Where Should you Store your Dive Knife?
Are you wondering where a dive knife should go? Continue reading to learn the advantages and disadvantages of every potential storage location for your dive.
The Traditional Spot: Leg or Ankle
By your leg or ankle during dives is the customary location to hold a dive knife. After that, a band that secures around the leg or ankle or the dive knife sheath is affixed. The smoothest lines are produced when the dive knife is attached perpendicular to your leg. In other words, the dive knife sticks out the least from your body when it follows your body's contours.
Your body will remain as trim as possible throughout the dive if your dive knife is fastened to your ankle. The knife could be harder to reach in this lower position, which is a drawback. When you wear the dive knife on a band around your ankle, you must lift your leg toward your chest in order to access it. This can be a challenge when diving in confined underwater spaces like caves, wrecks, and shallow waters.
The dive knife is easier to access when it is kept higher up on your thigh, but it really doesn't make much of a difference compared to carrying it on your ankle. The amount it protrudes is what makes the real difference. Keep the dive knife on the side opposite your dominant hand if you choose to carry it on your leg or ankle. You'll probably have more control over your dive knife movements as a result.
The Designed Placement: On Your BCD
The next logical location is within one of your BCD's pockets or accessories. The positioning is simple because some manufacturers have created a unique pocket or attachment exclusively for dive knives. However, depending on BCD, the location of this point might change. If you are changing BCDs, you may need to break the habit of reaching for the diving knife where it used to be.
In addition, not every BCD design include a compartment or attachment for a diving knife. Since you can still put the dive knife in a pocket with a different shape or create your own attachment using Velcro bands or elastic string, this is not a nightmare. The safest spot for a dive knife is probably where your BCD has designated a specific dive knife placement. Whether it doesn't, check to see if the dive knife is close by and avoid crossing any wires where it can become tangled.
The Closest Placement: Low-Pressure Inflator
The low-pressure inflator is a particularly common location for diving knives. This location is well-liked because it's the simplest to get there during a dive. The low-pressure inflator is the most accessible location, but it's not the safest. It may become tangled if the diving knife is connected to the low-pressure inflator, making it more challenging to break free.
The spot's poor visibility comes with additional concerns. It is challenging to see because the low-pressure inflator is so near to your face. In other words, the dive knife can only be removed from and reinserted into the sheath by touch. Though inserting it back in the sheath definitely requires two steady hands, pulling it out is less challenging. Some dive knives also include a pointed tip. It is even dangerous to keep these kinds of dive knives affixed to your low-pressure inflator.
Dive Knife Placement Summary
On the leg or ankle, in a pocket or attachment of the BCD, or attached to the low-pressure inflator are the three most common places to carry a diving knife. Each of these locations has advantages and security issues. It ultimately comes down to personal preference. Just keep in mind to handle the dive knife carefully at all times.
Author: Kristy Wood . Scuba diving is more than a passion to me, it’s a part of who I am. Since the day I took my very first underwater breath, I knew that my life would be focused around the ocean and everything that belongs to it. Now, I travel and dive as much as I can, exploring the rest of the world, trying new dive gear, discovering dive destinations and reviewing them here for you. All while educating people of the threats our marine life and oceans face every day and what we can do to help defend it.