primary light

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

i have a princeton tec shockwave led. i like it. it is bright. it gets the job done and was exactly what i wanted for the amount of money spent. but depending on how much you are willing to spend.......go with HID if you aren't going to go canister.

 

[piikki]

Since the OP was referring to New England conditions... how many of you have 21W vs 10W cans and why?

 

[Rainer]

Since the OP was referring to New England conditions... how many of you have 21W vs 10W cans and why?

My 21W Sandho arrives in two weeks. I wanted something brighter than my current 6C light!

 

[piikki]

My 21W Sandho arrives in two weeks. I wanted something brighter than my current 6C light!

Yea, I want something brighter than my back-up too! I am just torn between the '10W is quite enough' -camp and 'always the bigger and better gadgets - there can never be too much light' -camp

 

[Rainer]

Yea, I want something brighter than my back-up too! I am just torn between the '10W is quite enough' -camp and 'always the bigger and better gadgets - there can never be too much light' -camp

My thinking was that in a short time I'd just decide that the 10W wasn't enough, and be out shopping for the light I actually wanted. It's a TON of money (for me), but better than paying twice.

 

[NJMike]

How much light do you need, anyway? I'm shopping for my first primary light. Is 5w enough for casual diving/night dives? I'm not planning on doing any tek diving anytime soon so that is not part of my criteria for a light.

But I'd like to know what the practical difference is between a 5.3w (UK D4) and a 13w (UK D8). How far would each beam go?

 

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

i'm pretty sure the UK website has diagrams on how each beam is projected for their individual lights. check that out. keep in mind that the higher wattage will be easier for your buddy to see you on a night dive or low vis.

 

[mattroz]

I had a D8....It was fine for casual diving. I found that, with all the great wrecks that we have here in the st-lawrence.. and you guys in wreck valley, that casual diving turns into more advaced recreational and my dive gear re-purchases (read i bought everything twice because i didn`t listen) go with that. You will enjoy a 10W can HID... the sea elite one is a rebranded salvo and is a great light for 499$

 

[Rainer]

How much light do you need, anyway? I'm shopping for my first primary light. Is 5w enough for casual diving/night dives? I'm not planning on doing any tek diving anytime soon so that is not part of my criteria for a light.

But I'd like to know what the practical difference is between a 5.3w (UK D4) and a 13w (UK D8). How far would each beam go?

Depends what you plan to use the light for. I want a light that I'll be able to use for signaling in deep dark water. 5W isn't going to cut it (the water that is). For a night dive in clear water? That's plenty! If anything, I'm worried that the can light will be too much light for tropical night dives...

 

[piikki]

I do not worry too much about clear/tropical waters because that's not what I dive. I worry about the same 'buying-twice' issue though. Many say 10W is quite enough for open water, some say that open water exactly requires the brighter light (for signaling). I don't know. I dive mainly in dark lakes and St Lawrence/Lake Ontario and will hopefully start diving more in the New England coastline now that I am in drysuit.

I have UK4 Led which I got for AOW. It gives out enough for little night dives but I dislike carrying it around. Diving in a group, there was not a huge difference to UK8 output but a massive difference to the UK HID.

I basically use my back-up Photon Torpedo Led as my fake-primary - it gives out as much light, and is way handier to carry around. If you are planning to get can later, that's a good way to go.