Many scuba divers choose to carry diving knives with them for safety reasons – whether for themselves, their dive buddies, or marine animals. Should you?
Going scuba diving? Are you well prepared? Here’s why you should carry diving knives with you!
Do you know that scuba diving requires you to have some essential knowledge of using the right gear to save yourself from any problem you might face underwater?
Well, apart from the essential tools such as lights, or dive computers, one of the most crucial pieces safety equipment is a cutting tool, a.k.a diving knives.
ARE DIVING KNIVES MANDATORY?
Well, to be exact, a dive knife is not a mandatory piece of equipment for divers. However, frequent or professional divers typically prefer keeping it with them for safety reasons.
Although dive knives are only carried for safety reasons, it’s still important to use them properly. If not handled properly, a dive knife can also be dangerous. Strong currents or lack of control can lead to cuts in the skin or damage to your diving gear.
In the end, it’s always a personal choice to keep a dive knife.
Before deciding whether to keep it or not, you must think about the type of water you’re diving in and how or for what will you be using it for?
USING DIVING KNIVES UNDERWATER
Since dive knives are specifically designed for underwater usage, there exist a few useful reasons to include it in your diving kit.
While underwater, you cannot be as efficient with your hands as above the water, but having a tool such as a diving knife can be effectively used for releasing yourself, a fellow diver, or even an animal from entanglement.
There have been many numerous cases of divers getting caught in lines. In busy waters, the chances of a diver getting caught in monofilament lines are definitely possible. In such cases, having a diving knife by your side can help in quick release.
Fishing nets are another reason why professional divers prefer carrying dive knives. These nets are infamous for trapping ocean animals. So, the dive knives are used by the divers to free them before its too late.
Another area where a diving knife can come handy underwater is in freeing your gear and yourself from kelp. The possibilities of kelp getting stuck on protruding diving equipment or even around the fins are also possible.
Numerous technical and professional divers are likely to carry a dive knife because they can perform a lot of jobs with it underwater.
Also, another less common reason to take a dive knife is for anchoring oneself in the sand during strong currents, but please be mindful that you’re only touching the sand.
Different Types of Dive Knives
Although a dive knife a specific type of knife, there exists a further difference between the types of dive knives.
Most of these knives come with different blades, which include straight-edge blades, serrated blades, and blades that have an edge on both sides.
Straight-edge knives are sharp, and they are useful in cutting anything that is made of soft or fluffy material. They are mostly employed by the divers to cut the fish lines. Furthermore, they can be used for multiple purposes; hence they are preferred over curved knives.
The serrated types of knives will resemble a small saw that can be useful in cutting ropes or anything that’s made up of durable material.
In the end, you must know, a cutting tool such as a dive knife can save the day. You can easily cut yourself free from an errant fishing line, slice through the kelp, or even tap your cylinder to get your dive buddy’s attention in case you run into a problem.
So, the bottom line is, when you go scuba diving, make sure you have a diving knife by your side. You can choose the best folding pocket knife that can be conveniently fixed to your suit.
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