How do u carry your shears?

[b1draper]

In my "Stress and Rescue" class they taught the idea of the golden triangle. What it means is imagine a triangle on your chest. This triangle referes to the best place to attach your cutting tools, because this will probably be the only area you could reach if you were to get tangled up with your arms at your sides.

It's good to plan for this sanerio, but for general openwater diving with NO wreck penitration you have a very small chance of becomming entangled unless you're diving in kelp beds. If you're entangled from behind and your buddy can't get to the entanglement to cut you free just take your BC off and hold on to it and cut yourself free. (don't let go of the BC while doing this).

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by b1draper

In my "Stress and Rescue" class they taught the idea of the golden triangle. What it means is imagine a triangle on your chest. This triangle referes to the best place to attach your cutting tools, because this will probably be the only area you could reach if you were to get tangled up with your arms at your sides.

It's good to plan for this sanerio, but for general openwater diving with NO wreck penitration you have a very small chance of becomming entangled unless you're diving in kelp beds. If you're entangled from behind and your buddy can't get to the entanglement to cut you free just take your BC off and hold on to it and cut yourself free. (don't let go of the BC while doing this).

Getting tangled in kelp is something of a myth. Sure, it can happen, but 99% of the time, it's REALLY easy to get out. Kelp snaps quite easily if you bend it... sort of like a thin rubbery carrot. More common is one strand snags onto your tank valve and you or a buddy just reach back and snap it off.

It's a good idea to keep at least one cutting device in a location near the golden triangle where it can be reached by either hand, but I don't feel it's usually necessary to keep all of them there.

I actually carry three cutting devices, two in the triangle: small knife on my belt, and z-knife/line cutter on my shoulder strap. One tucked away in my drysuit's pocket (or x-short's pocket if diving wet): shears.

[b1draper]

Originally Posted by CompuDude

Getting tangled in kelp is something of a myth. Sure, it can happen, but 99% of the time, it's REALLY easy to get out. Kelp snaps quite easily if you bend it... sort of like a thin rubbery carrot. More common is one strand snags onto your tank valve and you or a buddy just reach back and snap it off.

It's a good idea to keep at least one cutting device in a location near the golden triangle where it can be reached by either hand, but I don't feel it's usually necessary to keep all of them there.

I actually carry three cutting devices, two in the triangle: small knife on my belt, and z-knife/line cutter on my shoulder strap. One tucked away in my drysuit's pocket (or x-short's pocket if diving wet): shears.

I completly agree, not everything needs to be within the triangle but it's reccomended that there's at least something there. Kelp was the only thing that I could think of that that really posed any kind of threat to anyone. 99% of the time there's not much to get tangled up in. It's only when people go into things like wrecks, caves and caverns that they get tangeled up with wire, fishing line, etc.

[CompuDude]

Originally Posted by b1draper

I completly agree, not everything needs to be within the triangle but it's reccomended that there's at least something there. Kelp was the only thing that I could think of that that really posed any kind of threat to anyone. 99% of the time there's not much to get tangled up in. It's only when people go into things like wrecks, caves and caverns that they get tangeled up with wire, fishing line, etc.

Fishing line and nets are VERY common in open water all over the place. Here in CA a diver nearly drowned recently getting tangled up in an abandoned gill net... nearly invisible in the water, and seriously difficult to get out of. Had they been solo diving, they may not have made it.

Not a lot of line in caves and caverns, although wrecks certainly have plenty of hazards.

[MSilvia]

I usually keep my knife on a velcro closure sheath on the waist webbing of my harness, on the side opposite my knife. It's accessable there, and gives me something to tuck extra webbing into after it goes through the buckle.

[SkuaSeptember]

I carry one pair in my right thigh pocket and another set in a sheath anchored top and bottom and located between the d-rings and above the QR on my right shoulder strap

[texdiveguy]

I might recommend the IST HD Shears for someone wishing to upgrade or just get a first pair....they are IMO far better than the EMT shears so many divers buy. I don't use the sheath....I carry mine in my wet/dry thigh pocket.

New & Used Scuba Dive Gear - IST Diving Shears - Discount Divers Supply

[cummings66]

I've got to start carrying two cutting tools, locations are limited but one of them is at the bottom of the triangle and the other will be elsewhere. I'm kind of thinking a Z knife but the Shears are another good idea.

I know that I get tangled up about once sometimes twice a year in the lakes I dive. I've rarely had to cut myself free but it has happened. You've got to remember that we share the lakes with fisherman and they lose a LOT of line, sometimes the tree's look like Christmas tree's with tinsel on them. I would never dive a lake or quarry in the midwest without a cutting device of some sort, odds are you'll need one.

[WAHMof2]

Entanglements are my greatest fear of solo diving.

[r2t]

Carry mine on the right side of the waist belt.