Primary Light for Night Diving

[jswantek]

Ok, first off, if I'm posting this in the wrong place, please feel free to relocate it.

Now, down to business. I'm taking my AOW certification this week and I need a primary light for night diving. I'm looking for recommendations for a decent light on a budget. Any suggestions?

 

[AtomicZ]

This all depends on how much you would like to spend and also the conditions you will be diving in. I did my AOW class in Lake Travis with a 4.7W Intova light (normally a backup ~130 lumens) and was very comfortable with everything. The vis was probably about 10 feet that night and it was very enjoyable. From what I hear, the OMS Vega K2, Salvo Rat/Leviathan Levelian, and Ozycheq Raider are also excellent ones in a similar price range. If you are looking to spend a bit more to get something closer to a true primary, I would look to see if you can find a Dive Rite LED 500 or old MR11 Sunspot that someone is willing to sell.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Let me preface my recommendations by saying that you should definitely ask some local divers what they use. They'll know exactly what cuts through the local murk.

If you were diving in a tropical locale, you could get away with a smaller light. Since you're probably diving in a local quarry, you should err on the side of too-much-light. In San Diego waters, I have had good luck with the Princeton Tec Shockwave eLED (about $100, 8-C batteries). I wouldn't go with anything "smaller." They're a good value for the amount of light that they emit. LED lights are whiter than the yellowish halogen lights. Furthermore, lights that use regular halogen bulbs are much more fragile than their LED counterparts. I have dive buddies who are quite happy with the UK Light Cannon, which throws out a stonger yellower light than the Princeton Tec Shockwave eLED. Before making your purchase, you should know that the Light Cannon bulbs are quite expensive to replace (almost $100) and can be damaged easily if you were to drop the light onto pavement from about waist height. (Don't ask how I know.)

If I had to make my purchase nowadays, I'd get the 4-C LED light called the Miniwave LED. I'd also get some good quality rechargeable C batteries like these in addition to a solid charger. That setup should keep you going for several years.

I'm sure others will chime in with their preferences. UK is pretty good with their customer service, although recently one of my dive buddies had to wait 4 months for a wonky light to be replaced under warranty with them. Apparently, the replacement bulbs were on backorder for quite some time. Go figure.

I haven't had the need to test Princeton Tec's customer service. Their lights have performed admirably for me over the past 5 years. YMMV.

Don't forget to get a smaller backup light. I use the Princeton Tec40 (4AA) as my backup. It's inexpensive (<$20), small, and reliable.

Good luck with your night dives. They're my favorite!

 

[jswantek]

Just a follow-up post. I ended up buying a Princeton Tec Shockwave II light. It's not an LED, but it still throws a good bit of light. One thing that did disappoint me with the light was that as soon as I went to 'lock' the switch in the off position after my second dive, the plactic lock broke clean in half and fell out. I couldn't even find the pieces. So, now I'm debating if I want to just keep using it as-is, get a replacement or just get my money back and buy a different brand. Has this happened to anyone else with the Princeton Tec lights? If so, how have you handled it?

 

[CalgaryDF]

Just a follow-up post. I ended up buying a Princeton Tec Shockwave II light. It's not an LED, but it still throws a good bit of light. One thing that did disappoint me with the light was that as soon as I went to 'lock' the switch in the off position after my second dive, the plactic lock broke clean in half and fell out. I couldn't even find the pieces. So, now I'm debating if I want to just keep using it as-is, get a replacement or just get my money back and buy a different brand. Has this happened to anyone else with the Princeton Tec lights? If so, how have you handled it?

If it doesn't bother you can probably just leave it broken. I haven't had any problems with the switch on my Shockwave turning on or off and I don't use the lock.

 

[Stu S.]

Not that failure, and we have two. We did have a Princeton crack after being left in a dive bag in the back of my truck. Charles' Law, you know.

Princeton has a great warranty. You can get a no-hassel repair or replacement.

 

[The Great Kazoo]

I have had three PT LEDs and all three switches have broken. I returned each one for another one. The last one I took back and upgraded to the UK C8eLED. I also purchased the UK Light Cannon. UK advertises their switches as unbreakable. I have yet to break one. If you leave your PT switch broken, it may turn on in your bag and be dead when you need it.

 

[themagni]

I've got a PT Shockwave (9W), a PT Torrent (3W), and a Pelican Sabrelight Recoil 2010.

The shockwave is great. I dive in cold, dim, murky water. The problem with the two PT lights is that they cannot focus; if it is really murky, there's a LOT of backscatter. (High beams in the fog.) The Pelican can't focus either, but the design seems to penetrate a little more. I've got the older LED cells from before the double-power upgrade; I'm tempted to order the new cell just because I can.

None of these lights should use a NiHM battery. There are no regulators, which means that the lower the voltage, the lower the output. NiHM is 1.2V instead of 1.5V. With regular batteries, you get a ~20 hour burn time on a set of el cheapo batteries. With MH batteries, you'll get way more time, but less light. Rechargeable alkaline will work out just fine. I use dollar store batteries.

You will have to work your butt off to break an LED. You can turn it on and off underwater without fear. Dropping it will have no effect, insofar as you do not drop it where you can't reach it. (e.g. into a crevasse, off a ledge, etc.)

The warranty for both companies is absolutely unbeatable. The light will last you for the rest of your diving career.

 

[FishOutUvH2O]

I did my AOW class in Lake Travis with a 4.7W Intova light (normally a backup ~130 lumens) and was very comfortable with everything.

I bought one of these for my wife for about $50USD from Dive Gear Express (formerly Dive-Rite Express) and holly crap, is this little light bright for it's size. Even in full sunlight on a tropical reef with endless visibility, this thing would still light up the reef.

Just a follow-up post. I ended up buying a Princeton Tec Shockwave II light. It's not an LED, but it still throws a good bit of light. One thing that did disappoint me with the light was that as soon as I went to 'lock' the switch in the off position after my second dive, the plactic lock broke clean in half and fell out. I couldn't even find the pieces. So, now I'm debating if I want to just keep using it as-is, get a replacement or just get my money back and buy a different brand. Has this happened to anyone else with the Princeton Tec lights? If so, how have you handled it?

I had the same thing happen to me with a brand new Tec Shockwave about a month ago. I hadn't even gotten it wet yet. I've used it for a few dives now and have to say that not having the locking ring hasn't caused me any problems "yet." I do pay more attention to where I put it so it doesn't get accidentally turned on. And if it does I'll be able to see it, but that's about it. It just hasn't seemed worth it to send the light back to be fixed.


On a side note: For the love of god, please don't use a canister light on a tropical reef dive. They are just overkill. They light up a square kilometer of ocean, piss-off the wildlife, and when you get nailed in the eyes by one your blind for a while. I swear I could smell my retinas burning.