Canister Light Options in 2020

[MrBlenny]

Hi everyone,

During my Into to Cave course my Big Blue 4800 canister light bit the big one... As it is discontinued, Big Blue cannot repair it (they are giving me a new TL8000P, so not complaining), but for cave diving I really want another canister light.

My ideal canister light would be 3500+ lumens, 4+ hour burn on high, and be durable/repairable. I've read good things about UWLD's canisters, and especially customer service, but they are the priciest as well. Finland seems to have some solid companies with Scuba Mafia and Northern Lights, but I have concerns about the feasibility of repairs if I go that route. The DiveRite EX35 looks good on paper, but I've read some concerns here about the LEDs being driven too hard, hence a likely point of failure. LM seems to be having a spate of QC issues, so I'm leaning away from them at the moment.

Thoughts on the units/brands I've listed, or other suggestions? I should add that I dive in sidemount, so a canister with the appropriate cable would be a plus.

Thanks in advance!

 

[tmassey]

Driving the LED too hard is really not an issue, at least from a longevity/ reliability standpoint. Even if it reduces the life by 90%, that’s still 5000 hours. I don’t know about you, but I’d be amazed if you did 1000 five-hour dives before the batteries wear out or you just wanted a newer, better light, no matter what you buy!

It might be an issue that the driver is unregulated, and brightness will change. At 3500 lumens, the eye is so far from linear that’s it’s not nearly the issue it is at 300. Having said that, that’s my issue with the EX35: the initial lumens aren’t what you’ll have at 60 minutes, or 120 minutes... But even a 30% drop between 4300 and 3000 lumens spread out over time will not make a big difference.

I just did a dive with a diver with a light significantly smaller than mine. To see their light, I had to drop my light to medium. I was surprised how little difference it made. Not that I couldn’t tell — you certainly could— but it was perceived as much less than the 50% or so lumen reduction would lead you to believe.

My light is the HP50 with expedition canister. It’s certainly bright enough. The biggest problem is the floodiness. It’s great for filling a room, but not great for away down a tunnel. I really noticed the difference in the “dark” caves in Mexico. I’m ok with what it is, but I got like a 30% discount on an already lower-cost name brand light. But I wouldn’t pay full price for it — I’d step up to the UWLD.

 

[Degenerate]

I have the Northern Light Scuba 40W Super Spot and it is an amazing light, very tight and powerful beam.
I would happily recommend it to anyone around here (Sweden) who was looking for a canister light but unless you can find support for their lights stateside I would stay far away from them.
Shipping your light back and forth for an eventual repair will take a lot of time and money and in the end it will not be worth it for you.
I would strike them off your list to be honest, even though I absolutely love my light I can't recommend it to you with a clear conscience.

I've only heard great things about UWLD, they may be more expensive than others, but I would rather buy quality and cry once, rather than buy cheap and buy twice.

 

[MrBlenny]

Driving the LED too hard is really not an issue, at least from a longevity/ reliability standpoint. Even if it reduces the life by 90%, that’s still 5000 hours. I don’t know about you, but I’d be amazed if you did 1000 five-hour dives before the batteries wear out or you just wanted a newer, better light, no matter what you buy!

It might be an issue that the driver is unregulated, and brightness will change. At 3500 lumens, the eye is so far from linear that’s it’s not nearly the issue it is at 300. Having said that, that’s my issue with the EX35: the initial lumens aren’t what you’ll have at 60 minutes, or 120 minutes... But even a 30% drop between 4300 and 3000 lumens spread out over time will not make a big difference.

I just did a dive with a diver with a light significantly smaller than mine. To see their light, I had to drop my light to medium. I was surprised how little difference it made. Not that I couldn’t tell — you certainly could— but it was perceived as much less than the 50% or so lumen reduction would lead you to believe.

My light is the HP50 with expedition canister. It’s certainly bright enough. The biggest problem is the floodiness. It’s great for filling a room, but not great for away down a tunnel. I really noticed the difference in the “dark” caves in Mexico. I’m ok with what it is, but I got like a 30% discount on an already lower-cost name brand light. But I wouldn’t pay full price for it — I’d step up to the UWLD.

Thanks for the insight, and yes, I'd ecstatic if I squeezed in that much diving before the batteries gave out

The lumen falloff during longer dives is a bit more worrisome though, because I do plan to go back for advanced nitrox and stage training, so there would possibly be a point where the light was too dim for my liking. Now, whether that or my drysuit's lack of a p-valve proves to be an issue first is another matter entirely...

The verdict is still out, but I suspect UWLD will be the winner in the end, based on what you and others are saying.

 

[tbone1004]

The verdict is still out, but I suspect UWLD will be the winner in the end, based on what you and others are saying.

that... for a reason, well many reasons