equipment you chose to bring; if the equipment you chose to not bring isn’t placing you in immediate danger, you’re likely okay. If the equipment you do chose to bring doesn’t encumber you to the point of being unsafe, you’re okay too. Where in the middle you fall comes down to personal preference and risk tolerance. No right or wrong answer within that window.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Bringing this back to diving and what equipment you chose to bring; if the equipment you chose to not bring isn’t placing you in immediate danger, you’re likely okay. If the equipment you do chose to bring doesn’t encumber you to the point of being unsafe, you’re okay too. Where in the middle you fall comes down to personal preference and risk tolerance. No right or wrong answer within that window.

Bringing extra crap on a dive is something I've learned to avoid. Keep it simple. If I'm doing work underwater where I need a big blade or a crow bar, then I bring that with me. Otherwise, my widdle (Elmer Fudd voice) dive tool or scissors (I find these more useful most of the time), and my trilobyte (as one is mounted to my dive computer) is enough. When it came to underwater archaeology work I did last month, I wish I packed my scissors. Next time I will and leave it in my house in Athens for future trips.

But that's just me. I don't care if people dive with a Rambo III dive knife. If they like playing nobleman chopping off the head of an unruly peasant, who am I to deny them of their fantasy?

 

[Waterwulf]

. I don't care if people dive with a Rambo III dive knife. If they like playing nobleman chopping off the head of an unruly peasant, who am I to deny them of their fantasy?

This is the kind of ridicule that is totally unnecessary. Why? If you don't care, why add the other crap? Does it make your fantasy that much greater?

 

[Pressurehead]

But that's just me. I don't care if people dive with a Rambo III dive knife. If they like playing nobleman chopping off the head of an unruly peasant, who am I to deny them of their fantasy?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

This is the kind of ridicule that is totally unnecessary. Why? If you don't care, why add the other crap? Does it make your fantasy that much greater?

I should have used emojis as I was just making a joke.

 

[Waterwulf]

We all play the odds.

During parent teacher conferences, I learned that my son's English teacher had devised the most remarkably horrible assignment in the history of education. He had all the students sit in class all day every day copying a large section of a grammar book into a notebook. He explained that by doing this, they could carry that notebook around with them wherever they go. "Is that so they will have it in case they ever need to know if a verb is in the subjunctive mood?" I asked. "Exactly!" He replied. "Why don't you advise them to walk around with a life preserver on?" I asked, "In case the continent suddenly sinks. They're both about as likely to happen."

If the forecast for the day is hot and sunny, I don't wear a raincoat, ski parka, or hip boots. They say you can never be too prepared, but you really can. If you wear a ski parka on a 100° day in case an ice age happens unexpectedly, you could die of heat exhaustion.

So, yes, I play the odds.

Yeah, I play the odds too...at the Casino but I try to reduce them as much as possible when it's my life that I'm betting on. Besides, the odds that that you're referring to with the weather example are just stupid. Get real. Why is a Big friggin' Knife strapped to somebodies leg a threat?

 

[Scuba Frog Hawaii]

I carry a small knife and a trilobite cutter. Haven't needed much for safety, but I clean up old fishing line all the time. Personally I don't care what the guide has, I want to be able to self rescue.

 

[Oldmanmatt]

I carry a small knife and a trilobite cutter. Haven't needed much for safety, but I clean up old fishing line all the time. Personally I don't care what the guide has, I want to be able to self rescue.

Perfectly reasonable.

 

[J-Vo]

...Why is a Big friggin' Knife strapped to somebodies leg a threat?

The other day I was cleaning my RB at Ginnie Springs. Some drunk guy walks up and says "you got a dive knife? Somebody has there foot stuck in their Croc and it's cutting off there circulation". I handed him my shears witch handily cut the shoe in half. How might that have gone had I given him a BFK?

Carrying a knife makes you more likely to get cut, so yes I believe I would be less safe with a BFK than without. Also, a pare of shears and a trilobite or two will get you through 99.9% of all situations you would need a cutting tool for.

 

[Belzelbub]

The other day I was cleaning my RB at Ginnie Springs. Some drunk guy walks up and says "you got a dive knife? Somebody has there foot stuck in their Croc and it's cutting off there circulation". I handed him my shears witch handily cut the shoe in half. How might that have gone had I given him a BFK?

I had to read the part in quotes a couple times to make sense of it. I even used both definitions of "Croc", and it still didn't make sense. How in the world does someone get their foot caught in a Croc to the point that it's cutting off circulation?

Absolutely, in this situation, the shears were a better choice. Though if it were the other type of croc, the BFK would have been a bit more useful.

This is truly an odd thread. As long as what I choose to wear doesn't put anyone else at risk, then who cares. Personally, I carry both shears and a knife. I used to have a Fog cutter knife that sort of did both, but lost that somewhere. The knife is maybe a bit smaller than a BFK, but getting there. I strap it to the inside of my right calf. It's not in the way, but there if I need it. Shears are attached to my BC shoulder strap. On most of my dives, both of them remain securely stored. I've used both on a few occasions. It all depends on the types of dives you do and what you are likely to encounter.

Where I dive, fishing line, anchor line, and crab trap lines are probably most likely. The shears will work well on the fishing line, but may not be ideal depending on thickness of the anchor or trap line. Serrated edge of the knife will handle that.