Big Blue VL L.E.D or Nocturnal or UK Aquasun

[Queequeg]

I'm looking at these three lights.

-The Big Blue VL Rechargeable L.E.D

1300 Lumens. 3 power levels. Very expensive. Looks well built. 1.4 hours burn time on hi seems low. I have mixed feelings about rechargeable lights.

-Nocturnal SLX 800t or xt.

825 Lumens. Fairly expensive but seems reasonable for the quality. Good Burn time, 2 hours on max for the 800t, 5hours on max for the xt.Takes. The XT model takes more batteries...Body is 2" longer.


- UK AquaSun e. L.E.D. Rechargeable.

825 Lumens. Brightness remains constant. 2 Hour burn time. No adjustable brightness settings.



I'm leaning towards the Nocturnal Lights. Would appreciate any reviews or feedback from anyone using any of the lights I mentioned.

Thanks

 

[CajunJosh]

If you are getting either a lithium ion or lithium polymer battery you shouldn't have any concern about the quality of the rechargeable battery. Granted they can be very dangerous of exposed to water but they are not nearly as finicky as nickel based batteries. You also might want to consider the advantage of an adjustable light, if you are diving with people who have much weaker lights than you your light may be blinding and you might not be able to see them signaling if you are at a much higher power.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

You should check out the Watershot lights thread.  I have a review there.  They are running a big sale now and it's worth checking out.

 

[jlorenzen]

Banjo - make sure to check the beam pattern of the lights you are considering. A focused spot beam (6-10 degree beam pattern) will have a very bright hot spot that penetrates far in the water, where-as a flood beam (60-80degree) will light up a large area nearby...but will not light up things far ahead of you. Also note that claimed "Lumens" are not fully accurate...all lights are not created equal. the efficiency of the reflector, the control electronics, and quality of the diode used all have a big effect the actual light output of an LED light (even if the claimed "Lumens" are the same).


(FYI...I work for Watershot, but I do my best to give an accurate pros/cons list for all types and brands of LED lights)

 

[Queequeg]

What is the Watershot "sale"? I didnt see anything on the website.

I saw the chart comparing some of the popular models to the Watershot. The one I have also been considering is Dive Rite's RX2....I've kind of moved on from the Big Blue VL and the Aqua Sun but am still looking at the Nocturnal lights.

I like these Watershots though. They look lite, I like the coiled cord.

My question is in the all confusing Lumens dept. The Watershot rates 700 lumens while the RX2 rates 880. I dont know what I really need to be honest. I'm not a cave diver, I do northeast wrecks,, (non penetrating) Cooper river, murky quarries etc. Me my dive buddy are taking the advanced Nitrox and Deco class this Spring. So we are looking at hitting some wrecks that lie around 150'. Is 700 lumens sufficient? Do I know what I'm asking....Probably not!

Educate me.

 

[jlorenzen]

Below, in the image, are the details of the Watershot sale.

Here are a few other notes/answers to your questions:
1. The coiled cords and option to select the type of cord and length is a nice feature of the Watershot lights compared to others....allows each diver to set-up their light system in the way the suits them best.
2. 700 or 880 Lumens are both really bright lights - more than enough for most divers (tech or recreational). The dive right RX2 uses multiple LEDs to create the 880 lumens, and each LED has its own small reflector - smaller reflectors are less efficient and do not focus the light as much (10degrees spot). The Watershot light head produces the 700 Lumens from a single LED and uses a relatively large reflector on the single LED to focus the light (8 degree spot) - this is more effiicent and creates a more focused light pattern. I would guess that the RX2 does output more "raw lumens" (since it uses more LEDs)...but i would also guess that light pattern on the Watershot light may seem as bright in use.
3. The Watershot canister is considerably smaller than the RX2. The RX2 does have a longer burn time (4hrs instead of 3hrs for the Watershot). You can buy a larger battery for the Watershot lights to get 6hr burn time.
4. The soft hand mount included in the Watershot kit is a nice and popular mount for hands-free use of the light...and it comes with the base canister kit.
5. Both lights are rated well beyond 150'. Watershot light is rated to 330-500ft (depending on kit selected). RX2 is rated to 500ft.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Info on the sale:

 

[CajunJosh]

Just FYI in reference to the watershot lights the run time goes up substantially when you lower the power setting and you can easily dive on the lowest power setting in most situations.

 

[Queequeg]

I looked at the Watershot product and was really intrigued by the products. So.....I ordered a Watershot. Seems like a great product and the sale cinched it for me. I ordered the 4 cell, 100M base kit with an extra 4-cell battery. I also ordered the new Strykr SL 900 Light head...I'm curious how it compares to the 700 in both size and light output. We'll see. Can't wait to try these bad boys out.

Thanks for the info and lead on these great lights. I'll post a review when I get these and try them out.

 

[TotDoc]

I looked at the Watershot product and was really intrigued by the products. So.....I ordered a Watershot. Seems like a great product and the sale cinched it for me. I ordered the 4 cell, 100M base kit with an extra 4-cell battery. I also ordered the new Strykr SL 900 Light head...I'm curious how it compares to the 700 in both size and light output. We'll see. Can't wait to try these bad boys out.

Thanks for the info and lead on these great lights. I'll post a review when I get these and try them out.

Oooh! Did they let you substitute in the new head, or did you purchase the whole kit PLUS the new head? The new head looks like a real winner, and it would be great to be able to upgrade the head to the new model purchasing the kit, instead of needing to order an additional one.

 

[Queequeg]

Nah...I ordered the kit but had to order the new head separate...no sale on the new head since it is a 2012 item. But it looks sweet on the website and I had to have it. Can't wait to try it out, they arrive next week.

I ordered two 4-cell battery packs so I could split my power source for a couple of reasons. But because of this, having two heads is convenient in case my wife does a night dive with me, or one of my buddies wants to try a watershot out, or in the rare event....I damage a light head, I have a spare.