Would you dive with no knife

[vladimir]

I have a knife, line cutter, and shears, none of which I've ever used underwater. I usually only bring the shears these days--they are the potentially the most useful and the lightest. And I do use them occasionally to cut a zip tie, for example.

 

[TSandM]

I have a small knife on my belt, and no one has ever said anything about it, including in Cozumel. I know from experience that such a knife will cut through harness like butter, if there's enough adrenaline involved. I have never had to use my knife to free myself during a dive. I have, on occasion, arrived at a dive site and found the knife is missing, and I have done the dive anyway. They are known sites with low entanglement risk, and I have two other teammates with cutting devices close by.

 

[samaka]

There is no law against diving with a knife here in Egypt. Over the years I’ve lived here(since 1999) I’ve heard dive guides and instructors telling their guest the most amazing stories around the subject. The same thing with gloves, there is no law against diving with gloves.

This being said, for me to allow a guest to use gloves while diving from the boat I’m working I need a good reason like medical conditions or such. I do allow my guests dive with knife even if I ask if they really need to bring it if it’s big as a samurai sward. A small knife on the BCD is not a problem.

The thing is that you won’t need to bring a knife because you won’t be diving through old trawling nets on deep wrecks with low viz.

Have a look at my website WELCOME TO AZIAB for more info and feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

…..a……

 

[SkimFisher]

Carry at least shears or a z-knife/line-cutter. Entanglement is always a hazard.

Most dive knifes don't take or hold an edge good enough to cut well anyway. I carry shears for cutting and use my knife for prying and signaling by tapping on my tank.

Maybe user error??? Never met a knife that can't be sharpened.....

Nothing against shears, I carry some. But I have a small Oceanic Spinner mounted to my BC and it's razor sharp with regular use. Knives have to be maintained so, yeah, I can see that as one downside. Just saying though...

 

[buleetu]

as far as i know there are no fishing vessles allowed in the egyptian red sea, ive never seen any old net lying around either, what kinda stuff do u expect to become entangled with in the red see anyway??

 

[Codiak]

A good line cutter, wire cutters and knife are part of my standard kit. I always have 2 of the 3 with me with the biggest issue being to remember to stow the knife in checked luggage.

 

[Mike Boswell]

I don't carry a knife and have never needed one.

I have (rarely) been entangled by kelp and fishing line but it has always been quicker and easier just to untangle it by hand. Kelp snaps pretty easily. I carry shears, but almost never use them, and they are a PITA with gloves on. My wife likes to tidy up the ocean bottom so she uses them more.

I used to get frequently hung up on kelp by the rubber fin straps but solved that by installing spring straps.

I find it is best to minimize and streamline my gear configuration: There is less to get tangled on and it is easier to get untangled.

 

[TMHeimer]

Yes. At one site only. From my house, where I've dived countless times and know there are no entanglement possibilities and I've never seen anyone fishing from a boat or shore there. Otherwise, never, unless knives are prohibited (I'd probably never be in such places as they'd surely also prohibit shell collecting).

 

[Bogie]

I carry a small blunt tip knife with a line cutter notch. Nice hard sheath attached to bc strap.

I have been hooked by fishing line.

I don't use it much but I don't use my octo much either.

 

[ecodiving tours]

I would definetley use some type of cutting tool be it a knife or sheers.....but if they are super strick im sure a line cutter will do. I have never had to use one though.