Should I bring the dive knives. We have never dove without them but was wondering if they are allowed on Bonaire? Just don't want to bring things we don't need. I also assume we don't need a dive flag/float anywhere. Correct?

In 15 years of diving Bonaire we have never needed a knife (except for dinner). You won't need any of those items.

Greg, A dive knike is a piece of essential equipment! There is dicarded fishing line in the waters of Bonaire, and currents can come up hard, in a drop of a hat! If you decide not to dawn your dive knife, then have a pair of sea snips to free yourself in a emergancy! Ron

THINK BEFORE YOU ACT!

If there is no rule against a knife I will be bringing it. Thanks

i ain't never needed a knife on bonaire...but have gotten a kick loooking at divers with knifes strapped to their legs or whatever..."bad a$$es"

james bond??? no...mcgiver...no...chuck norris

you might scare the eels

Do you NEED a dive knife? No, however I do wear one just in case. It'll be that one time you don't have one and may need it for whatever reason. Remember... safety first

LOL, Bob

I truly haven't seen a lot of folks doning a knife but whatever makes you comfy. I might have to rethink my safety or that of my buddy's. Maybe not a knife, for us, but an all around good tool? Dunno, but will give it some thought before May.

(Message edited by ayorkiemom on February 10, 2008)

I have needed to use my knife twice. Once with fishing line. yep it happened to me. Once with kelp. That stuff is tough!

Dont think of it as a knife , think of it as an essential dive tool , murphys law applies

My wife, daughter and I all dive with our knives. Not the leg mounted machetes, just a small knife in a sheath mounted directly on our BC's. We've never used them (except to cut a lime for a gin and tonic). Nor have I ever used the safety sausage or whistle I keep on my BC, or my safe second.

But I've never used the air bags in my car, or the life vests on my boat (when I had one)either.

David,
My kinda man! Hubby loves his gin; maybe this might prompt him to have a BC mounted knife now LOL!

Having been tangled in fishing line diving a wreck (110 ft) I will NEVER dive without a dive knife. Having it to cut limes is an added bonus!

I never dive with a knife any more. I always dive with a pair of dive shears, though. I used them for the first time my last trip to Bonaire to clear some line that was a hazard.

Shears are pretty cheap and work better than a knife for fish line and heavy rope. Sawing away at a movable obstacle underwater, such as rope,is an exercise in futility. I bring alone a pump container of silicone spray for other uses, but have found it is great on anything stainless after coming out of the ocean.

http://www.scuba.com/scuba-gear-118/Knives-Shears---Accessories.html

I would agree with you on the shears. However I bought a pair like this from scuba.com and they were a piece of crap. I bought them before a trip to Cozumel in Dec and they fell apart shortly after I returned. I agree with shears but make sure you get a good pair. From my experience these are not good quality. I also coated them with silicone grease before the trip and it made no difference.

There are many grades of this type of shear available. My point was that shears serve the purpose better than a knife, Mike Nelson excepted . A knife is a great anchor to the sea bed in heavy current; I've used it like that more than once, but not yet in Bonaire. Here is a link to another brand of shears. Bill is correct that you get what you pay for.
http://www.deepblueshop.com/products/dive-rite-shears

We have a small knife each (BC pocket) and have used them several times to clear ropes off the coral from lost stone anchors.

Greg..My advice..Leave the knife at home & always carry a small dive shears in your BC. The best thing to unravel or cut some monofilament.

IMO, it is better to carry some type of cutting device and never need it than encountering that one time you really need it after deciding to leave it behind. 20/20 hindsight can suck! I'd opt for shears. Easier to use u/w. The experienced divers I know always carry some type of cutting tool. M2C.

Dive Safe!

Another vote for shears, I have used mine several times on Bonaire for everything from light monofilament to heavy hawser line.

I carry a knife with me, mainly because the handle end makes a great 'tank-knocker' for getting my wife's attention. I've never needed the blade end before, but would rather have it and never need it than the other way around.

