finding the light of my life

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

I need a light to open up my world.

i've been looking at the C8 or C4, the shockwave, and the nemo.

anyone have any suggestions/recommendations?

 

[BigWhiteSquare]

It's just a cheap light, but my Ikelite C-Lite 8 has never given any trouble.

 

[H2Andy]

i had a C8, liked it very much, but a bit bulky. i have gone with a SL6 as a backup
light in caves and primary for night dives. it's bright, compatct, and i just like the way it feels in my hand.

http://www.scubatoys.com/store/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=UKSL6

i also carry a PCa ... tiny light, awesome output:

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/3pc_lite.html

 

[diveprof]

Well I'm not exactly anti-light (not fully over to the dark side), but I'm not a believer that more light is better. People tease me sometimes, but my favorite dive lights are the princeton tec 40 (4 watt 4AA battery light, twist on) and the Princeton tec surge ( 7.5 w light, 8AA batteries). Both give great light for the $$$s. I use rechargeable batteries. For caribbean diving, lake diving, night diving, river diving, low vis diving, these are my choices. In situations with suspended particles (lakes, rivers, plankton blooms, etc., more light often means more reflected light - less useful vision. I tend to be more of a minimalist in gear config and am not the dive light industry's best spokesperson. I do not feel a need to light up a quarter of an acre on a night dive. I have found that with my small lights, I actually see more marine life -be it the focus of a small light or not scaring off everything with a nuclear proton beam. Besides, everyone knows that the large marine animals with teeth for ripping and shredding are always exactly 180 degrees from your light beam anyway ...

 

[S. starfish]

I'd go with one of the UK lights, I haven't seen much trouble with those. Which one depends on what you're doing and where you are. I have no idea what the waters are like around rhode island, but I'm guessing they're a little murky like the waters up here. If you don't mind a large, clunky light I'd suggest going for a D8 or D4 with a lantern grip. I had a D8 with a pistol grip and it was just annoying. the C8 and C4 are both fine lights, but are both fixed pistol grips, of the two I'd go for the C4 simply because it's much smaller than the C8. Unless you're in clear waters I'd avoid the C8 LED, the lights doesn't penetrate too well.
My $ 0.02

 

[TSandM]

My husband bought the little Ikelite light while we were in Maui, and I was really startled at how bright and focused the beam is, even in our murky water.

What kind of light you buy depends on what you want to do with it. If you want a light only for night diving, you need far less light than you do if you want to do signalling in the daytime in clear or turbid water.

I have experience with that Ikelite I mentioned, with the C4 and C8, with the Light Cannon, the Nite Rider HID and the Salvo 21W HID. I will tell you that dive lights are like addictive drugs . . . You just go from one to the next strongest. You may as well skip all the intermediate steps and buy the Salvo now. It will actually be cheaper in the long run

 

[S. starfish]

I will tell you that dive lights are like addictive drugs . . . You just go from one to the next strongest.

Oh man I hear that. I started out with the attitude "I just need something to poke about in dark corners with. Now I dive the 10 W Greenforce HID. My wallet hates me.

 

[TSandM]

starfish, you have only just begun to hurt . . . There is a 21W HID in your future!

 

[S. starfish]

starfish, you have only just begun to hurt . . . There is a 21W HID in your future!

NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
(yea, i know)

 

[rigdiver]

I need a light to open up my world.

i've been looking at the C8 or C4, the shockwave, and the nemo.

anyone have any suggestions/recommendations?

Look at the Heser 3 C-cell. It's a quality piece of equipment. I lent mine to a friend in the Red Sea a couple of months ago and the comments from other diver's were "light sabre" and "we thought it would cut the fish in half." Last week in a wreck a friend of mine "turned his light off" because the Heser was so powerful. Best deal is from Jack at www.dublinbaydiving.com