Entangled in the rope and without help, what to do now ? An old fishing net in which our leg got stuck. Such scenarios certainly belong to diving. From these situations helps us the best a proper knife, which has been developed for diving. With its shape and holster, it helps us in situations where we really need help. To dive into the depths without it would be highly unwise. How such knife should look like and what should it have ? These are the questions for this article.
Good old classic
It surely occurred to us that the folding knife is not very appropriate in this case. Such knife serves great for its purpose, but to operate this knife under the water ? That's a little unnecessary. When diving we do not have to worry about the size of our knife. We can easily opt for a fixed blade knife, which is the best possible choice. It fits perfectly in the hand, we do not have to open it unnecessarily and is stored in a holster that we know where it is. Reaching for such a knife at the moment of need must be instinctive. And according to this we choose its placing for which we need proper holster. But one at a time. The length of the blade should be between 10-15 cm. The bigger would unnecessarily interfere and smaller one would not be as effective. Of course, it is up to us which one we choose. And what about blade itself ?
Blade as a working tool
During diving we encounter many obstacles like ropes, nets, etc. Likewise, we may need to cut something off. The blades are made in many different shapes. It is not written anywhere which one is the best for diving. But it should always be strong and high. This gives us certainty at work and we can "lean" on the knife more. In addition to standard blades, the combo blade or serrated blade is also suitable which is irreplaceable when cutting. We, however, prefer the combo blade over serrated only blade. This obviously gives us more work tools and thus more possibilities. What really is great is a special cutting notch for cutting ropes, straps, nets, etc. But the knife is not just the blade, is it?
Let´s be safe
Especially when working underwater we need a secure and firm grip. This is provided by rightly shaped handle made of non-slip materials (rubber, plastic with grooved notches, etc.). It is really a necessity, under water there is no time for searching a knife in the sand, we have to work quickly and reliably. The knife should be easily operated even with the gloves. But where do we place it ? Since we usually wear neoprene or similar, dive knives are attached, for example, onto the forearm of a weak hand or on the leg. This is allowed by special sheaths with rubber straps. The sheath itself must be made from plastic - leather or textile sheaths wouldn´t last long. But what about blade ? Will it last ?
No compromises
The selection of the knife depends on several points. Those already mentioned, but also on material. Salt water is much more aggressive. Even short exposure in the seawater can cause corrosion. This can be prevented by rightly chosen material. Those are for example stainless steel (A2, D2, 13Cr7Mov, Aus8, Aus6, etc.) It all depends on how much money do we want to invest in our knife. Our e-shop offers knives that are suitable for diving.