Long knife better than short?

[Cajuncru Diver]

We Both have a sick/sad mind and think alike.....

I carry a small knife on my BCD, And a large one on my leg.

Oh heck I might as well fess up........count me in as a member of this club.

 

[on_two_wheels]

I have both long and short but with my limited number of dives, I have yet to take the longer blade on a dive. I just dive with my BC knife. I'll take it when I'm more likely to encounter entanglement just for ease, such as kelp forest. Not that the BC version won't get me out, just easier.

 

[1_T_Submariner]

Short knife and EMT (Stainless) shears. The shears will cut almost anything. A knife might have problems with wire.


As a side note the Long knife strapped to your leg looks far cooler than the Shears or a short knife. So if you are going strickly for appearance try the biggest knife you can find strapped to your leg.

 

[BarryNL]

As a side note the Long knife strapped to your leg looks far cooler than the Shears or a short knife. So if you are going strickly for appearance try the biggest knife you can find strapped to your leg.

Yep, that's what I think when I see a diver with a big Rambo knife strapped to their leg, I think: "Gee, he looks cool".

 

[SlowRain]

Short knife and EMT (Stainless) shears. The shears will cut almost anything. A knife might have problems with wire.


As a side note the Long knife strapped to your leg looks far cooler than the Shears or a short knife. So if you are going strickly for appearance try the biggest knife you can find strapped to your leg.

Another vote for a short knife and EMT shears. I have used the shears a lot more than I have the knife.

 

[Boxcar Overkill]

I use a short knife, unless I'm doing a land based dive in Chuuk...

...but that has nothing to do with entanglements.

 

[Stu S.]

I had a tangle and it took some help to get out. I needed shears, as it can cut a line, a limp line, one-handed. I bought some EMT shears, and they were kinda OK, but I noticed a set of "Farberware Kitchen Shears" in the house. These are more robust, with more leverage than the EMT type.

That's what I've been taking along for the past two years.

For $5 at Wal Mart, it is something you shouldn't pass up. You could probably package this as a "SCUBA" item and sell them for five times that.

Stu.

 

[Danninella]

I only have a smaller knife on my BCD. Although I have never been in an entanglement situation. Since my buddy and I always keep close I guess I rely on my buddy to help me cut whatever I am entangled in if I can´t reach it.

 

[Jim Ernst]

Oh heck I might as well fess up........count me in as a member of this club.

Thats funny my friend

 

[BarryNL]

On the subject of entanglement, I was told that a really really long knife is better than a short one. Especially for reaching behind your back and cutting lines that you can't reach. Anyone can support or dispute this argument?

The easiest way to reach behind you is to use your buddy.

If you manage to both lose your buddy AND get entangled then maybe diving isn't really your thing... but we can discuss that later on the Accidents forum.