Carrying the best scuba diving knife underwater with you could save your life.
Who doesn't secretly want to be Aqua Rambo?
You won't be slitting any shark throats, but can you imagine if you needed a dive knife and didn't have one?
Everyone knows it's a dangerous world under there and that doesn't even take sea monsters into account. If you're really unlucky you could:
- Get caught in an old net
- Tangle yourself up in seaweed
- End up wrapped in fishing line
You could even find yourself in a situation where you're exploring a wreck site and the only tool that can save your life is a large dive knife. Maybe while hunting for sunken treasure.
Without a good dive knife you would lose your life along with all those gold coins.
The truth is, you'll never know you need one until you're in serious trouble. Depending on the type of diving you're doing it's silly exploring the ocean without one.
The Best Scuba Diving Knife Features
When looking for the best diving knife there are 3 particular things you want to focus on. We'll look at a few good dive knives in a minute, but let's quickly go through what you should be looking for first:
- Shape Of The Scuba Diving Knife
- Size Of The Scuba Diving Knife
- Material Of The Scuba Diving Knife
Shape Of The Scuba Diving Knife
There are a couple of things to take into account when it comes to the shape of the blade:
- Tip
- Edge
You'll notice some blades have a blunt tip, which might seem weird until you realize the knife isn't there to stab anybody. It's not like you're going to cut through a net with the tip of your blade.
A blunt edge also ensures you don't make any mistakes. Can you imagine what would happen if you accidentally stabbed your wetsuit? Or even worse, your hose. You would be kicking your swim fins as fast as possible to reach the surface.
A pointy tip is usually reserved for those going spearfishing, although if you like a particular diving knife it's not a deal breaker.
You'll also see knives with either a serrated or sharp edge. Some will have a combination of both meaning they'll be ideal for any situation.
Size Of The Scuba Diving Knife
Does the best scuba diving knife need to be a certain size? Remember you're not trying to become Aqua Rambo, so a large dive knife isn't necessary.
Size doesn't matter when you're under the water. Even if you only have a small dive knife it's what you do with it that counts. It's apparently what the fish say.
If you're only doing recreational diving any size will do, but there is one thing to consider. You want the handle to be long enough to grip tightly, because when you're caught up in a fishing line time is of the essence.
Material Of The Scuba Diving Knife
We've saved the best for last because a good dive knife should be constructed using the best material available. It's going to be one of these two options:
- Titanium
- Stainless Steel
A titanium dive knife obviously comes out on top if all other things are equal. They're a high end choice because you set it and forget it. Absolutely no maintenance is required.
Your titanium knife isn't going to rust because it doesn't contain carbon, which you'll know if you paid attention in chemistry class. They'll also stay sharp for a very long time and it's not like you'll be cutting yourself out of fishing nets every week anyway.
A stainless steel dive knife isn't ideal, but it will do the job. It won't be completely rust resistant, but shouldn't be too bad depending on the specific alloy used. Unfortunately the more rust resistant scuba diving knives are harder to keep sharp.
They don't contain carbon, so eventually they're going to corrode if you spend a lot of time in the water. You can delay this for a while if you carry out routine maintenance on your knife after every dive.
The Best Diving Knife Reviews
We've talked about what you should look out for when choosing your knife, but in case you haven't noticed there is a large selection to choose from. When you're buying a tool that can save your life it's always good to go with the best.
In order to help you out, we'll take a look at some of the top diving knives on the market. We'll also try to mix and match the knives based on the features you need to focus on.
- Promate Scuba Dive Titanium Knife
- Cressi Skorpion Dive Knife
- Atomic Aquatics Titanium Ti6 Scuba Diving Knife
- Promate Barracuda Titanium Diving Knife
- XS Scuba FogCutter X Knife
1 – Promate Scuba Dive Titanium Knife
This magic little titanium diving knife with a 4-3/8 inch blade has everything you could ever ask for and it's perfect for the casual diver. It's very lightweight and you won't even know you're wearing it until it's needed.
You'll be able to slip it on without any problems as it comes with a dive knife sheath and straps. When you pull it out you'll be able to handle it easily thanks to the rubber molded grip sticking it to your hand.
