Boating and lanyards

[Joelc73]

Are any of you guys using your Spydercos for boating and how are you securing them? I bought a Pac 2 Salt SE to leave on my boat but wondering if I should lanyard it to my wrist or rig up a float of some kind perhaps. I could zip tie it to the helm but it may not be on me when I need it then — plus more open to theft.

Would love to know what others are doing.

[Mushroom]

I’ve tried to find a reasonably sized float with enough buoyancy to support the weight of a Salt but everything I found was either too big, to the point where it was more obtrusive than convenient, or just not buoyant enough to float the knife in general.

I just trust the pocket clip and accept the risk that it could fall overboard. I do what I can to minimize that risk by being very deliberate when I use my knife on board and I make sure to put it away when I’m done using it.

[Joelc73]

Thanks. I was hopeful with the float idea but I don’t want to tether a soccer ball sized float to my knife either. Maybe, to your point, just be careful and minimize risk as much as possible.

[James Y]

How about attaching it to a belt loop with paracord? Then if you drop it, or if it unintentionally becomes unclipped and slips out of the pocket, it's still attached to your person. Unless that's considered a potential hazard. The paracord doesn't need to be very long.

Jim

[Joelc73]

How about attaching it to a belt loop with paracord? Then if you drop it, or if it unintentionally becomes unclipped and slips out of the pocket, it's still attached to your person. Unless that's considered a potential hazard. The paracord doesn't need to be very long.

Jim

That’s a good idea too. The only problem is most bathing suits don’t have belt loops. They usually just have pockets.

[CDEP]

Tie a noose knot at the end of a paracord lanyard and slip your wrist through it when in use. At least it will be tethered when you are using it. I have one that I keep around for the rare times I'm up a ladder using a blade. The end that attaches to the knife is a simple bowline knot that I slip the pocket clip through.

[yablanowitz]

How about attaching it to a belt loop with paracord? Then if you drop it, or if it unintentionally becomes unclipped and slips out of the pocket, it's still attached to your person. Unless that's considered a potential hazard. The paracord doesn't need to be very long.

Jim

That’s a good idea too. The only problem is most bathing suits don’t have belt loops. They usually just have pockets.

Secure one end of the lanyard to the bottom of the pocket either with a safety pin or just sew it in. Use a yard or so of paracord and attach the other end to the knife. Stuff the cord down in your pocket, then clip the knife in (works better if the knife is tip down so the lanyard is at the bottom).
Nothing hanging out to snag on things, if you use a long enough cord you can draw the knife, open it and use it without having to detach it and if it slips out of your pocket (or your hand) it is still attached to you so it doesn't get away.

[VashHash]

How about attaching it to a belt loop with paracord? Then if you drop it, or if it unintentionally becomes unclipped and slips out of the pocket, it's still attached to your person. Unless that's considered a potential hazard. The paracord doesn't need to be very long.

Jim

That’s a good idea too. The only problem is most bathing suits don’t have belt loops. They usually just have pockets.

I usually pass the cord through the drain hole of bathing suit pockets. Tie a knot inside so it can't come out and then secure it to the knife.

[Mushroom]

I use retractable lanyards on some of my gear while fishing. For example forceps on a retractable lanyard attached to my waders or a T2 Toothpick with a retractable lanyard on my ice fishing bibs. A knife on a retractable lanyard might come in handy if you have a good place to clip it on to.

I might try a knife plus retractable lanyard on my PFD this summer while I’m kayaking.

[Joelc73]

Just ordered some Paracord. I’ll look for a retractable lanyard also. Thanks guys!

[K1500]

I wouldn’t worry about it but if you are, a retractable lanyard that is commonly used with fly fishing tools may be the ticket.

[SchoonerBum]

I like a pair of board shorts with a zippered pocket. The knife stays secure but I don’t have to mess with a long lanyard or worry about it snagging on anything.

One thing that makes this easier in terms of accessing the knife is putting a short, stiff-ish lanyard on it, about twice the length of the knife, using paracord or seine twine or something like that, braided and with an eye in the end. The lanyard makes it easy to grab out of the pocket and if you have to do something with the knife where you might drop it a longer lanyard is easily tied through the eye.

[JoviAl]

I use retractable lanyards on some of my gear while fishing. For example forceps on a retractable lanyard attached to my waders or a T2 Toothpick with a retractable lanyard on my ice fishing bibs. A knife on a retractable lanyard might come in handy if you have a good place to clip it on to.

I might try a knife plus retractable lanyard on my PFD this summer while I’m kayaking.

I’ll echo what Mushroom said - I’ve played around with this quite a bit for bolting new sport climbing routes and found the sort of lanyard that recoils about 80% of the way to you is best (like one of these - https://www.fishersdirect.com/mclean-ne ... 9492-p.asp), as the auto recoiling ones that auto-retract completely closed on their own have an alarming tendency to whip the open bladed knife into you. I got good and poked high up a cliff in the dead of night once from one of those auto retractors paired with an open folder I fumbled, and once was enough for bigger tools I highly recommend Reecoil chainsaw leashes.

[zhyla]

My solution is to bring one of a pile of old slip joints I bought at a garage sale for a few bucks a piece. I don’t care if they rust or go overboard.

[Joelc73]

Ended up tying a lanyard for now. I’ll tie to my shorts with a longer piece when I’m in the water. And hope that I won’t need to buy another Pac 2 anytime soon.

[sal]

Hi Joel,

I pretty much do what Mushroom does.

sal

[Fireman]

Wine corks and paracord are your friends. Use real one piece corks.

[Joelc73]

Wine corks is an interesting idea… could look cool too.

[RazorSharp86]

Soyderco needs to make a knife with a cork handle.
Mora and White River Knives make cork handled knives, and they float..!

[JoviAl]

Wine corks and paracord are your friends. Use real one piece corks.

That is really rather clever!