What Torch to buy

[Duck Dive Darren]

Hi all. I am wondering if someone can give me a bit of advice regarding a dive torch. I look at the dive shops and they are ever so expensive then I look on ebay and the sellers all seem less than honorable looking at their ratings. I should add that I am in Australia. I dont need the best on the market but I dont want to buy some crap. Money is an issue as I am on the pension (social security). Thanks for any help. cheers

 

[Vitesse2l]

If all you're doing is looking under rocks and stuff then any generic Chinese dive torch. If it's night diving (or anything more advanced) at least one of your two torches should be the more expensive type, and used to backup your cheap one.

 

[Duck Dive Darren]

If all you're doing is looking under rocks and stuff then any generic Chinese dive torch. If it's night diving (or anything more advanced) at least one of your two torches should be the more expensive type, and used to backup your cheap one.

Hey thanks for the quick reply. Great advise. I think I essentially just want to look for crayfish (lobster) so maybe ebay is the answer then. Again...thank you

 

[lermontov]

get a big blue get the best you can afford - i think adreno sell them you won't regret buying a decent torch but if you buy a cheap one you will - if you dive regularly or intend to dive regularly get good gear -youll find that as you dive more and if you want to progress in making more demanding dives you'll need to upgrade

on the other hand if you aren't sure get something cheaper until you really know where you want to take your diving

 

[Vitesse2l]

Hi again Darren, just to qualify my mention of Chinese torches, they are cheap and in my experience work well but don't expect them to last forever!

 

[Zef]

OrcaTorch can be purchased from Amazon.com.au

The D550 is quite bright for its size.

OrcaTorch offers a 1-year warranty on their products that they will extend to 2-years if you register the product on their website after purchase.

I am currently waiting on the arrival of replacement D550 that unexpectedly stopped working. It is in the mail. OrcaTorch and the vendor were really good about covering the torch under warranty.

https://www.amazon.com.au/ORCATORCH...ld=1&keywords=orcatorch&qid=1572610552&sr=8-1

-Z

 

[Schwob]

OrcaTorch can be purchased from Amazon.com.au

The D550 is quite bright for its size.

OrcaTorch offers a 1-year warranty on their products that they will extend to 2-years if you register the product on their website after purchase.

I am currently waiting on the arrival of replacement D550 that unexpectedly stopped working. It is in the mail. OrcaTorch and the vendor were really good about covering the torch under warranty.

https://www.amazon.com.au/ORCATORCH...ld=1&keywords=orcatorch&qid=1572610552&sr=8-1

-Z

Just a thought on warranties and brand names:
- Both may be, but are not necessarily at all an indicator of quality.
- A warranty does not help you on that dive, or even that dive trip on which your device may fail.
- The brand name is of course not necessarily an indication on who is the manufacturer.

And a thought on lights:
I have some with switches that lasted a while, some however not. The ones w/o switches seem to do better, but some with switches seem to be fine too... but how to tell?
I've learned to avoid the ones with o-rings of tiny cross sections as well as anything that is not anodized in the threaded or o-ring sealing area (I unfortunately have a hog branded light that is a mess in that way and it won't surive an upcoming move. 3 reasonably sized o-rings is great.

And as I found (as I ignored that aspect early on) that I like stubby (short) lights much better when using them on a Goodman glove (or handle) as well as clipped off as spare.

 

[CrumhornDiver]

I have liked my Xtar D26 1100 torches purchased on eBay. Twist button, locking, 4 brightness settings, no issues so far.

There is a newer version of the D26, the 1600. So far, I don't like them as much and they're a little more expensive. There are reviews of the D26 1100 here on Scubaboard if you search. I've had three now and no issues with any of them. I made my own soft goodman handles for them to keep them out of my hand.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I don't know what shipping would be but I'm going of 5 years with my DGX500 and 800 with the twist on switch. Same batteries. My wife and I Just finished a 100 minute night dive with them an hour ago and charging them now to hit the cenotes tomorrow. Best $50-$60 I have spent on dive gear.

DGX 600 Handheld Light | Dive Gear Express®

Pet a koala and drink a fosters for me!!


Good luck,
Jay

 

[NothingClever]

....and drink a fosters for me!

LoL....that’s like telling an American to drink a Pabst Blue Ribbon or a Keystone....not quite the top choice.

But I’m sure they appreciate the sentiment.