Do you carry a knife?

[ssidiv3r]

Knife on inflator hose? That's a new one to me? How's it done? Special scabbard, zip ties or bungee? Got pics?

Some companies supply a special attachment that screws onto the back of the sheath like this one (below picture taken from google image search). I suppose it could also be attached using surgical tubing

 

[SurDo2]

ALWAYS carry a knife or two and shears... ALWAYS!!! It's better to have something and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[MagicChicken]

Absolutely.

Inflator hose-mounted blunt knife and EMT shears.

Never needed them until I got tangled in loose rope during a night dive.

 

[NudeDiver]

Just carry a foldup knife or a small set of blunted shears in a BCD pocket. No one has to know it's there but you - unless you need it - at which point it's likely most people will not care that you have it, and even if they do, the outcome has to be a bit better than dying underwater.

 

[Slonda828]

I get the sinking feeling that attaching a knife to one of your gas hoses seems a lot like attaching your hand gun holster on your genitals. Am I the only one who thinks that this seems like kind of a gimmicky and knuckle-headed idea?

 

[caseybird]

I get the sinking feeling that attaching a knife to one of your gas hoses seems a lot like attaching your hand gun holster on your genitals. Am I the only one who thinks that this seems like kind of a gimmicky and knuckle-headed idea?

No, not at all.
I did some experiments with knife placement last year. I tried deploying and stowing the knife in different places, and I tried cutting 2" webbing and nylon line topside.
I tried the standard seahunt, (inside calf) and lost the knife the second dive. I didn't regret it. In a drysuit and 5mm gloves it was difficult to deploy and almost impossible to replace in the sheath. I also realized I was poking a knife tip around the leg of my $1000.00 drysuit. Not too comforting a thought, even with a blunt tip knife.
I tried a waist band sheath on a BPW harness and had the same problem. It was easier to deploy, but hard to replace without risking the drysuit.
I mounted a 4 inch blade about 6 inches from the end of the HP hose. When I don't need the knife it's parked under my left arm, with the SPG clipped of to my left D ring. When I need the knife, I unclip the SPG, raise the knife to where I can see it, deploy and replace in a comfortable line of sight. It would take some serious careless chopping to cut the hose.
I also carry a Dive Rite Z knife that's held in a small sheath attached to the strap of my wrist mounted computer. THis is very easy to access and replace. It also cuts through 2" webbing easily. Try cutting webbing with a cheap dive knife and let me know how it works.
Try some different configurations in the water with your regular gear and let us know what works.

 

[diveChiq]

i too am adding a set of shears to my rig on a permanent basis.
so much easier to use than a knife.
and cable ties too - for a quick tidy up on a the wreck for example.

 

[newman_diver]

A lot of knives out there are unnecessarily large. The best way to look at it is the right tool for the job. Generally, you want something compact that can cut through line (line cutter, shears or small knife in sheath). If you dive where wires are an issue, wire cutters or heavy duty shears. The only time i've found a larger leg mounted knife useful was for harvesting shellfish. Having something like that on your leg is an invitation for entanglement.

Whatever you use should be placed where it is easily accessible. Your dive buddy should know where it is. Good places for knives is on the waist belt, shoulder strap or light handle. Larger shears or wire cutters could go in a thigh pocket.

 

[Slonda828]

No, not at all.
I did some experiments with knife placement last year. I tried deploying and stowing the knife in different places, and I tried cutting 2" webbing and nylon line topside.
I tried the standard seahunt, (inside calf) and lost the knife the second dive. I didn't regret it. In a drysuit and 5mm gloves it was difficult to deploy and almost impossible to replace in the sheath. I also realized I was poking a knife tip around the leg of my $1000.00 drysuit. Not too comforting a thought, even with a blunt tip knife.
I tried a waist band sheath on a BPW harness and had the same problem. It was easier to deploy, but hard to replace without risking the drysuit.
I mounted a 4 inch blade about 6 inches from the end of the HP hose. When I don't need the knife it's parked under my left arm, with the SPG clipped of to my left D ring. When I need the knife, I unclip the SPG, raise the knife to where I can see it, deploy and replace in a comfortable line of sight. It would take some serious careless chopping to cut the hose.
I also carry a Dive Rite Z knife that's held in a small sheath attached to the strap of my wrist mounted computer. THis is very easy to access and replace. It also cuts through 2" webbing easily. Try cutting webbing with a cheap dive knife and let me know how it works.
Try some different configurations in the water with your regular gear and let us know what works.

That's cool man, if that works for you. I keep mine in the same spot on every rig I use, on the waist band, to the right of my buckle as I wear it. I can reach it with both hands, and I've never poked anything that shouldn't be....poked. Whatever works. I don't use cheap dive knives, I use a US Diver's Master knife, and I keep it sharp enough to cut through webbing, dive line, dolphins, etc. It's simple, long, large, and heavy. I can pry, cut things, or menace enemy divers with it. I wouldn't want to to have to cut someone's air hose with a knife that would embarrass Mike Nelson, you know? Plus if you dive with a big hairy chested man knife, you can dive with less lead. I took off a pound and a half of lead weight when I replaced my pairing knife with a larger one. Then again I also don't penetrate wrecks, or cave dive, or do anything else where I need to treat it like a military mission. I dive for fun only. JMO

 

[David_57]

I wear a small knife on my waist band just to the right of the buckle and have a small blade attached to my dive computer strap.