Light for Advance Diver Night dive

[Itsahobby]

Hi all,
My son and I are going for our advance diver cert. and will need lights for the night dive portion. I don't see us doing a lot of night diving, but want something that wont leave us in the dark.
We do have a couple smaller lights already, that we plan to use for backup lights.
Thanks for any advice.

Jerry

 

[Herb-alaska]

Read the following thread for reviews on this light. It makes a great light for a primary after you figure out the goodman handle. I have the 500 and 1000 lumen models and have not been sad about the purchases. I have a can light that is making fewer and fewer dives because this light is easier to pack



http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/hot-deals/420609-1000-lumen-dive-light-sorry.html


Buy it here

http://www.diverightinscuba.com/catalog/1000-lumen-dive-light-p-3380.html

 

[scubadiver888]

When I got my AOW I just grabbed something inexpensive because I wasn't really interested in doing a lot of night diving. I figured when I really wanted a dive light I'd do more research. You just want something with a descent about of brightness. They are usually measured in lumens or lux (1 lux = 1 lumen per square metre). More lumens means brighter light. There is also the angle of the light. A narrow beam (e.g. 18 degrees) is going to be more intense and brighter. A wide beam (e.g. 110 degrees) is going to be less bright but light up a lot more.

I ended up getting a Underwater Kinetics package set with one of the lights missing for $100. Couldn't beat it. Three lights: Mini Q40, SL4 and a D8. There was supposed to be a four light but it was a floor model and the box was broken, yada, yada. The Mini Q40 at 38 lumens is good for peaking in holes but not for night diving. The SL4 at 113 lumens was pretty good. Visibility was around 15 feet so anything bright just lit up the particles in the water. I have never actually used the 367 lumen D8 but if you have more the 15 feet of visibility, it would be good to have something stronger than 100 lumens.

If you are serious about lighting and might want something for looking into caverns and wrecks (not entering unless properly trained) then there are a lot of really good lights in the 500 to 1000 lumen range. Some come with a glove that is sort of like a Goodman handle the tech divers use. I also know some people who use things like the Go Pro camera and a good video light (1000 lumens and 110 degree angle).

For me, when I got my AOW I didn't really know enough about lighting (and I'm just learning about it now) so I just got something good for a reasonable price. Mind you after 6 years the lights are starting to leak a little. I suspect new o-rings are in order... or I'll use them for camping lights (good if caught in the rain) and buy something really good for diving.

 

[Aceswild84]

When I did my AOW night dive, I purchased two small lights and a decent priced xenon light. They were alright for the class and have served me well in the past. However I upgraded to the LED SL4 from UK ( SL4 eLED » Underwater Kinetics ) . I have two of them now and they are outstanding. I have even used them on some recovery dives where the water looks like coffee sweetned with mud. My advise though is to get what you feel comfortable with thats within your budget. You never know and you may fall head over heels in love with night dives. I know I did.

Chase

 

[jmneill]

Hi all,
My son and I are going for our advance diver cert. and will need lights for the night dive portion. I don't see us doing a lot of night diving, but want something that wont leave us in the dark.
We do have a couple smaller lights already, that we plan to use for backup lights.
Thanks for any advice.

Jerry

These are off the chain for the price. 600 real world lumen output. Will take about a week to ten days for delivery.
There's also a very well done breakdown and review by Doc Ed on this light in the lights forum.

TrustFire Diving 100m CREE XML XM-L T6 LED Flashlight Torch Waterproof Tr-J1 SET | eBay

 

[j2s]

I have two SL4 eLED L1's, Underwater Kinetics...400 lumen...I use them for cave diving, have had them since they came on the market and have never had a problem....I like them better than the 'twist-head' style and they're more compact...They're rated at 10+ hrs burn time....

 

[freewillie]

I bought a Underwater Kinetics C4 Led for my night dive and wreck dive. Will use on occasion but mostly for local dives.

My dive instructor for our night dive was using this Intova light as his primary. Tovatec ITAC tactical torch waterproof flashlight | Intova Ironically they have almost the same lumen output but the latter in a smaller more travel friendly package. It will be going with me to Hawaii next month and the bigger UK C4 will stay at home.

 

[danpass]

that SL4 eLED seems very interesting. what are you guys using for batteries?



on a thread related note; is there any utility to a Princeton Tec 40 since its only 28 lumens? Tec 40 | Princeton Tec

I tried mine on a daylight dive knowing it would be totally overpowered by daylight but thinking it might at least light up holes and crevices ....... nope lol.

I wonder if having a clear mask skirt is a factor in that vs a black skirt (pupil dilation and all that)

 

[jonnythan]

I used to use a Tec 40 for a backup light until I had batteries explode in both of them. I switched over to Impact XL for a backup. Definitely not bright but serviceable for the price.

Whatever you do, don't get a pistol grip light. Those things are terrible. The DRIS 1000 Lumen light is a heck of a deal. I haven't seen one in person, but from the design and specs to the reviews here on SB it's a real winner and a great value. A rec diver won't ever need anything else (except a backup light).

 

[g1138]

Nothing beats a light sock to put a light on the top of your hand, freeing up both hands for use.

I use an Oxycheq Raider III/IV light sock and recommend 4 lights that will fit it:
- Intova Compact Torch
- Intova Tactical
- Intova Mini
- Dorcy Penetrator 220

Intova has recently changed their name to Tovatec, FYI.

The Intova Compact is 130 lumens, but a narrow beam. Very good for spotting in nooks and crannies, plenty bright at night, but the narrow beam is a pain for scanning around wide areas.
The Tactical is 130 or 220 lumens depending which year model you get. Wide beam, plenty useful for anything, except the 130 is hard to notice during bright murky conditions.

220 lumens can be seen in bright murky conditions and is perfect for night diving. The Penetrator has a decent beam size, the Mini has the largest of them all and is my go to primary light.

Penetrator's & Compacts run about $40, last roughly 6 hours, and use AAA batteries. Tacticals and Mini's run $80 and last between 3-5 hours and use CR 123A batteries (buy a 12pack of Sure-fire batteries from Surefire.com to get cheap replacements).

Dorcy Penetrators can be bought here in a 2 pack deal: LED Back-Up Lights Products


_________
Replace the lanyards with a bolt snap, tied with caveline/nylon line. You can then clip the light to your shoulder strap D-ring if you need to. And use the strap as a security lanyard. OR secure it to your BC when not in use.
Reference here: How to tie the perfect boltsnap at Wreck and Cave