I'll chime in with DiverInDeep about the titanium knife. I bought one of those beautiful, expensive OceanMaster titaniums when I first got certified, then had it kicked off of my leg during an exercise in my rescue class. It's underwater in that cold, dark quarry now.
I replaced it with a pair of EMT shears (bright pink handles -easy to see!) that I carry in my left side pocket. I also carry a small, folding, serrated titanium knife that I found at Target for $19.00 in the hunting section. It's made by Gerber, and has a huge open ring at the joint, perfect for putting your index finger through during use.
For what it's worth, the EMT shears are fantastic for cutting through monofilament. Join us on a Beach Cleanup, Down4Fun, and you'll see for yourself. On my first cleanup, I took several cutting tools and tested them on the rats nests of fishing line under a pier. The EMT shears were by far the most useful tool that I had in my inventory. Efficient, cheap, easy to see when you drop them. What more can you ask for?
-Grier
I replaced it with a pair of EMT shears (bright pink handles -easy to see!) that I carry in my left side pocket. I also carry a small, folding, serrated titanium knife that I found at Target for $19.00 in the hunting section. It's made by Gerber, and has a huge open ring at the joint, perfect for putting your index finger through during use.
For what it's worth, the EMT shears are fantastic for cutting through monofilament. Join us on a Beach Cleanup, Down4Fun, and you'll see for yourself. On my first cleanup, I took several cutting tools and tested them on the rats nests of fishing line under a pier. The EMT shears were by far the most useful tool that I had in my inventory. Efficient, cheap, easy to see when you drop them. What more can you ask for?
-Grier