The titanium blunt tip knife will take you a few seconds to clean when you're finished diving meaning maintenance is a breeze. Its blade is also thick enough to give you the confidence it's not going to let you down.
Pros:
- Even comes with titanium hammer on handle bottom
- Sharp serrated blade cuts through anything
- The handle feels wonderful in your hand
Cons:
- Strap and sheath quality doesn't match up to knife
- Excess straps when it's attached to your arm
2 – Cressi Skorpion Dive Knife
The aesthetic Cressi dive knife really does look like something Rambo would take underwater with him. This blade is also 4-3/8 inches long, but the overall length when you take the handle into account is 9-1/8 inches.
It's a stainless steel dive knife with both a sharp and serrated edge, so it's perfect for regular divers or those spearfishing. The Japanese 420 steel blade is solid and will save you or your diving buddy from any trouble.
The weight and feel of the knife is ideal too. It weighs a pound and the finger molds on the non-slip handle will stop it from falling out of your hands. The leg and arm straps will stop you from losing it to the sea.
Pros:
- Locking mechanism on sheath with one hand release
- Stainless steel butt cap for hammering
- Maintains a sharp edge even after heavy use
Cons:
- Only one color available
- Shorter than other blades in the range
3 – Atomic Aquatics Titanium Ti6 Scuba Diving Knife
Like a lot of the other diving knives we've looked at today the Atomic Aquatics Ti6 also comes with either a blunt or sharp tip. The blade is 4 inches long and the full length of the knife including the handle is 8.5 inches.
There is also a flat and serrated edge on either side of the blade, and on the flat side there is a large line cutting notch. The full-tang dive knife is rock solid and it's made from titanium so you'll not have to spend time looking after it.
The knife is lightweight and so is the sheath it will sit in. It will also be released with one quick push of a button, which is great in emergency situations. The straps on the sheath are easy to adjust too, so you'll not have to mess around with them.
Pros:
- Full-tang blade will never bend or snap
- It will never suffer from corrosion
- Heavy duty rubber handle has finger molds
Cons:
- Not as sharp out of the box as steel
- The scuba diving knife only comes in black
4 – Promate Barracuda Sharp Tip Titanium Diving Knife
If you're a professional diver and need a tool guaranteed to last the Promate Barracuda could be the best titanium dive knife. It's extremely sharp with both a sharp and serrated edge.
Like all other titanium scuba knives you won't need to maintain it to keep away rust. It will just take a quick rinse under tap water to clean up. You'll not cut yourself accidentally on the sharp tip because of the extremely grippy handle.
The dive knife sheath is well-designed and you'll be able to pull the Barracuda out with one hand. Also, the sheath is hard enough to keep it well locked up, and it's not flashy so it will help you avoid any unwanted attention from anything scary.
Pros:
- Solid titanium hammer on bottom of handle
- The very sharp blade is 5 inches long
- Comfortable even if attached to a bare leg
Cons:
- Dive knife straps could be a little longer
- The sheath can't be worn on a belt
5 – XS Scuba FogCutter X Knife
There is one amazing and unique feature about this dive knife we've not seen anywhere else. It can actually turn into a pair of scissors, which are rock hard and able to cut through anything. It's always nice to have multiple lcutting options.
It has a 420 stainless steel blade with a sharp and serrated edge. The stainless steel has also been treated with chromate, so it's going to help you out with rust protection making the knife easier to maintain.
You'll get rubber leg straps that can be set up within seconds, plus the knife can also be released from the sheath just as quickly but it's going to stay completely secure unless you grab for it.
Pros:
- Scissors are built into the scuba diving knife
- The blade has been treated for rust prevention
- Comes in both blunt and sharp tip designs
Cons:
- Might be best to make sure it's tethered
- It's a good idea to oil it after each dive
The Best Scuba Diving Knife In The World
Are you pumped up and ready to attack the first shark that comes for you? Technically, any of these diving knives would be better than using your bare fists unless you are Chuck Norris. But you know by now what these knives are actually used for.
It means you should have your eye on the one you think is the most trustworthy when your life is at risk. If you want to know even more about your favorite dive knife it's a good idea to click on the specific link and read multiple unbiased reviews from people using it every time they go diving.