Diving Light recommendations

[MasterMindDiver]

Hello Scubaboard,
I am looking for a primary light that have powerful beam , as I am diving in cold water and the visibility is aroung 9 ft .. may be less in some days ..

currently I am doing the internship for DM , and hopefully be an instructor in the future as well as planning to have GUE trainings... hence, I need light to be used in all of these scenarios , not to throw it away when I do other types of diving..

i did some research online and i saw the canister lights but I believe they are a bit expensive to own now , and i think it is nice to postpone purchasing it when i get serious in GUE/technical diving , is that right ??

another question is , is it better to get goodman handle and have the primary light mounted on it , or it is better to keep it simple and I attach it to my hips or shoulder harness ?

also willing to hear some recommendations about backup lights..
Regards

 

[KevinNM]

Halcyon, light monkey or uwld for primary when you get serious. Plan on $900 to $1500 plus.

Cheap light are pretty much use until they break and throw them away.

 

[sea_otter]

I'm a big fan of my Bigblue TL3100 light. For $300, it is brighter than most of my buddies' lights, save for a few very expensive can lights, and runtime on highest level is 90+ minutes. It also has a replaceable battery so I can bring along multiple (unlike the Sola). I've mounted it on a hard goodman handle (this was a requirement for GUE training - a cord was not). Granted, at the higher levels of technical and cave training, the battery life of a can light will be necessary, but that's still a ways off for me.

For backup lights, the DGX 600 or 800 lights work pretty well.

 

[MasterMindDiver]

I'm a big fan of my Bigblue TL3100 light. For $300, it is brighter than most of my buddies' lights, save for a few very expensive can lights, and runtime on highest level is 90+ minutes. It also has a replaceable battery so I can bring along multiple (unlike the Sola). I've mounted it on a hard goodman handle (this was a requirement for GUE training - a cord was not). Granted, at the higher levels of technical and cave training, the battery life of a can light will be necessary, but that's still a ways off for me.

For backup lights, the DGX 600 or 800 lights work pretty well.

Thanks Sea_otter , one question regarding Bigblue TL3100 light ,that one was the 1st light i saw while looking online i understand that the push button is not GUE/DIR compliant and the light shall be twisted .. not sure if that is correct based on what you said

 

[KevinNM]

These are the requirements from the standard for training classes:

Underwater lights:

Where required,back-up lights should be powered by alkaline batteries (not
rechargeable) and stowed on the d-rings at a diver’s chest.

Reserve lights should have a minimal amount of protrusions and a single attachment at its rear.

The primary light should consist of a rechargeable battery pack and be fitted with a Goodman-style light handle.

 

[MasterMindDiver]

These are the requirements from the standard for training classes:

Underwater lights:

Where required,back-up lights should be powered by alkaline batteries (not
rechargeable) and stowed on the d-rings at a diver’s chest.

Reserve lights should have a minimal amount of protrusions and a single attachment at its rear.

The primary light should consist of a rechargeable battery pack and be fitted with a Goodman-style light handle.

thanks a Lot KevinNM for clarifying that point

 

[MasterMindDiver]

These are the requirements from the standard for training classes:

Underwater lights:

Where required,back-up lights should be powered by alkaline batteries (not
rechargeable) and stowed on the d-rings at a diver’s chest.

Reserve lights should have a minimal amount of protrusions and a single attachment at its rear.

The primary light should consist of a rechargeable battery pack and be fitted with a Goodman-style light handle.

Hello KevinNM ,
one more clarification please ,so that means I am supposed to dive with 3 lights .. primary is goodman handle , backup light attached to chest d-ring , reserve light is another light mounted on the other -chest D-ring ? or it refers to the backup light which means all in all 2 lights to hold ?

 

[tbone1004]

get a good backup light and a glove. You want hands free access to it. I'm partial to the ANO R105T's for backup lights, and the Oxycheq Recon light socks. Ano is order direct from their website, and the sock will be from Cave Adventurers. I can never remember which version fits those lights, so call and ask them for whichever sock fits their Explorer light and it will work. The Explorer lights are also very good and you may want to look at buying a pair of those, they're just about 50% more expensive than the ANO's

by using the sock you can store it on your harness while still having hands free access with DIR style clip on the back. This is what I do if I'm diving in OW and don't need a canister light with me

 

[KevinNM]

Hello KevinNM ,
one more clarification please ,so that means I am supposed to dive with 3 lights .. primary is goodman handle , backup light attached to chest d-ring , reserve light is another light mounted on the other -chest D-ring ? or it refers to the backup light which means all in all 2 lights to hold ?

Primary has a goodman, you normally have two backups for those classes that require them. You normally fasten backup lights to the d-ring and then use a rubber band to hold it against the webbing. Usually people run with one on each chest d-ring. There is no reserve light, just two backups.

Some tech divers have spare lights (backup, primary or primary light head) in a pocket, depends on what kind of dives they are doing and what bad things have happened to them in the past.

 

[PfcAJ]

Save yourself a bunch of headache and get 2x halcyon xp scout lights and a used 21w hid/ 9ah primary.

But it nice it buy it twice.