December 7th, 2009 12:37 am
There are many different things you can do while scuba diving but regardless of whether you like to ica dive pr simply want to take nice tropical fish pictures a dive knife is a recommended accessory. A lot of dangerous situation can arrive under water such as getting entangled in ghost nets and a dive knife will help you escpae many such dangers. When taking tropical fish pictures you may focus on the task at hand and miss a ghost net or other danger while pursuing a big grouper to get that price winning shot. In such a situation a good dive knife will help you free yourself from the net before things get critical.
When it comes to scuba knives, two things are of imperative importance:
- Choose the right scuba knife; one that suits you and your particular needs.
- Make sure that you know how to use the kind of dive knife you choose to get. If you don’t know how to use your dive knife correctly it can cause more bad than good.
In this blog post we will take a closer look at the first point choosing a dive knife.
What size should the knife be
There are three main sizes of dive knives, big knives, mini knives and standard sized knives. A standard size dive knife, also known as medium size dive knife, has a 4-5 inch or 10-15 cm blade and is small enough to comfortably keep mounted on your leg, arm or BC. Make sure the handle is large enough for you to grip without much ado. Mini Knives are 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm) and can be mounted on the air tube. They can however be hard to use wearing gloves due to their small size. Always test the handle prior to purchase. Big dive knives have blades that are 5 in / 15 cm or longer and can be a tad cumbersome to handle underwater, especially for precision work. You should only get a big knife if you do something underwater that really requires a big knife, otherwise a small knife is to be preferred.
What material should the knife be made from
Most dive knifes are made from titanium or stainless steel. Titanium knives are the best most durable choice but it is also to most expensive option to buy, they can howeverbe cheaper in the long run as they last a lot longer than steel alternatives. Stainless steel knives are cheaper can be made to last for a long time with proper care like making sure to always rinse them in fresh water after every dive. Coating it with a layer or oil or silicone is also recommended.
Serrated edge or not?
A serrated edge is ideal for cutting natural fibres such as hemp ropes and kelp, while a straight edge will be more apt at cutting artificial materials like nylon ropes and monofilament fishing lines. If you decide to go for a serrated knife, ideally pick one where the serrations run almost the entire length of the blade to make it possible to get a nice sawing motion going when you need to cut something. I recommend that you get a knife witha serrated edge on once said and a straight edge on the other, that way you get the best from both worlds.
Should I choose a knife with a sharp tip?
A blunt tip is better for the avarage joe diver while a sharp tip can better for divers planning to is it while spear fishing. The reason that ablunt top is usually better is that a sharp tip easily breakes when using the knife to dig and pry. A blunt tip is a lot less likely to end up damaging your scuba gear than a sharp tipped one.
Do I need a line cutting notch?
Dive knifes should always have a cutting notch because that makes it much easier to cut small lines.
Tags: outdoor, photo, scuba diving, sports, travel