Every diver should consider a dive knife to be a required piece of equipment on every dive. Monofilament fishing line and other sources of entanglement are a universal hazard. There are a few vacation dive destinations that try to discourage or prohibit divers carrying knives in an effort to protect their tourist resource, the dive sites, but they are the exception rather than the rule. This attitude is in responde to the unthinking and irresponsible divers who think a dive knife is the perfect tool to harrass defenseless marine life or chip away at the living coral reef. There may be situations where you may want to pry away at something or flip over a sea urchin but a pristine dive resort reef is not the place for such things. I don't remember who first said "take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints", but this idea is perfectly applicable to diving. However, It is better to have a knife with you when you are sitting on the bottom ensnared in a web of old fishing line.

As for the style dive knife you choose to carry, there are many considerations. The first two, where will you mount your knife and how big will it be. Traditionally dive knives have been strapped to the divers leg but this may not be the best place for it. If stapping a honking dive machete to you leg has been your life long dream please don't let me discourage you from doing so. Consider it a tribute to Lloyd Bridges and Sea Hunt. (For the younger crowd, Sea Hunt, starring Lloyd Bridges without fail placed Lloyd in a deep sea knife fight in every episode.) In reality, I've been diving since 1975, instructing since 1989, and have yet to confront a knife wielding rouge spy while quietly cruising a peaceful caribbean reef. If you do choose the leg mounted alternative remember, the best mounting solution is to strap the knife to the inside of the leg opposite your dominant hand. If you are right handed strap it to the inside of your left leg and visa-versa.

Many people today, myself included, think a smaller BCD mounted knife is a more useful and reasonable solution. Consider the fact, if you mount you knife on your BCD or instrument console, that is one less piece of gear you have to strap on, or forget to strap on, before every dive. A properly positioned BCD mounted knife is always with you and is donned every time you put on your BCD. No extra piece of gear and it is always at hand.

If you do decide to use a BCD mounted knife make sure the knife is designed to be mounted on a BCD. Specifically, make certain the knife has a blount tip to minimize the possibility of poking a hole in your BCD when your sheath your knife during a dive.

The most perfect solution I have found to date is a folding knife on a lanyard with a fastex clip to attach it to my BCD. I have male end fastex clips all over my BCD and all my dive gear has the female end attached. I can attach any dive accessory anywhere on my vest.

Just remember, dive smart, dive safe, dive responsible and use common sense as you acquire the gear you need and want.

Happy diving.
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