Best Diving Knife

There are different points that you should pay attention to while choosing the right diving knife that will serve your needs. I would like to list a few tips that will help you with your choice.
The first parameter that matters is the size. Many people believe that the larger the better, yet this is one of the most common misconcept that could lead to many inconveniences. You will feel very awkward if you put too long a knife on your BC. It can cut you or damage your equipment. Remember that you are not an underwater warrior, and do not have to fight your imaginable opponents. Large knives are those that have a blade more than five inches long.
Medium-sized knife (with blade of four to five inches) is practical in most cases. It is easy to put this knife on your BC, arm or leg, and is good for a firm grip, large enough for a grip. Be sure to check the length of a handle, it should be comfortable for your hand and large enough.
Mini knives have a blade of two to three inches, and even can be clamped onto a hose. Check the length of a handle, it should be no less that three inches in length, otherwise your hands or gloves can be damaged by blade.
With shape of the edge there are basically two options, straight or serrated edges. You select a diving knife with a straight edge for cutting plastic, nylon rope or monofilament fishing line. Yet serrated edge is more efficient when you cut natural fiber rope or kelp. Look at serrations that should be located along the whole length of the blade. It enables a good sawing motion for great results.
Many knives have both straight and serrated edges making it a universally adoptable tool, efficient in different situations.
There are different types of tips as well. You can see either a blunt tip or a sharp tip. For spearfishing tasks you select a knife with a sharp tip. For a whole bunch of other tasks such as digging or prying, chiseling or hacking you would rather use a blunt tip. There are different problems with a sharp tip. For example, it can be easily broken or can cut you or puncture your BC. At the same time a blunt tip is both safe and efficient as a tool.
You should consider all of the above to select the right diving knife serving all of your purposes and tasks.

Diving Knife

Diving knife can be made of different materials, and can vary in size or shape. Yet you have to remember that your knife is not a weapon but only a tool. Let us list a few tools that will help you to make a good decision on what type of knife will be the best option for your needs.

As far as size is concerned, large knives are defined as having a blade longer than five inches. There is a common misconception that the large the knife the better. Yet it can either cut you or your buoyancy control equipment. And be an awkward burden in a situation that you want to get rid of any unnecessary weight.

Medium sized knives have blades of four-five inches and are the most practical ones. They can be easily mounted on the BC, leg or arm. You can grip this knife securely and manage it as a handy tool underwater. If you buy a mini knife with two or three inches of blade, make sure that its handle is longer than three inches. Otherwise it can harm your hands or gloves if you wear them underwater.

The shape of a diving knife varies, too. It can have straight edges that is useful  for cutting plastic. This includes monofilament fishing line, as well as nylon rope. Diving knives with serrated edges are useful in cutting kelp and natural fiber rope. In this kind of knives serrations should run along almost whole length of the blade, so that it can produce a decent sawing motion. Many knives have both edges, staight and serrated, so you can use them in almost any situation.

Sometimes they have sharp tips that can be used for spearfishing, and blunt tips for prying, hacking, chiseling or digging. Sharp tips can potentially harm your BC, so you can use a blunt tip instead. For cutting small lines you will need a knife with a line cutting notch.

Many diving knives are made with 300- or 400-series stainless steel alloys. Due to high carbon content many stainless steel knives show signs of rust. Thus they require some maintenance: rinse your knife well with fresh water and dry outside of sheath. Then you coat it with a light layer of silicone or oil.

As far as 300-series or 400-series allow, the lower the number, the more corrosion resistant this diving knife becomes. Yet it is less capable of keeping a sharp edge. You spend less time on its maintenance but need to sharpen it after two or three dives.

Titanium knives are rustproof  and corrosion resistant. They do not contain any carbon. Thus you do not need any sharpening or maintenance for a long period of time.

There are a lot of manufacturers of diving knives, such as Aeris, Aquatec, Akona, Armor, Deep Outdoors, Cressi, Cutterfish, Deep See, Dive Rite, Innovative, Mares, Max., Oceanic, OMS, Promate, Zeagle and more…

When you have a mask, a snorkel, and a pair of fins, you bet you can engage in snorkeling. Even though price ranges for these can vary a lot, the most valuable advice you get is keep it fit and comfortable, that is all. If your mask does not fit, it will perpetually leak, and that is annoying indeed for your otherwise enjoyable dive. The same applies to fins that can rub ray spots on your feet. Expensive equipment does not necessarily mean more comfortable, so take your time and shop around until you find your best gear (and diving knife).

Many certifying agencies offer classes that you can buy through your diving shop. The matter is of course you can learn snorkeling yourself; yet taking classes shortens learning time and increases your self-confidence.

Your eyes are made for the air, so they just do not operate so well in their unnatural underwater environment. Things look blurry in the water. The solution is a diving mask that creates special space of air before your eyes, and also keeps water out of your nose. At the time of diving water pressure outside increases as you go deeper, and your diving mask is pushed toward your face. It is known as mask squeeze. To equalize the pressure and get rid of uncomfortable mask squeeze you must be able to breathe air into your mask with your nose. Independent of mask style and brand, make sure it protects your nose as opposed to swimming goggles.

A snorkel is a hollow tube which allows to breathe when your head is under the water surface. Modern snorkel includes nice materials, wrap-around design, comfortable mouthpiece and sometimes a splash guard and a purge valve. Every year you find more and more sophisticated models of this simple device. The most important thing about a snorkel is its comfort for your breathing.

Fins help you to propel in the water, and are divided into two categories: full-foot and adjustable. Full-foot ones unclose the hill about the same way as a pair of shoes does, and many people choose this type for snorkeling. These fins are quite flexible as opposed to adjustable fins, and easy to use for swimming on the surface.

Adjustable fins are used often in scuba diving. They have open hill and an adjustable strap. They are great when the water is cold, because you wear a bootie for your feet protection. But many divers prefer this type for warm water as well.

Diving knife is yet another not necessary but sometimes very useful type of gear meant mostly for diving, but at times for snorkeling too!