aow lights

[dorsal]

I found the dive gear express 600 DGX 600 Handheld Light Kit to be a great buy. Bright, spot beam and plenty of light to see into hose nooks in the daytime and fantastic night. I also got extra recharge batteries on amazon (folks on this board suggest avoiding anything with fire in the name)

 

[2airishuman]

I have several of the DGX series of lights. Comparable lights are sold under various names, but Dive Gear Express has the best deals I've seen. I would suggest starting there.

 

[jfe]

I'm using this as my primary, don't be fooled by the price, it is a good unit. Done over 50 dives with it, no leaks, no fuss. At the price it won't break the bank and you won't be distraught if it did leak. (There is a thread on these here on SB, Dive light from E-Bay -- Great buy!!!)

5000LM Super Bright XM-L T6 LED Diving Flashlight Waterproof 60M Fishing N8XA | eBay

Here are screen shots of the actual beam during a wreck dive.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

I require them for my students and ask that they carry them on all dives. Some fish like to live under ledges and you can't see them well without a light. And yes, I carry one or two lights on each and every dive. Why not?

There's a big difference between thinking something is a good idea and requiring it.
I've always got a couple lights with me. I think they're a great idea. Doesn't mean I'm going to tell someone else they have to carry even one.

 

[The Chairman]

Doesn't mean I'm going to tell someone else they have to carry even one.

Yeah, I disagree when it comes to my students. They're coming to me to learn and I don't want their lack of equipment to hinder that learning experience. If you're taking an AOW or higher class from me, then I do require you to have that equipment. I'm thinking about adding a slate as well. I can't do that right now as I don't dive with one, but that may change as I am beginning to see their worth.

 

[tbone1004]

@jfe that light can't reach 5000 lumen btw, literally not possible. If it could, even with a new high end 26650, it would only burn for about 20 minutes.

I found the dive gear express 600 DGX 600 Handheld Light Kit to be a great buy. Bright, spot beam and plenty of light to see into hose nooks in the daytime and fantastic night. I also got extra recharge batteries on amazon (folks on this board suggest avoiding anything with fire in the name)

I don't think these lights are the best for primaries. They are great backup lights, but the brightness fade over the burn is noticeable and rather annoying to me. In a primary I want it to burn at one brightness for the entirety of the burn even if it sacrifices some time.

For the sake of ease for @arcticat99 this is what I recommend
Two of these, $68. @stuartv lost one of these due to the edge of the hole in the back cutting through his line, so I would take a small file and smooth out the edges, though after looking at mine and all of the other lights I had, they all really needed it.
https://www.amazon.com/SecurityIng-...1491825808&sr=8-4&keywords=securitying+diving

One of these-$34
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WDQTIN...TF8&colid=20R1B8EYPPCRL&coliid=I115F5AJGO63FM

One of these-$32
https://www.amazon.com/NiteCore-D4-...rds=18650+charger&refinements=p_85:2470955011

$134, gives you two really nice lights, 4 top end batteries, and a good charger. The lights have 3 settings with low/hi/strobe which is perfect, it's a push button on the back instead of twisting or the magnetic rings which I hate, they feel like they're high quality and have survived 2 years of cave diving with no issues. No battery indicator, but for recreational diving that's fine, just bring the second one and if/when the first one dies, switch to the second, but they're good for 45-50 minutes each.

Yes DGX has the 600 now with a push button which I think is a much better, but they still don't use a constant output driver. You also have questionable battery cells, and are only 3000mah instead of the 4x3400mah Panasonics, and you have two individual chargers vs. the one Nitecore that will charge all 4 batteries on one plug.

I do also have a pair of these which are very nice lights, and do actually come with Panasonic cells, but to me aren't worth the premium over what was listed above
1-R105T Handheld Light – ANO Online Shop



Regardless of what you do, I think this is a necessity. It's the nicest light sock I have used that is universal, and while it is more expensive, it's a lot more useful than the other cheap ones on the market. You also need to look up the "how to tie a boltsnap" articles to tie a boltsnap onto the back of whichever lights you choose.
Cave Adventurers - OxyCheq Raider Light Sock (Raider III) - Marianna, Florida USA - Never Undersold!

 

[jfe]

@jfe that light can't reach 5000 lumen btw, literally not possible. If it could, even with a new high end 26650, it would only burn for about 20 minutes.

@tbone1004 I agree it is not 5000 lumen, not close, but as I've indicated that is the beam from it and it works for me. Works on a single 26650, 6800mAh battery, that alone tell you 5000lm is not possible.
For 18 bucks, it worth it.

 

[tbone1004]

@tbone1004 I agree it is not 5000 lumen, not close, but as I've indicated that is the beam from it and it works for me. Works on a single 26650, 6800mAh battery, that alone tell you 5000lm is not possible.
For 18 bucks, it worth it.

that battery is not possible either, max for a 26650 is somewhere around 5200mah. For $18 it may be worth it for cheapness, but if there is "fire" in the name on the battery, then it wouldn't be getting charged in the house and really prefer to just not have them in the first place.
The other issue I have with lights that are designed for 26650's is I don't really like the barrel size. They tend to be significantly larger than the 18650 size lights, so for me the DGX lights at $55 are worth the increase in price, and the Securitying well worth the extra $100 in safety/convenience

 

[jfe]

Last post on this from me, we're going off topic but here is the battery, have not measured it only quoting what's on it.

 

[Rred]

You might check out the lights from Princeton Tectonics. They have a lifetime warranty, and they honor it without question. Competitive product and price versus any other brand name.

FWIW lithium batteries from no-name vendors, overseas web vendors, etc. are a safety risk. There are too many batteries that are simply frauds, with capacities claimed that will never be seen on this planet, not to mention the ones manufactured so poorly they are a fire risk. Life's too short to bother with that ***t. For a new diver who isn't doing intense technical diving?

One light that runs on 4xC cells, and a smaller backup light that runs on AA cells, is plenty. Especially with LEDs these days. You can always invest in the aircraft landing light when and if you decide to do serious night or penetration diving, and then those two lesser lights become your backups.