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Entanglements and Tethered Cutting Tools


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Poll: Entanglements and Tethered Cutting Tools (8 member(s) have cast votes)

Have you been in a entangement ?

  1. Yes (2 votes [25.00%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 25.00%

  2. Voted No (6 votes [75.00%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 75.00%

What's your cutting tool of choice ?

  1. Voted Knife blade (1 votes [10.00%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 10.00%

  2. Knife serrated blade (3 votes [30.00%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 30.00%

  3. Voted Knife combo blade (4 votes [40.00%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 40.00%

  4. Voted Scissor (1 votes [10.00%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 10.00%

  5. Z-knife (1 votes [10.00%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 10.00%

Tethered Tool ?

  1. Tethered (3 votes [37.50%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 37.50%

  2. Voted No Tether (5 votes [62.50%] - View)

    Percentage of vote: 62.50%

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#1 scubaski

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Posted 28 April 2011 - 07:51 PM

Have you ever been entangled? What's your cutting tool of choice? Do you tether your cutting tool?

Please join the poll and lets hear your story or thoughts.
MADRE FELIZ DIA MAMÁ

#2 scubaski

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Posted 28 April 2011 - 08:13 PM

I just read a dive story about a fatal dive accident where the diver was entangled mid water column and he lost his knife. I've reduced cutting tool redundancy to 1 BC knife(combo-serrated-tethered) that is mounted by right chest. The knife blade is tether to the scabbard with some spiral plastic coil. For my warm water resort diving this set up works well for me. I have had a minor entanglement when a mooring ball line seperated below me and the line whipped around my leg. No need to break out the knife ( untetherd ), I just unwraped the line. Use to carry dive scissor until attempting to cut a good size fish hook from another mooring line and the scissors wouldn't nick it.
MADRE FELIZ DIA MAMÁ

#3 Landlocked Dive Nut

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Posted 28 April 2011 - 09:17 PM

I've only used my dive knife (untethered) to cut fishing line I've found on the reef that could cause entanglement if it wasn't removed.
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#4 Dave W

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Posted 28 April 2011 - 10:14 PM

I carry a huge dive knife strapped to the inside of my left calf. I carry a huge one because I got it for four bucks at a used-gear sale at a dive shop in Boise, Idaho. I've never used it to detangle myself or anybody else; mainly I use the point for fixing stuck camera buttons.
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#5 shadragon

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Posted 29 April 2011 - 05:38 AM

Recreational Rig

5" traditional Titanium knife on inner right calf. Held in the sheath by a snorkel keeper over the butt end.

3" backup Titanium on my BC. Tied by a short piece of string to a retaining clip.


Technical Doubles harness

Folding 4" Titanium knife with integrated line cutter and wrist string clipped to D-ring.

EMT shears tied off with short length of para-cord to belt pouch.


The titanium knives are pricey (save the folding one I got on sale at ScubaToys for $19.99 :teeth: ) so I keep then clipped off. As I am usually the first in the water at our dive sites I usually find a pile of knives, weights, clips and other pieces on the bottom. So I see what happens when you don't clip off.

Entangled twice. Minor incidents both times. Discarded fishing line in both cases. Other than that, I have used them to cut rope, net, fishing line and other underwater obstructions on dive sites.
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#6 peterbj7

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    I spend too much time on line

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Posted 29 April 2011 - 08:54 AM

I don't take any cutting tools here in Belize, as I've never seen anything that could entangle a diver. I used to before i made that decision.

Diving in other places, especially cold water, I carry two knives. I used also to carry a pair of shears but no longer, as I find it too difficult to use them underwater to cut anything like line. The two knives are both small folding knives with serrated concave blades, exceedingly sharp and both because of that and their shape will cut almost anything. They're carbon steel so I have to be careful to prevent rust. The ones I use are also very cheap, from Trident, and I've never been able to find anything better. Generally I keep one in my right BC pocket if I have one, otherwise bungeed to my harness in that area. The other is generally bungeed to the left (or only) corrugated BC hose. Neither is tethered, for ease of access and use.

That said, I've only ever once been entangled, and that I dealt with by taking the affected gear (a fin) off. I've never used a knife underwater for its intended purpose. I have seen a friend entangled, ironically by his dive knife. It was a big knife strapped to the inside of his lower leg, and he got monofilament tangled up around it. He couldn't take the knife off because of the line so someone else cut it for him. I have also seen someone caught by the tank valve, and he was unable to bend enough to reach his leg-mounted knife. He never wore a knife in that position afterwards.

I never use titanium-bladed knives although I have some, because the blades simply aren't sharp enough. Carbon steel blades can be very sharp, but then they can also rust. A thin film of Vaseline on the blade helps stop that.

I don't distinguish between recreational and technical diving, unless on a technical dive there will be particular risks. I carry the same cutting gear regardless.

Edited by peterbj7, 29 April 2011 - 08:55 AM.


#7 georoc01

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Posted 29 April 2011 - 05:48 PM

I carry an untethered stainless steel knife. Although its primary use over the past year was to scrape dead lionfish off the spear.




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