Do you carry a knife?

[dumpsterDiver]

I carry two knives. One on my outer thigh and another small back-up knife on my waist strap in a DIR type configuration.

If you dive anywhere near where people use fishing line or ropes, a knife (or shears) is an absolute necessity. Also if you dive with any type of entanglement hazard (like a dive float and/or reel, spool, speargun line etc.) you need a knife. I learned from old school guys in New Jersey and some of them would dive with 2 knives and no BC. Kinda left an impression on me.

I've been tangled up in fishing line and other entanglemnts that required cutting myself out, literally dozens of times. Last time was a few weeks ago when my 10-yr old got all wrapped up in some very fine fishing line within 30 seconds of entering the water. I will not go snorkeling without a kinife either.

 

[Jrock1062]

I carry one small knife on my BC up on the shoulder reachable with either hand

 

[dive_forever]

Whenever I dive I have my knife on me. Its small and attaches to my BC. I have been caught in fishing line before and it isn't fun.

Luckly, my buddy did have a knife on him. Learned my lesson.

 

[NudeDiver]

I look at it this way - having a knife strapped to my leg when I dive is absolutely no inconvenience whatsoever. So why not have one?

Unfortunately, I bought one of thise big ass Blue Tang knives - but at least it has a blunt point on it. I have since bought a small BCD-mount knife - but, unfortunately, its little holes do not line up with the holes on the BC, so I dunno what the deal is. I think I wasted $25 on a knife that can be bought on-line for $25 and it doesn't even fulfill its intended purpose ):

I plan to get a small pair of shears that will fit in a BCD pocket at some point.

 

[Ardy]

I guess the knives have it.

Now one last twist to this question. Do you vary this habit if you are at a resort or on a liveaboard where they are allowed but kinda looked down on?

 

[DwayneJ]

I guess the knives have it.

Now one last twist to this question. Do you vary this habit if you are at a resort or on a liveaboard where they are allowed but kinda looked down on?

I would at least take a small knife with me - Mounted on my hose or belt. Entanglement is a real concern and anywhere where you are diving there are likely to have been people fishing... except for marine parks of course.

There is a great local book detailing all the natural and man made reefs in the area - it was written for scuba divers and fishermen.

 

[Sas]

I guess the knives have it.

Now one last twist to this question. Do you vary this habit if you are at a resort or on a liveaboard where they are allowed but kinda looked down on?

I wouldn't. I couldn't care less if people look down on me for carrying a knife.

 

[NudeDiver]

Now one last twist to this question. Do you vary this habit if you are at a resort or on a liveaboard where they are allowed but kinda looked down on?

I gave up worrying about what total strangers think of me some time when I was in middle school.

What strangers may or may not think of me has no bearing on my choice of dive equipment, whether it's whether to carry a knife, an octo or air2, a BCD or BP&W, a snorkel, a wetsuit, or an underwater case for a snicker's bar in case I get hungry while I'm checking out the octopus in the little hole there in the reef.

 

[ZenDiver.3D]

I guess the knives have it.

Now one last twist to this question. Do you vary this habit if you are at a resort or on a liveaboard where they are allowed but kinda looked down on?

I take off the knife before I even go to the Red Sea. You will get jail time for having it. And I can't carry my emt shears there, either. But I do carry it everywhere else in the world. My shears go all places.

And I really don't care what others think of me. I have shears for my safety. Plus, no one has ever given that look for shears.

 

[emttim]

I carry EMT shears in a holster on my sternum strap. Due to its location, unless I simply can't move my arms, its highly unlikely it would be unreachable. I'm considering either attaching a retractor to it since I'm SOL if I drop it or carrying a second cutting tool somewhere else on my BCD.

While I'm sure that there's merit to having knives on your calves or thighs, my BCD has my tank which has my air, so where it goes I go....so I figure putting accessories on it is a pretty safe bet.