Reviews
Beaver Aquasnips
Firstly I do use these shears but and its a big but I change them every year, not because they loose their cutting edge but rather that the central pivot which acts as the fulcrum is hardened steel which rusts.....quickly....lots!

Rusty, rusty, rusty fulcrum and staining on the blades.
I have tried various methods of extending the life of the fulcrum, from washing in large amounts of fresh water, drying and greasing to simply leaving it and to be honest I would say a quick wash is the most you can do, the extra work with grease/WD40 etc did not appreciably add to the life f the shears.
I find that these shears are great, they quickly and easily cut through monofilament fishing line of approximately 80lb breaking strain with no problem, they will also deal with all gauges of braid, although the thinner strains can be a little awkward as its so thin.
I have not used these to cut wire traces, so divers who are going to dive channel wrecks I would recommend to check out how they deal with wire, and also the extra forces required to cut wire means that the state of the fulcrum really does need closely monitoring!
As for cutting monofilament netting, well they are certainly up to the task, however I would suggest that the trilobite cutter would be more suitable for this type of work.
The shears are supplied in a 'velco sealing' small pouch with a plastic D ring at the top, the pouch is very good but I would suggest that you burn a hole in the bottom or cut it to ensure that water will drain away and not accelerate the rusting process.
I have not yet bothered taking a pair of shears which have 'died' and replacing the fulcrum with a small stainless steel bolt and lock-nut, its probably just laziness on my part but really I should to see if I can improve them and extend the life.
In summary a product that works but have a life of a season and that's it, there may be better products on the market but the low cost of these with an RRP of £8.33 (and actual price of closer to £5) means I use them and accept the high turnover.
Richies rating 6/10: use them and accept a low life!
Latest Photographs


My 'northern most' lobbie, she was a good size and provided food for all of us along with rice and a delightful lemon and butter sauce.
Debris all around and most unidentifiable, in this case it's a section of hull plating.
working down the wreck it's pretty intact so you do get to see the ship even though it's at ninety degrees to the norm
A view of the sections of masts if you are heading towards the Hopper, they are in a section of sand filled gully at the base of the rock face
Well on the way but too shiny for my liking.
A bit of deco after the bounce dive, yes the other guy did make it!
Ahhhh, bollards! Well at least this is an identifiable lump in the middle of the wreckage
I was stuck three days in this because I decided to stay overnight after picking up the piece of ancient wood that was the winter project 2018/19, was it worth it? Probably.
Girders and bits and bats that have flattened onto the bed-rock in the main gully
A Velvet Swimming Crab (Necora puber) hiding under a Dead Mans Finger (Alcyonium digitatum), there can be quite a few creepy crawlies hidden away you simply have to take the time and look!
When you get to the sandstone bedrock there are quite a few areas where there are 'small' gullies with undercut sections, surprisingly there are very few lobsters in the cut-backs but a few under boulders!
Some of the armoured plates have been removed and the remaining ribs are quite photogenic
Part of the engine assembly, in this case a con rod on the main shaft, not easy to get a sense of scale but it's B----I----G.
A Common Whelk (Nucella lapillus) I had to double take as this one was eating what seemed to be an edible crab and on checking yup they do eat crabs, amazing!
Dead Mans Fingers (Alcyonium digitatum)
You will certainly get a few chances for 'davit' shots on the wreck!
A side view of the 'vertical' boiler, the boilers were well made and still intact, unlike those of SS Coryton at Ross Sands where you can swim inside to get nice atmospheric shots
This flounder (Platicthys flesus) stayed put until the flash fired and then it was off, at speed!
You will find this particular sponge all over 'shallow' sites around the Northumbrian coast, not being an expert I can only guess that it is Stelletta lactea and if someone wishes to correct me then great!
This is a head on shot of a Greater Spotted Dogfish, or Bull Huss or catshark or Nursehound (Scyliorhinus stellaris) they are becoming a more common visitor every year.
On one particular stone there were loads of Candy striped flatworms (Prostheceraeus vittatus), not sure why as adjacent areas were devoid.
You can get all manner of brass raging agents, I went with a vinegar fume bath and I am more than happy with the results.
This waterlogged piece of wood, which I think had been a fence post was covered in hard pink coraline and very 'pretty', once underwater it doesn't take long for detritus and junk to be absorbed into the eco-system