HID light capabilities for wreck diving

[Wreck Junkie]

Hi,

Till last week i was resolute that an HID lighting system should form part of my rig.

Yet this weekend has proved otherwise when testing an HID light in a wreck with some inevitable silting.

My buddy was using a 50watt Xenophot light and i could clearly spot him anywhere from a distance of aroun 8 meters. Yet he could not see me properly or at all at times and this situation posed some serious considerations.

Are HID light systems the best option for silty overhead environments? Or do they reflect on the silt particles blocking off light penetration?

Can anyone enlighten me?

Cheers
Wreck Junkie
Malta

 

[MechDiver]

Hi,

Till last week i was resolute that an HID lighting system should form part of my rig.

Yet this weekend has proved otherwise when testing an HID light in a wreck with some inevitable silting.

My buddy was using a 50watt Xenophot light and i could clearly spot him anywhere from a distance of aroun 8 meters. Yet he could not see me properly or at all at times and this situation posed some serious considerations.

Are HID light systems the best option for silty overhead environments? Or do they reflect on the silt particles blocking off light penetration?

Can anyone enlighten me?

Cheers
Wreck Junkie
Malta

Ignoring the fact you were 8 meters away from your buddy, in a wreck, in silt, a HID light is the best I've found for penetrating sediment. I believe that's the case for a number of others also. Nothing will work well in that situation however.

MD

 

[salty]

what type of HID light were you using?

 

[Wreck Junkie]

Ignoring the fact you were 8 meters away from your buddy, in a wreck, in silt, a HID light is the best I've found for penetrating sediment. I believe that's the case for a number of others also. Nothing will work well in that situation however.

MD

I realise that the distance seperating us was a little bit too much!

Thanks for your input

WJ

 

[Wreck Junkie]

what type of HID light were you using?

Green-Force umbelical HID 100...but there's nothing wrong with it, possibly one with focusable beam would help that little bit better..

 

[ericfine50]

Green-Force umbelical HID 100...but there's nothing wrong with it, possibly one with focusable beam would help that little bit better..

HID is the best for a wreck (inside, silt) - a nice tight beam really "punches" thru the silt in the water. I will never trade my 18 Watt HID. No way

 

[nyresq]

just make sure the bulb is a spot and not a flood and HID will win every time over any other light types out there

I have a 10w spot and it cuts through the murky crap here in NY waters like a laser beam. I'd never go back to a regular halogen bulb...

 

[Northeastwrecks]

I use an 18W focusable HID light for all of my diving, including wreck diving. I used to use a 10W non-focusable light.

The ability to focus down to a narrow beam is key. It doesn't eliminate scatter and reflection cause by silt, but it does reduce it.

 

[Wreck Junkie]

Hi,

Thanks you all for your suggestions and advice...

Just ordered my focusable 10 W HID light and canister...hope to have it by next weekend to see the outcome...will "shed a light" on the Maltese Wrecks...

Cheers

WJ