My wife carries a pair of shears strapped to her BC - even those have never been used.

subject: dive knife ? I am pretty sure that everyone diving has been certified, remember way back what did your instructor (suggest) tell you. I am not sure but there is a reason why an accident is called an accident and not an on purpose. How much room does a knife,whistle, an SMB, and a compass take up ? and as much as everyone jokes what does PADI stand for, but that stuff is standard kit, they are tools and should be treated as such ever heard of heart attacks, cuts scrapes and such. People coming to this site are asking great questions and probably newer divers that haven't learned our bad habits so we should suggest that they follow their dive training and go with that maybe us as experienced divers can learn some of those habits that we learned in our dive training. Sorry about the rant but there is a reason for the training

I have my compass , knife , whistle , light , always attatched to the bcd . No matter where i dive , what the situation , i have the essential tools . The reason i attatched everything to the unit...too many times i would not bother to strap a knife or clip on a compass . After 1000 dives you get the picture , be prepared . If i never need the stuff...great! If youve ever been entangled and not had a knife...ever been turned around in brackish water without a compass...you would know why. Its not a Rambo we be bad thing , just preperation. My message , always have a tool for cutting or holding ground in strong current , always have a compass and take a bearing on every dive.

I freed a porcupine fish in Cozumel last year with mine. It was caught on some fishing line under a piece of concrete. First time I've ever used it in ten years.

I originally asked this question because I didn't know if there was a rule against having knives? If not I would certainly bring one. What about gloves? I HAVE seen places that do not allow gloves. Is Bonaire one of them? I guess the theory is if you don't have gloves on you won't touch the coral. Of course I can control myself under water but usually still wear gloves. So, Can I wear gloves?

No -- gloves are not allowed. I believe that the marine park rules (in writing) state that, and I am confident that one of our BT colleagues can provide the appropriate URL.

P.S. I have a small dive knife sheathed to my BC. Needed it once -- to repair my pull cord from the air dump on the front of my BC (after I had pulled too hard!) during a shore dive. It had pulled through the knob with the knot on the end of the line still intact, which had to be cut in order to re-thread the thing!

I hear if they catch you with gloves , your gear will be waiting at the airport upon your departure . Good rule .

Here are the Marine Park rules. No gloves, but all the knives you want. You could even have knives to the point of needing no lead Or even shears!!

http://www.bmp.org/rulesandregulations.html

K-BAR! That what I'll do, I'll bring my K-BAR!!!
Bob, can take a photo of me as he takes his last breath from his Reg, cause he is stuck in the fishing line with no knife!!! LOL Ron

My husband and I were surprised at how many little bundles of monofilament we found on some sites around Bonaire two years ago. We'd recommend bringing a small knife or snips, if anything to help free any entangled critters one may come across...

Donna and Bill each carry a small blunt tipped knife in a BC pocket - that pesky far too common fishing line, but most importantly for cutting Gouda on the cooler top and slicing up a baguette.

The blunt tip is my weapon , i mean my tool of choice. Great for opening oysters.

ok...maybe better safe than sorry and i certainly DO NOT want my last picture taken on bonaire to be of Ron

i do have a knife and it is really sharp...hope i don't end up cutting myself

Bob, what should we call you when or if we see you on Island?
James Bond??? no...Mcgiver...no...Chuck Norris? Maybe you should let your wife put your dive knife on for you so you don't CUT YOUR WIDDO FINGEE'S! LOL All joking aside A knife can be a versitle tool, and it is a good idea to be prepaired... Ron

Actually, the sharper a knife is, the safer it is. Learned that as a Girl Scout. ;)

(Now that I think about it, I wonder if most knife-carrying divers are former scouts?)

Greg, I'm sure you get the point by now! I carry a dive knife mounted on my BC and it is much easier to carry than shears. The knife is in a sheath mounted above the pocket on the BC. Please carry one or the other as I have been tangled in fishing line in the past. Normally you don't see much fishing line in Bonaire but I got into it on a night dive out on the double reef close to Angel City. Have Fun!

Greg, When I got caught in the fishing line I was using a low powered light. I couldn't see sh..!
Now I use the UK 100 Light Canon.
See what this starts, heres my head!