Would you dive with no knife

[drbill]

Yes, I'd dive without a knife... as long as I have my shears. I find that shears give me a better grip on my cutting tool with less chance of dropping a knife if I were faced with a problem. Of course for things other than monofilament and algae it may not do the trick.

 

[diver_doug]

I'm sorry to bring this up, but I'm a stickler for correct spelling and grammar. The title of this thread should read: Wood you go diving with kno nife.

 

[kathydee]

I wouldn't hop in the water without some sort of cutting device. I have a very simple small blunt tip serrated knife attached to my waist band that I have needed /used on several occasions.

 

[elmer fudd]

I like to have a knife on me, but it wouldn't be a deal breaker if I couldn't carry it. As others have stated, shears seem to work pretty well too for most entanglements.

Most of the time my knife is used for prying and tapping and that kind of thing. The one time I did use it to free myself from an entanglement, I was in bull kelp.

One knife I was particularly impressed with as a potential dive tool was a cheap serrated steak knife. Those practically disposable little knives will cut through webbing and rope like nobodies business. They're also small and light and unobtrusive. The only reason I haven't started carrying one is because I don't have a good sheath to put one in and they also look like they could pierce a wing or drysuit very easily.

 

[Rhone Man]

I carry EMT shears, which have only ever been used to trim drysuit seals pre-dive. If you ever try to cut spiderwire with a conventional dive knife, you will never dive without shears again.

I used to also carry a small knife, but it broke and I never replaced it.

 

[Rhone Man]

One knife I was particularly impressed with as a potential dive tool was a cheap serrated steak knife. Those practically disposable little knives will cut through webbing and rope like nobodies business. They're also small and light and unobtrusive. The only reason I haven't started carrying one is because I don't have a good sheath to put one in and they also look like they could pierce a wing or drysuit very easily.

Amen. DSS sells sheaths for them. Just take the sharp tip off with a grindstone or angle grinder.

Just try not to angle it perfectly at 45 degrees against the side of the boat and put a tank down on it hard.

And, if you should happen to do that, do not take one of your wife's good steak knives, an angle grinder, and try to make a replacement.

 

[vinegarbiscuit]

Cozumel and may other areas have the same ban. Use a pair of trauma shears. They do the job just as well and are cheaper than most knives, A z-knife is also unobjectionable and also unobtrusive. It's likewise cheap, and if you treat both with mineral oil before use, they'll last longer.

I've needed a knife on three occasions. The first two involved being snagged in fishing line, once off NJ and another time in HI, where it's common practice for fisherfolk to cut snagged line and toss it into the ocean. Grr. Probably not something you'll encounter in Egypt's protected marine parks? (speculation on my part). The third occasion was being caught in current, and using my knife in the sand to maintain position (I was observing a training dive) before making for the anchor line.

 

[Aigtbootbp]

Seeing as most of my diving is in Cozumel where they are banned I would have to say yes, yes I would and have dove without a knife.

 

[David_57]

Problem with EMT shears is they don't look cool strapped to you leg like a nice big knife

 

[StevenN]

The Rescue Hook from Benchmade is very sharp and takes up no room on your waist belt. You can't stab yourself with it either.

Thanks! I'd never heard of that before and I just ordered one.