Where to attach my diving knife

[rick stevens]

Clean answers only please!!!!

Does anyone have a preference where to attach a diving knife? Leg? Arm? Weightbelt?

[Steve in Sharm]

Why a diving knife? Those things are so last century.....

Really you should have a line cutter or set of shears - knives are for people who wanna look like Rambo or someone from a Clive Cussler novel.

[Nigel Hewitt]

I normally strap the knife to the inside of my leg because after ten years I've used it once and that was net-cutting on a rope that laughed at my shears. The shears are on my chest.

However on a cavern course the instructor strapped a knife to my forearm saying that if you could reach your leg you weren't stuck enough to need it yet.

[Turtle Dude]

Not your weight belt - sometime you may have to quick release it, or it will get released first (by over eger helper) when you get back on board.

On my dry suit I have a knife pocket at hip level (sewn in), this works well; otherwise, when holiday diving in a wet suit, I have a small knife (just always done it!) on my leg and a small cutter/saw which clips to the inflator hose.

Thinking about it have never used the leg knife in anger, but have the cutter, so I guess Steve talks some sense.

[Michael Purcell]

OK so back to reality... :)

On my waist belt just left of center.
That way it is relatively accessible from either hand.

Wants to sit back and watch Steve cut an anchor line with his line cutter...(j/k)

[Saz]

I have mine attached to the top part of my left pocket on my BCD, altho its only a small knife and i havent needed it yet (fingers crossed) its easy to reach, but secure and out of the way.. but if i do ever need it ill find it quickly :)

[Chris aka divingchef]

Why a diving knife? Those things are so last century.....

Really you should have a line cutter or set of shears - knives are for people who wanna look like Rambo or someone from a Clive Cussler novel.


Legal requirement in Spanish waters !!:eek:

I wear mine on my leg, I tried wearing it on my BCD belt but kept on getting in the way of my belly !!
I also have a line cutter in a purpose designed pocket on my BCD.
SWMBO has hers on her BCD pocket flap. There are more options if you wear a weight harness.

[bythesea]

Where you can reach it with either hand. Have two. And a line cutter....And shears.... you may never use any of them but if you need them you will be glad they are there

I have on on my BC inflator hose and another strapped to my right calf and can get both with either hand just incase I drop the first. The one on the BC is attached to a retractable steel lanyard with plenty of reach and easily detached if need be, the other has a basic wrist lanyard on it, Both have one smooth side and one serated aswell as built in line cutters.

As for the shears they can be found much cheaper at medical supply companies or some chemists, they are the same as are used in hospitals for removing dressings, no need to pay inflated dive shop prices for them {sorry inflated dive shop owners}

[Chris Cherrington]

I keep mine in my dive bag. In 20 years diving I have yet to lose a knife.

Chris

[rick stevens]

Thanks for the ideas I'll have a mess around with which feels most comfortable since there seems to be a variety of suggestions - all clean too I might add ! - Well Done :D

[Turtle Dude]

However on a cavern course the instructor strapped a knife to my forearm saying that if you could reach your leg you weren't stuck enough to need it yet.
How was it strapped to your forearm, just with the usual rubber straps (as on a leg)?
I have never managed to get a knife or set of cutters to stay in place and not end up annoying me.

[bakerstreet]

Strapped to my lower right leg. Have needed it on the boat a few times, but never under water. I also have a line cutter in my dry suit pocket. I've never used that at all!!

[Anthony Sofocleous]

I carry a small knife in a sheath cable-tied to the flap above my left BC pocket, and EMT shears in a sheath cable-tied to the flap above my right BC pocket. I've seen people warn against brittle cable-ties, but haven't had a problem myself and usually check them before each trip. I originally tried bungie, but it was just trickier than cable-ties to get through the holes in the flap.

Although I've never had to use either cutting device, they're both well within my reach, well out of my way, and nice and visible for buddy-checks. I guess being more or less inside the triangle, they're also easily available to my buddy if needs be.

I've never tried wearing a knife strapped to the LPI as I always felt it might get in my way, but I'm very curious to hear what it's actually like from those who do.

As a very new diver back at my first LIDS, I bought a rather large knife that was supposed to strap onto my shin. After having tried it on before a dive, I decided it felt like too much of an entanglement hazard as the handle wasn't as flat against my leg as I'd like (and big enough to make me feel a litle silly too). I took it off and have never used it. Fortunately, I've never had to wrestle an alligators either so I never missed it, what luck :)

[BogSnorkeller]

I carry a small serrated knife and a set of shears. My knife is on my BCD shoulder strap and the shears are in my right hand BCD pocket.

The clever bit is that they're both attached to me via those little self-retracting reels (like the ones skiiers use for their lift-passes.) The reels are both fastened to my bcd with a (cuttable) cord loop, and the knife/shears are attached to the lanyard by a band of old bike inner-tube.

This set up means I can get to both items easily, and if I drop them, they don't go anywhere - they just wind themselves back to me. If I need to get them off the lanyard, I just give them a tug - the rubber band pops off the knife/shears and the lanyard winds itself back in out of harms way.

