RE: [Paddlewise] PFD knife or hook?

Amy wrote: -
>However, in the past 6 months have seen 4 within my paddling community 
>go to the depths mostly while practicing rescues, climbing on back decks, 
>etc due to accidental release from the sheath. It is time to look for 
>a new 'system'.

G'Day Amy,

Re' losing a knife during rescues, that's happened to me two or three times,
I'm a slow learner. So I drilled a hole in the end of the plastic handle of
the knife furthest from the blade. The hole was about 3mm, slightly larger
than the diameter of a 37cm long 3mm diameter bungee line. 37 cm allows me
to use the knife at full arms length when the cord is stretched. I tied one
end of the bungee line with a figure eight stopper knot and threaded it
through the hole and tied the other end to a ring on the Tusa holster. When
kayaking the line is wrapped four times around the handle before placing the
knife in the holster, which keeps the line from snagging and allows it
enough stretch to be able to release and use it when needed. This technique
requires a stretchable bungee line a non stretching cord is too long, fiddly
and doesn't tidy away as well. In 12 years I've only used a knife for
cutting oysters off rocks! But I'm glad its there.

If you would like a series of photo's on how to fit the holster to a PFD and
to show how the line is fitted. I can send them to you.

You might want to try a Tusa rescue knife,
http://www.blue-earth.biz/accessories.aspx?sub_id=14. I've used them in salt
water all the time and generally rinse it in fresh water after use. It's
never shown any sign of rust. On one occasion a new knife jammed when I used
it in an old holster. The holster had been under a fair bit of stress during
rescues so that may have been the problem. Anyway its worth regularly
checking that the knife comes out easily after releasing the catch. I check
it every time I rinse the PFD.

All the best, Peter
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