passedoutwookie
Contributor
I was recently given the opportunity to try the OrcaTorch D530 by another Scubaboard member during my Intro to Cave course this past weekend. I'm in the process of upgrading my lights so I was eager to give it a shot! The D530 is nice and compact so it lends itself well to a backup light for cave dives or a general purpose light for open water dives. I added a bolt snap and carried it in my drysuit pocket clipped to a D ring. I used it several times while practicing primary light failures and ended up using it for quite awhile on a couple of the dives. The beam is powerful and tight, great for signaling. Overall build quality and function is on par with other premium quality lights. The push button switch was crisp and responsive. Battery life is really impressive. I did a battery test comparing it to the Sealife 1300 using matching batteries and found that the Orca outlasted the Sealife by quite awhile. I ended up turning the Orca off and going to bed at 5 hours. All and all, a great little light and I would recommend it! I plan on clipping it to my BP/W for open water dives this summer and will definitely be using it as a backup for my cave dives.
First photo is right after turning both lights on. Second picture is 2 hours and 15 minutes later.
First photo is right after turning both lights on. Second picture is 2 hours and 15 minutes later.