This might sound a bit OTT, but I have my reasons... Prior to this set-up, I was descending onto the James Egan Layne when I spotted an extremely fast silver fish darting towards my buddy. Thankfully, it missed him by inches, because as I reached the sea-bed I discovered the 'fish' was my knife which had fallen out of its sheath. Judging by the number of rusty divers knives our club discovers each year, I'm not the only prat this happens to.

[bythesea]

We have a collection of rusty knives on the boat that have been found on the sea bed over the years, second is weight belts, followed by masks, somewhere in the UK...I know where but for obvious reasons I am keeping quiet about the location is a V3... will find it soon... fingers and fins crossed

[rick stevens]

We have a collection of rusty knives on the boat that have been found on the sea bed over the years, second is weight belts, followed by masks, somewhere in the UK...I know where but for obvious reasons I am keeping quiet about the location is a V3... will find it soon... fingers and fins crossed

You might want to clean up those weights up and sell them - price of lead is ridiculous at the moment

[Andy (treerat)]

Knife pocket on the left thigh - both on my dry suit and semi dry.
Means I can get it easily with out bending.

Andy

[ChristianG]

If you must have a knife, stick it on the inside of your left leg if right handed and vice versa if left handed with the buckles immediately adjacent to the sheath.

[Woz]

Small knife on my arm one of those Beaver ones you don't mind losing. Haven't yet lost it, though.

If I'm diving a deep wreck I've got one of those GreenRiver commie knives on my stage. It's a brilliant knife and there's nothing it can't cut through. I think you can buy them from a Dutch website somewhere.

Aha! http://www.subsupply.eu/shop/

[Gareth]

I've carried a number of variations of diving knives, net cutters, shears etc, over the years.

The one trusted friend is a SPYDER folding rescue knife. When all other variations have failed its always succeded.
The traditional 'divers knife' is generally a waste of time.

I've used the SPYDER to

Cut a UK liveaboard free from a lobster pot line. Neither the shears or the line cutter had a hope.
Cut myself free from fishing line, the line cutter blade disintergrated during the attempt.
Cut steel tracerline clear from a buddy.
Cut new shot lines & free those tangled on a wrecks.

Whilst I always carry a line cutter I have little faith in them these days, the blades are two thin & corrode two quickly & are likely to give up just as you need it.
Currently I don't have any shears, although these seem to be better than line cutters, the last pair gave up the ghost & I haven't quite got round to replacing them.

Gareth

[Paul Oliver]

I carry several but the main one is a Titanium ND Knife with a chisel/blunt tip. Its on my right leg BUT with the top strap above my knee so that when i want it by bending my knee up its in very easy reach to both hands :)

In this position its also very easy to see the scabbard entrance so i can put it away again with ease.

I have a backup on the left leg, plus a BC knife and scissors.

Mine gets a lot of use as we have lots of nets and fishing line on our wrecks both entangling us and hiding spidge.

A nice bright coloured in case you drop it, Titanium as it keeps an edge much better is a must have if you are diving off of Dover.

Tourist wrecks are often clear of line as they are dived a lot, but seldom dived and often fished wrecks are another issue.

[jeswinehart]

Wonderful idea about scissors. After my dive buddy and I was done mucking up the bottom of a local lake up last Sunday I let her know about this discussion and she thought it a heck of alot more practical then a knife (I do too). Fishing line is much more a problem then dealing with ropes and such around here.
I carry a small 4 inch bladed knife zip tied to my inflator hose and like Mr. Oliver, it is very brightly colored incase I would happen to drop the silly thing (a most likely occurrence w/me).
Any links to a good pair of dive scissors ??? I am 101% sure my locale dive store don't stock but will ask while I get tanks refilled this weekend.

Great thread, john

[Turtle Dude]

The one trusted friend is a SPYDER folding rescue knife. When all other variations have failed its always succeded.
The traditional 'divers knife' is generally a waste of time.
Another thumbs up for the Spyder(co) rescue knives - the "Salt" models (have used for some time an Atlantic Salt Yellow Pocket Knife)

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=172

http://www.equipped.com/GRAPHICS/spyderco_atlanticsalt_200w.jpg

[Paul Oliver]

Try Bowstone for the scissors and sheath, they do a very good combo :)

Once the pin rots after a year or so you can get replacements for s couple of quid from Maplins etc

[J-L]

I use these guys...
http://www.boundtree.co.uk/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=789

Same as many SCUBA brands and a heck of a lot cheaper!

hth
jl

[GarethJ]

Hi Rick, I use a conventional (and probably considered old fashoined by some) heavy dive knife strapped to my upper right thigh. I can reach this with out having to bend my leg. I'd always recommend a heavy knife after having to cut myself free from a leaded lobster pot line in a strong tide a few years back. I also carry a small back up knife in a pocket/pouch near my upper body. If I'm ever entangled in monofiliment netting, then I should be able to reach this knife.
Cheers,
G