What to do with all these lumens?

[malligator]

As a diver in the PNW I don't own a light--primary or backup--that is less than 1000 lumens. My primary only goes down to 1100 on low. I am going to paradise in March and I need to figure out my lighting strategy. My ideas...

1. Go with what I have. Use my can light on low during the day and hopefully use my backups at night. They're DRIS 1000's so still too much, but they won't light the reef up light a stadium like my can light would.
2. Use my can light at night, but only as necessary. I'd basically follow the group around and leech off their ambient light.
3. Get a Dive Rite diffuser for my can light. Maybe that will make it usable at night?
4. Buy a small low-lumen light just for night diving and use my light cannons as backup.
5. Buy two small lights and leave the cannons at home.

Advice?

 

[Kamaros]

Assuming your can light has a spot beam, I don't think 1100 lumens is so high that it would detract from the night diving experience enough to warrant switching to a lower powered light. Hell, if you look at the product lines for common recreational dive light manufacturers like BigBlue and Light & Motion, most of their spots are already stronger than 1000 lumens once you get to past the $150 USD mark. I'd just use the can light unless switching to smaller lights will let you save on luggage fees.

 

[rhwestfall]

Those $60 DGX 600 LM are nice night dive lights for tropics, won't break the bank, and make for a nice small back-up in cold water. Been using them for years. I am a Great Lakes diver, so like you, 1k (minimum) lights with a light-saber tight beam are a necessity... Might be interesting to get the video one for $10 more for nice light for clear water...

YMMV

 

[outofofficebrb]

I use 1200’s during the day for looking around crevices and actually wouldn’t buy or own anything less than that so I think use what you have. For night dives and video I use 3300-3800 but have them on low unless I’m shooting then I have them on high. I sometimes use that during the day on low for peeking around. Just use what you have. You’ll be fine.

 

[Darnold9999]

Going to disagree. A light in the tropics with that much power is going to destroy the night vision of everyone around you and scare at least some of what you want to see away. I have an old Princton tec LED light that I have used for years for poking around at night, also have a fairly new 2000 lumen light for video. The first time I turned it on near the end of a night dive it was like turning on a floodlight - lit up the whole reef and not in a good way.

 

[tridacna]

Totally agree with @Darnold9999 above. Please don't be THAT guy who ruins everyone's dive by lighting up the reef like a football stadium. Night dives are special because it's dark.

 

[Kamaros]

I think what you want to avoid mainly is too wide of a light rather than too strong of one.