Help me pick a dive light

[scubafanatic]

Not yet ... let me put it that way

I'd placed the Dorcy/Penetrator order with Piranha when they first posted the pre-order special, so I've just been waiting.

I'm currently doing some training where twisty is a "must", and as such the Dorcys looks like they will be very nice lights and certainly a much better value per $$ than the "name brands".

I am still looking at the MB-Sub lights. I think the X1-VB might be the perfect clear water night dive primary. The VB-50 could be an equally excellent primary for less than optimal viz conditions (i.e. everything local to me )

But the pricing was just too "painful" for me at the moment. I'm hoping to get to fondle the MB-Sub lights at BTS next week. However, if you're not expecting yours until a couple of weeks from now, Golem Gear may not have them at the show either. We'll see.



I don't mind the twisty lights as much. I've been wrenching on mechanical stuff for many years, so the direction of loosen/tighten are pure reflex by now. I suspect that at least some floods may be simple mistakes. As for the turning on at depth - a quick "push on the bezel" test should eliminate most of them.

I have an old Halcyon Scout (upgraded with home-made LED), and I did a bit of testing: an extra 1/4 turn from off makes it impossible for me to "light" the light by pushing on the bezel. An additional 1/4 turn should pretty much secure the light being off without getting close to the sealing o-ring. It really all depends on the thread pitch of the head-to-body as well as machining tolerances. My W200 from DX has aluminum body and head with a finer thread pitch and take even less of a twist to turn off securely.

So not so much of a deal-breaker to me. Of course, now that I've thoroughly "jinxed" myself we'll see how long my twisty lights last

Henrik

no sweat, Henrik, I've taken dive classes too where the instructor was very particular about allowable versus unallowable gear...understood. Jakob @ Golem Gear didn't give an exact time the light will arrive, per his 3/16 msg "about two weeks" which puts it very end of March/very start of April-ish. Hopefully you'll get to touch the 'real deal' at BTS.

Understand about 'price' being in issue....the mbsub lights just have a very high quality look and feel, and intelligent design, and it's cheaper in the longer run to get the quality up front than buy cheap lights several times over.

BTW, my 3rd X1-VB arrived TODAY (priority mail), so gotta rig it up with light sock and other goodies so it can join the fleet !

 

[HenrikBP]

Jakob @ Golem Gear didn't give an exact time the light will arrive, per his 3/16 msg "about two weeks" which puts it very end of March/very start of April-ish. Hopefully you'll get to touch the 'real deal' at BTS.

Understand about 'price' being in issue....the mbsub lights just have a very high quality look and feel, and intelligent design

BTW, my 3rd X1-VB arrived TODAY (priority mail

Congratulations on (yet another) light

Here's hoping the MB-Sub lights will arrive in time for BTS. If so I'll report back my impressions.

I'm with you on spending the money right the first time around. I'd been circling a good deal on a 21W HID light, but to me it's just not the time to buy HID lights. IMO too much $$ for a narrow purpose light of aging (and stagnant) technology.

Henrik

 

[lof]

MB SUb are trying to get us the VB-50 in time for BTS. There is still achance for FedEx to get it here in time
Some unexpected delays affected the timeline.

 

[scubafanatic]

Congratulations on (yet another) light

Here's hoping the MB-Sub lights will arrive in time for BTS. If so I'll report back my impressions.

I'm with you on spending the money right the first time around. I'd been circling a good deal on a 21W HID light, but to me it's just not the time to buy HID lights. IMO too much $$ for a narrow purpose light of aging (and stagnant) technology.

Henrik

Just go ahead and bring your checkbook to BTS....the mbsub lights are so slick you won't be able to resist! And I echo your sentiments about HID....I've had a 10W DR HID can light for some years, and it's been just fine, especially for a reef diver (not a caver/wreck diver), but HID has had it's day, and progress marches forward, I'm done with HID (although still keeping the HID can light as a spare as it's worth more to me as a 'reserve' unit than I'd get if I sold it for cash.)

 

[HenrikBP]

MB SUb are trying to get us the VB-50 in time for BTS. There is still achance for FedEx to get it here in time

Fingers crossed and cheering Fedex on

Just go ahead and bring your checkbook to BTS....the mbsub lights are so slick you won't be able to resist!

Yeah, I'm debating whether to bring checkbook and "plastic" ... could end up being an expensive weekend

Henrik

 

[jkling17]

We just got back from 8 days in Bonaire. I bought my monster "light cannon" UK1200 along but didn't use it at all (lent it to another in our group). I was VERY impressed with the performance of the Intova Nova Wide Angle Torches.

I kept one with me during the day for checking out under ledges and seeing details below 50'. At night, I used two of them and was amazed. These are the BEST lights ever - for open water diving when you need to see stuff from 1-15'. The deep penetration isn't as good as the massive primary lights but in my opinion they aren't needed. I'm interested in seeing stuff that is CLOSE.

These lights have a single very wide angle hot spot (about 40 degrees from center), rather than the typical narrow "hot spot" from a normal light and halo that extends much further around it.

It is also very easy to find batteries without spending a lot. Batteries and butter has them for $0.75 each. And you can easily get 3 dives in on a set, perhaps even 4.

If you really want more light than you get from a single torch, then just hold the two so that you get a double beam - and you'll jump up from about 130 lumens to at least 200, perhaps even as much as 225-250.

Spend the $55 and get one of these asap - you won't regret it. In my case I bought a 2nd one after testing the 1st against my 8xC and 8xD lights.

Thank you, Intova!!!

Jeff

 

[zap2467]

I really think that you should chose the LED 21W Light System by Light Monkey the only problem is the price which if you don't mind paying a little bit and $1,279.00 is in your price range than you should really check this canister light out on dive gear express.com; This is not a comercial just helping to give you some good ideas to help you choose the best light.

 

[FireInMyBones]

I really think that you should chose the LED 21W Light System by Light Monkey the only problem is the price which if you don't mind paying a little bit and $1,279.00 is in your price range than you should really check this canister light out on dive gear express.com; This is not a comercial just helping to give you some good ideas to help you choose the best light.

Once I have the money, that is the one I am going to get.

For a secondary light, I use the Intova LED backups from Dive Rite clipped to my chest d-ring and attached to my harness using bicycle tire tubing. Streamlined and accessible with one hand.