Lights for long dives

[*Floater*]

Sorry, I should have specified a waist mounted canister. Good catch Floater.

I think most of the Sartek lights are waist-mountable, perhaps not the really long 24h canisters, but at least the 12h ones should work. For example, check out the CBPL18LIH21C on the page I linked to (21W 12 hour li-ion), the canister clearly has the bands for the waist loop.

 

[PerroneFord]

That light is nearly the same as the custom light I had asked about. 12hr burn time is about what I had expected. I know Golem sells the Sartek lights here in Florida. Anyone kwow who else does?

 

[FIXXERVI6]

While not strictly a rebreather question, I have a question for those of you who routinely push your canister lights beyond 4 hours.

What are you using? I suppose the 13.5A/10w HID would give enough time, and it might be close with an 18w at the same amperage. I had a conversation over the weekend with a light builder about the possibility of a custom light canister for driving the 21w HID I am looking to buy. It seemed doable, and then it struck me that this might be something RB divers would be interested in.

So how about it? Would you go back to carrying the larger SLA sized canisters to have 8+ hours burntime on your 21w HIDs? I'm not talking a return to the days of the AUL Spectrum lights, but something larger than the common 9A and 13A canisters we see commonly now.

Thanks for your thoughts.

I think I have heard of staging dive lights, solves two problems, gets you your burn time and also if your several hours in, assuming several hours out, you would want more than one primary anyway.

Don't quote me on it but I've heard it come up during shop talk

 

[PerroneFord]

Wow, I've NEVER heard of that, but seems logical. I've heard of staging other gear (tanks, scooters, rebreathers!) so why not! I have also heard of carrying backup primary lights.

Thanks for your comments...

 

[limeyx]

Wow, I've NEVER heard of that, but seems logical. I've heard of staging other gear (tanks, scooters, rebreathers!) so why not! I have also heard of carrying backup primary lights.

Thanks for your comments...

If you are really serious about this (or maybe your friends) then maybe taking 2 canisters with E/O cords is an idea.

of course, you now have 2 batts that can fail so if you get 2 hours into a cave and the spare canister is on the fritz, then you are coming out on backups.

 

[PerroneFord]

I spoke to one of them today. He is carrying two 4hr batteries currently, but had been thinking of exactly the same thing I had. We chatted a bit about it. We may try to fashion up something over the winter and try it out.

Frankly the 13.5Ah can with a 21w will suffice for me until I not only go CCR, but probably until I am on my second CCR. I just can't see being able to hang with those guys on those 6+ hr dives! Maybe my tune will change by then, but I don't know.

I'd like to just get two nice dives in without having to recharge.

 

[Mr.X]

I spoke to one of them today. He is carrying two 4hr batteries currently, but had been thinking of exactly the same thing I had. We chatted a bit about it. We may try to fashion up something over the winter and try it out.

Frankly the 13.5Ah can with a 21w will suffice for me until I not only go CCR, but probably until I am on my second CCR. I just can't see being able to hang with those guys on those 6+ hr dives! Maybe my tune will change by then, but I don't know.

I'd like to just get two nice dives in without having to recharge.

Very interesting thread. I would imagine a 13.5 can and a 9.6 can would take care of your needs nicely while supplying some redundancy. Of course, for your second rebreather you would want to stage the Airtess Joker rebreather. Your pals diving the Rb-80? Nice rig, big rig. Smaller than the PVR-BSAC design though, That was a monster.

http://www.airtess.com/site.php?r0=all&nom_code=&option=and&submit=afficher&gosearch=ok&page=doc

 

[PerroneFord]

None of my pals have an RB-80. Well at least none I dive with. The guys I am in the water with dive either a KISS, Ourboros, or a Meg. I've seen the KISS in the water for just over 4 hours, the Boros for just about 5, and the Meg with the new 8hr canister for about 6.5. Really impressive how they've stuffed the CIS can in the Meg.

I was all set to look at a KISS (and still might) but that new COPIS Meg has some REAL potential now, especially with the new canister.

 

[Mr.X]

None of my pals have an RB-80. Well at least none I dive with. The guys I am in the water with dive either a KISS, Ourboros, or a Meg. I've seen the KISS in the water for just over 4 hours, the Boros for just about 5, and the Meg with the new 8hr canister for about 6.5. Really impressive how they've stuffed the CIS can in the Meg.

I was all set to look at a KISS (and still might) but that new COPIS Meg has some REAL potential now, especially with the new canister.

Even more interesting that there are so many new kits being used! I was filming some GUE guys training on the RB 80 for a deep push years ago. Nice, solid, simple unit for the caves, + the built-in ability to shed water was cool.

Out of your choices I think the COPIS has the greatest potential with the least cost involved. The KISS Classic, while being trim and compact is a moist RB IMO. No ability to dump water which I think is a huge deficit. However, some guys make it work. I was under this weekend for two hours with the KISS and I got enough collected moisture into the bottom of the can to make it just irritating enough. WOB goes up over time. With the Meg I hardly notice anything.

The Cis can was/is terrific. I wish I had one. Until Leon makes one available??? The hydrophobic membrane made it a pure winner. Other than spending a few minutes filling it up, it is the scrubber of choice for the deep stuff and long stuff. I did like the Cis...sniff.

x

 

[PerroneFord]

You don't need to wait on a can from Leon. PM me. Also the Boros has water intrusion issues but the membrane does it's job. I've watched that unit take in water twice now and the membrane did what it was supposed to do.

The COPIS is suddenly the frontrunner for me at the moment. But I want to take alll the major units in the water first and see how I like them. I should get that chance over the winter.