Cave Diving Backup Lights / Rechargeable Batteries

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Capt Jim Wyatt

Hanging at the 10 Foot Stop
Staff member
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Scuba Instructor
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Location
High Springs - Cave Country
# of dives
5000 - ∞
This topic has been discussed but I am looking for the most recent thinking.

Background: Years / Decades ago we NEVER trusted rechargeable batteries in our cave diving backup lights because they were not reliable. We taught our students to use alkaline batteries.....

Fast Forward to today - Some / Many cave divers are now using rechargeable batteries in their cave diving backup lights. The thinking seems to be that they are now reliable enough to trust in a cave diving backup light.

I'd like to better understand the "thinking" behind this premise. What makes them better nowadays? Which ones are better? What brands are better? Is there a difference in the chargers for these batteries?
 
This topic was never mentioned to me, and my back ups have always been rechargable (Dive Rite CX-1s).
 
This topic was never mentioned to me, and my back ups have always been rechargable (Dive Rite CX-1s).

What year did you take your cave classes?
 
To date I only use Energizer or Duracell non-rechargeable batteries in my backups. They get checked before every dive and replaced annually. I've had Costco and Sam's Club non-rechargeables fail and ruin several backups over the years so major name brand batteries only for me.


I think batteries have gotten better. I know several folks who will use quality rechargeable 18650 batteries and have been doing so without issue for a while. Considering there are proven primaries that reliably run on the same rechargeables I personally dont see an issue with them used for backups as long as they are checked and recharged as needed.
 
Still using alkaline batteries. For me it just makes things simpler (one less thing to think about): I load fresh batteries, Clip backup lights to harness, Never take them off the harness, Only turn them on to check pre-dive, replace batteries annually. For me personally, it makes one less failure point and the failure point is my brain being certain that I charged the batteries. I finished my Cave training within the past 3 years. I was presented with the pros/cons of both types of backup lights.
 
I use NiMH rechargeables in all my divelights (is there supposed to be a difference between backup and main light?).

After a day of cave diving, all batteries go into the chargers, regardless of being used or not.
 
I use rechargable 18650 bateries in my primary and backups, the primary takes 3 so after a dive i just cycle them, the primary gets 2 from the backups and a fresh one and the backups get fresh ones, that way i'm sure that my backups work. I don't do long penetrations so I dont need that much run time.
 
I just did my CCR cave course. I did notice when I was reading the Tao of Cave Diving it still says to use non-rechargeable batteries in your backup lights.

I think if you compare the lights used today as backup lights, many of them have a similar burn time to the primary lights from days gone by. I’d be comfortable with rechargeable batteries in at least one backup light if not both.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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