Why the left hand on a canister light?

[Kendall Raine]

I'm pretty sure DIR divers are supposed to be comfortable using their lights in either hand as required. However, the canister light the light cord has to be long enough that when the light is in your left hand (cannister on right hip) that you can stretch your arm out fully. Since the cord is that length, and wrapping it around your right arm is discouraged, using the light in your left hand leaves less slack cord to hang around and potentially snag on things. That's not the main reason for using the left hand most of the time, but it's one of the benefits.

Cord should not be wound around either arm. Holding head in left hand means minimal excess cord in the first place if sized correctly. If holdng head in the right hand the excess can be drawn up and held in place in the right hand-in notch between thumb and index finger. The arm is held out extended, not the T Rex look, so excess in the right hand is slight anyway. That way the head and be switched quickly without all the winding and unwinding. Holding light head and excess cord while operating Gavin all with right hand is trivial, BTW. If head is clipped off on right D ring-never left D ring or looped behind the neck-the excess is stowed in waist strap.

 

[Meng_Tze]

As for backup lights, I have a simple solution I put in. A small loop of bungie cord. A sort of bracelet.

The back up lights have bolt snaps. So when I take out a backup light, I put it in my right hand, snap the light to the bungie bracelet. This serves to ensure the light does not get dropped and if I need to do something with my right hand, it is right there. In case of a OOG situation, I "drop" the light, donate and grab the light.

In caves my primary light goes from left to right depending on the situation. Mostly in left, but it has been known to spend time in he right hand. Maybe DIR, maybe not. It serves my purposes

 

[rjack321]

As for backup lights, I have a simple solution I put in. A small loop of bungie cord. A sort of bracelet.

The back up lights have bolt snaps. So when I take out a backup light, I put it in my right hand, snap the light to the bungie bracelet. This serves to ensure the light does not get dropped and if I need to do something with my right hand, it is right there. In case of a OOG situation, I "drop" the light, donate and grab the light.

In caves my primary light goes from left to right depending on the situation. Mostly in left, but it has been known to spend time in he right hand. Maybe DIR, maybe not. It serves my purposes

Are you going onto backup lights that often to justify the bracelet?? I think I have "for real" once, in a checkout dive for Tech1. I broke the cord on my canister light at a very inopportune moment.

 

[limeyx]

Heh....they don't (well, the one's I dive with don't!)

They wrap the cord around their right arms and hold the lighthead in their right hands when negotiating tight restrictions! No loop hanging down, no worries!
...

Actually, the GUE ones don't (or at least shouldn't) do that.

Light is always in the left hand, unless it is clipped off, or held with the thumb of the right hand when doing something (checking gas etc.)

If the hose is too long and gets caught, just use your left thumb to make a small loop in the hose, which effectively temporarily shortens is.

Right hand is free for OOA emergencies etc.

 

[limeyx]

Backup lights are hand-held, but not pistol grip. They're stowed on the harness. If you're only using one, which you would only do in OW, I'm not aware of any prescription for which side you show stow it. (There may be one, but I haven't run into it.) I keep mine on the left, because it's easier to deploy on that side for me.

I think preference is the right for one backup light as it helps keep the D-ring holding the long hose closer to your chest and easier to access.

 

[limeyx]

Are you going onto backup lights that often to justify the bracelet?? I think I have "for real" once, in a checkout dive for Tech1. I broke the cord on my canister light at a very inopportune moment.

We've had a few primaries go out (mostly due to the crappy Halcyone NiMh batteries that are as far as I understand, put together in violation of the battery manufacturers recommendations and so on the larger packs, you often get only a 1/2 or 1/3 charge)

Had a couple on night dives in OW, and one in a cave in Mx when Danny was opening my valves after a post failure -- I accused him after the dive of being a little too vigorous on the light failures, and he admitted that that one wasn't him -- he was as surprised as me to see it go out, but I think he was secretly pleased to see something else for us to cope with!


But I still wouldnt see the need for an extra loop of anything to clip it onto.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Uhm, when doing drills, yes. And the justification of a bracelet is not that big of a deal (minimal cost, no entanglement hazard) when it comes to the cost of loosing a backup light (both monetary and not having light). I know I have dropped two lights in the ocean....

It's offered here as a safety catch to prevent from loosing a light (maybe on an ocean dive where the depth would prevent you from getting it). Nothing more. No background analysis needed.

 

[rjack321]

The bracelet is a good idea. Although I think I'd just use the bungie on my compass or gauge instead. I almost never deploy a backup in OW. My diverite HID has been (knock on wood) quite reliable

 

[Mo2vation]

I've wondered about this for quite some time. It appears that when diving a can light you are supposed to use your left hand for this. I've never understood why. I must also say I'm not a DIR diver so please keep that in mind for any responses. Since I don't dive a can light or I'm also curious as to which hand you would use with your backup light in case your primary went out and any reasons as to why?

It goes on the left hand so you can see to reload.

Duh.

---
Ken

 

[prthd9]

I don't know what standard cords are, but I just purchased a light and the gentleman showed me to wrap the cord around my left arm to remove excess and it works good so far on the surface. Haven't got to dive the new light yet