The Case Against the Macho Dive Knife

When it comes to dive knives, many scuba divers make the mistake of buying a knife that is much bigger (and much more expensive) than they really need.  One of the cultural holdovers from the classic television shows which first popularized scuba diving is the image of the hardy, intrepid diver (usually male), with a giant knife on his weight-belt or strapped to his leg, ready to fend off dangerous predators underwater.  Consequently, a market has persisted for big, long, underwater knives, and equipment manufacturers are happy to provide them, often at what seem like exorbitant prices.

In reality, however, those dive knives with 8- and 10-inch (and even longer) blades are not at all ideal for most divers' needs.  In fact, there are many disadvantages to carrying such a large dive knife, and very little advantage.  In most cases, a small, blunt-tipped dive knife will be easier to handle, easier to affix to your gear, easier to access and much more useful overall than the huge knives ever would be. 

And for scuba divers who are willing to abandon the macho imagery of yesteryear in favor of something that works even better, there is actually a great alternative to carrying a dive knife altogether, which is more effective, more versatile, and amazingly, happens to cost less than even a small dive knife.