What is The Best Dive Knife
Outside of the kitchen, knives feel dangerous, and it’s something you might easily shy away from buying, but they are an essential part of your diving kit.
Dive Knives Under Review - Quick Guide Table
NAME OF FINS | OUR RATING | LINE CUTTER | BLADE LENGTH |
|---|---|---|---|
NO | 3.85" | ||
YES | 5" | ||
YES | 5" | ||
YES | 3" | ||
YES | 3" | ||
NO | 3.5" |
Monofilament fishing line is hard to see but very easy to get tangled in and without a knife to help free yourself you’re in a very dangerous situation.
Discarded nets drift in the ocean and wrecks particularly have a nasty habit of attracting ocean detritus on which to snag a scuba diver. It’s not just discarded rubbish that you have to be aware of either; your SMB reel can pose a threat too.
Carrying a knife would help you cope with any of these situations plus they come in very handy above the waves when dealing with cable ties, O-rings, beer bottle tops and much more. What do you need to think about when selecting a knife?
Budget
The most important thing to understand about your dive knife is that you are going to drop it and you should not pay more for it than you are willing to lose. No knife is worth the potential harm you could come to while trying to retrieve it so spend only as much as you can happily swim away from.
Size
Size is not everything. Remember this is just a tool, not a bragging right. Think along the lines of a 3- 4-inch blade size, and you're in the right zone.
Mounting
Knives come with many different options for how you can attach them to yourself or your gear, and you want to give some thought to what might work best for you. You can attach them to your calf but you might find this awkward and uncomfortable, and this is particularly true if you are shorter.
You might not like the way this looks, and you need to remember that this is an extra step when kitting up. It’s most likely that you will see scuba divers with their knives attached to their BCDs either on the pocket or low-pressure hose. Whatever you choose, remember you need to be able to access it easily.
Material
Knives designed for scuba diving are made either from corrosion resistant stainless steel or titanium. Titanium is more expensive, but it is lighter and more resistant to corrosion but not as easy to sharpen. Whichever you choose remember to rinse it in fresh water after use to remove the salt and minimise corrosion.
Sheaths come in a range of materials from plastic to rubber or webbing-like material. What you will choose will depend on where you are mounting it and how easy it is to get out. Remember to give some thought to how easy your knife will be to get hold of if you usually dive with gloves.
It’s unlikely that you will have prolonged use of your knife, but the handle should feel comfortable in your hand and easy to use. Typically handles are made from plastic or can be rubber coated, or rope bound.
Multi-purpose
Dive knives are more than just a blade; you’ll find options that have many functions built into them. A hook-like notch in the blade is a line cutter; some have bottle openers built in as well as a hammer on the handle.
Many have both serrated and flat blades, and some have a blunt tip for prying. Blunt tips are considered safer for you and your gear.
Review
Tactical Stainless-Steel Knife
This knife is great value and perfect for those who don’t want to spend a huge amount on a knife. It’s sharp and durable and comes with two sets of straps and two different sheaths which makes it very adaptable. The blade has both serrated and none serrated blades with a pointed tip.
The handle is made from paracord which may need re-tightening after multiple dives. The overall length is a touch under 9 inches which means it might not be the most comfortable for those with larger hands.
Pros: Great value and adaptable.
Cons: No extra features.
PROMATE Scuba Diving Knife
This PROMATE knife has a rugged plastic grip with a hammer device built into the butt of the handle. It comes with a hard-plastic secure click in sheath and strap. The pointed blade is 5 inches long and has serrated and not serrated edges as well as a line cutter.
Pros: Includes line cutter and hammer.
Cons: The strap design might not be the most comfortable if you plan to leg mount.
PROMATE Barracuda Titanium Knife
Like its stainless-steel counterpart above this knife has a rugged grip, plain and serrated blades along with a line cutter and a hammer style handle butt. This knife has a pointed tip and comes with a hard plastic sheath and straps.
Pros: Multi-functional
Cons: A little more expensive as it’s titanium.
Gear Aid Akua Dive Knife
This blunt tip knife has a 3-inch blade and comes with a multipurpose sheath but no attachments. The blade itself comprises of serrated and non-serrated edges and features a small line cutter. The sheath does offer lots of mounting possibilities and has a one-handed release/click-in design. The handle itself is made using hard plastic and is not the most comfortable, but it does feature a bottle opener at the butt.
Pros: Small with many mounting possibilities and features a line cutter and bottle opener.
Cons: No safety barbs to stop your hand slipping along the handle to the blade. Unsculpted hard plastic grip.
Aqualung Deep Sea Squeeze Lock Dive Knife
This blunt tip design knife has both flat and serrated blades with a built-in line cutting notch. It comes with a plastic sheath that has a squeeze locking clip to secure the knife in place.
Pros: Secure click-in design holds the knife in place but is easy to get out. Can be attached to Aqualung BCD pockets
Cons: The 3-inch blade might be considered too small by some.
Riffe Deluxe Stubby Knife
The Riffe Stubby has a pointed tip and serrated and plain edged blades. The tip is pointed, and the total blade length is 3.5 inches. It comes with a plastic sheath which has a flip top style handle retainer. Straps and lanyard are included.
Pros: Comes with both stretch and rubber straps.
Cons: No line cutter.
Conclusion
When making your final choice, it is important to remember that your knife is a tool and I would recommend that you opt for one that has both plain and serrated blades along with a line cutter. If you are looking for a blunt tip knife, my pick would be the Deep See by Aqua Lung, and for a pointed tip, either of the PROMATE’s would be a great choice. All three of these have secure fittings and a great handle grip. Rinse, dry and oil your knife after use and sharpen when needed. Hopefully, all you will ever need it for is to pry o-rings and cut cable ties, but it’s better to have one, be prepared, and not need it than the alternative.
