Canister Light?

[mmadiver]

Would anyone mind explaining exactly what a Canister light is? Benefits over your standard pistol style dive light?

Webpages with pictures are always welcome...

Thanks!

 

[Vie]

I would highly recommend the book Steve Lindblom's Divelight Companion as a good starting point for your research.

http://www.airspeedpress.com/newlitebook.html

There are a lot of canister light manufacturers out there, including (in no particular order):

Salvo http://www.salvodiving.com/lighting
Halcyon http://www.halcyon.net/lights/index.shtml
Sartek Industries http://www.sarind.com/acatalog/complete_lighting_systems.html
Dive Rite http://www.diverite.com/Products/productslist.aspx?SubCategoryID=60&CategoryID=15
Agir http://www.agir-brokk.com/
OMS http://www.omsdive.com/phantom.html
Nocturnal Lights http://www.nocturnallights.com/index.php?option=com_phpshop&itemid=38

 

[David P]

heres a few advantages of a canaster
1) HID = way more power than regular flashlight, it really cuts through the murk
2) rechargable battery
3) battery pack is mounted to your belt with just a small light head mounted to the back of your hand, you dont have to worry about dropping and losing it
4) it looks waaaay cool
5) Im sure theres more but I cant think, and besides I said its waaaay cool!

 

[Vie]

Other advantages of using a canister light:

Long burn time.

The use of a Goodman handle leaves both hands free for other tasks (using a spool/reel, operating a scooter etc.).

If using a focusable light head, one has the advantage of choosing between a wide beam for illuminating a large area or a tight narrow beam for signalling.

The beam is bright enough that the light can be used for signalling during day dives.

 

[detroit diver]

A cannister light consists of a tubular cannister attached to your waistbelt (or elsewhere) that contains a battery or batteries. A cord attaches to these batteries and terminates on the other end into a ballast and light head that is held in your hand.

These lights can be Halogen, HID, or whatever the manufacturer decides to make.

Here are a couple of sites to explore for pictures:

http://www.salvodiving.com/lighting

www.extreme-exposure.com

and many more .....

 

[Hoosier]

I would highly recommend the book Steve Lindblom's Divelight Companion as a good starting point for your research.

http://www.airspeedpress.com/newlitebook.html

There are a lot of Canister manufacturers out there, including (in no particular order):

http://www.salvodiving.com/lighting
http://www.halcyon.net/lights/index.shtml
http://www.sarind.com/acatalog/complete_lighting_systems.html
http://www.diverite.com/Products/productslist.aspx?SubCategoryID=60&CategoryID=15

Another one Green force.

 

[Rick Inman]

heres a few advantages of a canaster
1) HID = way more power than regular flashlight, it really cuts through the murk
2) rechargable battery
3) battery pack is mounted to your belt with just a small light head mounted to the back of your hand, you dont have to worry about dropping and losing it
4) it looks waaaay cool
5) Im sure theres more but I cant think, and besides I said its waaaay cool!

Your buddy will love you for it. Communication and buddy awareness is by far easier with can lights. It totally changes the diving.

 

[Vie]

A cannister light consists of a tubular cannister attached to your waistbelt (or elsewhere) that contains a battery or batteries. A cord attaches to these batteries and terminates on the other end into a ballast and light head that is held in your hand.

This is a generally accurate description. Otoh, there are a few manufacturers that still employ non-tubular battery containers or "canister-less" designs.

http://www.niteriderdive.com/
http://www.metalsub.nl/eng/prod_1_5.asp

There are also designs where the main ballast is placed in the canister.

http://www.salvodiving.com/inc/pdetail?v=1&pid=1431

Older light designs tend to employ sealed lead acid batteries (SLA) and newer lights tend to favour the lighter/smaller nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Many divers still mistrust the use of NiMH for diving applications but that is probably best discussed in another thread.

 

[TSandM]

Second Rick Inman's post. One dive with a buddy with a can light and I knew this was something I HAD to have. It makes buddy team communications SO much easier . . . at least in places where the ambient light is low enough that you can see your buddy's light.

 

[Ben_ca]

The only place where I have had problems seeing my buddies lights was Lake Tahoe during the summer.... 60 ft down and still crystal clear...

The cannister HID makes a world of difference in the hands of someone who knows how to use it. Erratic and misplaced movements diminish it's value...

Wait till someone put's their goodman on the wrong hand then pull an OOA drill on them and watch then try to burn your eyes out
:lol:

edit: spelling