Are corded lights a thing of the past?

[Chris H]

You would also need to deal with the cord in the event of donating one's primary to an OOG diver. It's a rare event, sure, but you don't want the cord to get in the way, so you need to do the drills dealing with the cord. Those are a PITA. I suppose if I were a more experienced diver diving more frequently it would be a non-issue. I'll likely remain a "tourist cave" diver and switch to a cordless light.

Passing the light cord under your long hose is a problem? Light in the left hand and donate with the right.
Nothing like donating with the light shining right in the OOA diver's face.

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

Try both types.

 

[cavediver256]

I just burn tested my Salvo 50W HID...... still kicking with a 3.5 hour burn time !! My 15W DR HID didn't fair as well, so it is probably time for a new battery pack for that one..... What is this LED handheld stuff you guys are talking about ???

 

[Lorenzoid]

Passing the light cord under your long hose is a problem? Light in the left hand and donate with the right.
Nothing like donating with the light shining right in the OOA diver's face.

As I said, "If I were a more experienced diver diving more frequently ...." But my cave diving is less frequent than I would like, and I do S-drills before diving to try to shake the rust off the skill you refer to with the light cord. It always takes me some practice to get the muscle memory back. You wouldn't believe how many times my buddy and I get the light cord handling wrong. Sure, nothing is a "problem" IF you keep your skills sharp with regular practice.

 

[InWay2Deep]

As I said, "If I were a more experienced diver diving more frequently ...." But my cave diving is less frequent than I would like, and I do S-drills before diving to try to shake the rust off the skill you refer to with the light cord. It always takes me some practice to get the muscle memory back. You wouldn't believe how many times my buddy and I get the light cord handling wrong. Sure, nothing is a "problem" IF you keep your skills sharp with regular practice.

Yea, i'm not sure I'm following the issue here? As long as I don't have the light cord wrapped around my neck, which i rarely do, I'm not sure how it would ever get in the way? Long hose is on the right, light cord is on the left, grab reg hose with right hand either out of my mouth or rip off d-ring (I sidemount), pass over head and into OOG divers mouth, left hand never moved, cord never got in the way?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Long hose is on the right, light cord is on the left, grab reg hose with right hand either out of my mouth or rip off d-ring (I sidemount), pass over head and into OOG divers mouth, left hand never moved, cord never got in the way?

Maybe it's not an issue for sidemount? I have no idea. But for backmounting in a DIR-ish way, after the long hose is extended to the OOG diver and the reg is in the OOG diver's mouth, you have to remember that the rest of the long hose is tucked under the light canister. At that point, if you want to give the OOG diver the full length of long hose, you have to take the light head from your left hand, pass it under the now-extended long hose, and put it back on your left hand. Then un-tuck the long hose from under the canister light. If you forget to pass the light head under the hose, it will interfere with the full deployment of the long hose. Reverse the steps when taking the reg back from the OOG diver. I guess there are other ways to route the light cord, but that's what I was taught.

 

[InWay2Deep]

Maybe it's not an issue for sidemount? I have no idea. But for backmounting in a DIR-ish way, after the long hose is extended to the OOG diver and the reg is in the OOG diver's mouth, you have to remember that the rest of the long hose is tucked under the light canister. At that point, if you want to give the OOG diver the full length of long hose, you have to take the light head from your left hand, pass it under the now-extended long hose, and put it back on your left hand. Then un-tuck the long hose from under the canister light. If you forget to pass the light head under the hose, it will interfere with the full deployment of the long hose. Reverse the steps when taking the reg back from the OOG diver. I guess there are other ways to route the light cord, but that's what I was taught.

Ah gottcha, yea on sidemount the long hose is just looped onto the tank with hose retainer bands holding it in place so nothing to get in the way, you just pull and extend. My battery canister is under my wing on the opposite side (left) of my argon bottle (right). Only time the light cord would be an issue with long hose deployment is if you had the light looped around dangling from your neck, which rarely happens, its just easier to clip it off.

 

[Aquabot]

I 100% prefer a corded light. If I have a task or something come up that needs both hands I can quickly drape it over my neck so that the light can provide ambient light on whatever it is and the beam isn't blasting my buddies in the face.

 

[xan]

I 100% prefer a corded light. If I have a task or something come up that needs both hands I can quickly drape it over my neck so that the light can provide ambient light on whatever it is and the beam isn't blasting my buddies in the face.

For those that DIR, you would clip the light to the right chest D-ring, which is the same regardless of cord/less. In the working position it’s pointing downwards and would help with whatever task you’re dealing with.

Of course maybe you don’t dive long hose and so there’s less chance of odd entanglements if the light cord was around your neck and you had to donate.

 

[Aquabot]

For those that DIR, you would clip the light to the right chest D-ring, which is the same regardless of cord/less. In the working position it’s pointing downwards and would help with whatever task you’re dealing with.

Of course maybe you don’t dive long hose and so there’s less chance of odd entanglements if the light cord was around your neck and you had to donate.

I was trained in a twinset and dive predominantly SM now. The only difference between my set ups is the location of the cylinders, missing manifold and light can placement . My light has a tendency to point up and not down, its far more convenient and faster to drape it over my neck when I am stopping only long enough to take survey data. I also don't have to be concerned with pulling excess hose back in or having it drape down and damage anything fragile. I can simply pull it back and move on to the next station.

YMMV, but again its just my preference.