Entanglement

[JcoldwaterIL]

Dive knives and/or EMT sheers seem to be soemthing that most divers refuse to down without, but how big of a risk is entanglement? Is it more of a just in case a one in a million chance type thing? Or is it a common reality? I am just asking because I have never heard of an actual incident involving entanglement.

 

[Jason Ooi]

I experienced before fishing net entanglement with poor visibility, I just need a mini knife well on diving for safety concerned

 

[The Horn]

Do a Search for: MOF, Pony, snorkel,etc.....many opinions, many circumstances and many different scenarios. Big thing is to keep a cutter in reach, and hope you need not use it. Old way is on the inside leg....newer ways is on the BP/W belt or on a shoulder strap or on the wrist...etc etc... depends where you are diving and what you may be likely to find: Wreck with fishing nets......fishing line....etc

 

[IceBergSlim]

Sorry to say but there are lots of sad storys regarding entanglement. If you dive the clean wrecks at resorts the only bother might be a piece of fishing line or so. If you dive some more "natural" wrecks you might find fishing nets, leader, old guidelines, hoses, wires and cables. That sort of thing.

Shipwrecks change over time. Sometimes day to day.

I have been caught up once or twice. It sucks.

A pair of EMT shears are good as well as a knife you can cut rope with.

 

[uspap]

Got caught by a fisheraman on the cliffs. He was pretty stoked about the giant fish he caught until I surfaced and poped his bubble. Did not have a knife at the time but got one right after. Better to have and never use than not have and need.

 

[aquaboy35]

Entanglement seems to me to be location, or dive site, specific. For instance, I love deep wrecks, ocean and fresh water. Well anybody who dives wrecks knows that fish and other creatures love structure, but divers are not the only ones who know this, fisherman do as well. While diving the wreck of the Eagle in Key Largo FL this past July, my buddy and I were exiting the wreck after running a line. He had the reel so I lead the way out. After I exited I turned to make sure everything was ok and I saw my buddy tangled up pretty good. I had to cut him out, no big deal, but a nuissance. I would never dive without at least a knife on any dive, but when I dive wrecks I make sure I have two, or a pair of shears with me because fishing line is a common occurrance. I believe you have to be prepared for ever possible situation, if you think that entanglement is a rare occurence (which on 30ft reef dives it probably is) then you may not be mentally prepared for it if and when it does happen to you, because good chance some day you will get tangled in something. If you don't know what to expect or how to get out of the situation because you haven't prepared yourself mentally it may be an alarming event when most likely just attacking the problem slowing and calmly will get you out of the situation.

 

[dive_lover88]

i got entangled with the mooring line of the buoy during my 4th OW dive. Bad vist and currents kinda contributed to it. My ankle somehow managed to get into a loop on the line and when the surface swell moved,my ankle got tangled. I almost panicked and pulled on my instructor's spg to get his attention. In the end i ended up with a red mark around my ankle. what a souvenir to get on my graduation dive.

 

[Mr.X]

Having a cutting device should be a part of every kit - regardless. There have been so many incidents (major and minor) where entanglement could have been prevented with a small blade or scissors. It takes nothing at all to attach one permanently to someone's kit.

As mentioned earlier, water and things in it are active. This means at any point in time, anything can change. Best to be prepared for the unknown.

Personally, UW I always carry two cutting devices.

 

[Kim]

This is one of those that if it happens and you can't handle it you are SOL. Dead.

I'm with Mr X - I carry two - one small knife on my belt that I can generally reach whatever....and shears on my chest strap in case..... I've never had to use either but I would never dive without them.

I've never been entangled underwater, but I was once as a kid on dry land!!! If that was anything to go by you often wouldn't stand a chance without help. Still...the chance without a cutting device would be even smaller!

 

[drbill]

Definitely carry a cutting tool. I prefer scissors on my BC and haven't used a knife in decades. Most of the "problem" in my waters is due to kelp, which is usually an easy thing to free yourself from. The occasional fishing line is the real issue for me although I've never been seriously entangled (yet!) in 45 years of diving.