Carrying both primary and back-up lights.

[Eyegore]

Having never carried lights while SCUBA diving, I'm dubious. Do you have an opinion on the best way to carry both? I have a jacket-style BCD (Aqualung Wave) that has pockets and a couple D-rings.

 

[Steve_C]

Depends on the dive. If I expect it to be fairly dark be it deep in a quarry or cloudy at sea or night time, t hen one will be in a pocket and one on a short line with a clip. Both have clips to avoid being dropped. I I expect to be using it right away one is clipped to a D-ring and one in in a. pocket. If I have my camera then one of its lights acts as my primary and the other light is in the pocket.

 

[ibj40]

For daylight dives, I have one on a lanyard, but packed in a BCD pocket.

When we are diving cenotes, and I have my camera, I have my standard BCD pocket light as a back-up, and a light on each hand in a sleeve, one with a broad beam for during the dive, the other with a more narrow beam to light photo subjects.

Haven't done a night dive in a while, but would probably duplicate my cenote set-up if I did.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Having never carried lights while SCUBA diving, I'm dubious. Do you have an opinion on the best way to carry both? I have a jacket-style BCD (Aqualung Wave) that has pockets and a couple D-rings.

I don't think there is a universally accepted definition, but to me, at least in the context of open-water diving, "primary" implies the light I am currently using, and "back-up" implies the light I would switch to if the primary failed. On open-water night dives, I carry two identical lights. One is in my hand, and the other is clipped to a chest D-ring and held against the strap by a bit of bungee cord or bike inner tubing. If I had a BC pocket, I would use that--nice and simple. On open-water dives in sunlight, I don't carry one in my hand; if I want to look into a hole or something, I unclip the one on my chest D-ring.

 

[foob]

Any overhang or cave opening can use a light. I always carry. And don't have to remember to add for night dives.

And as an emergency signaling device it might help.

I use bpw so there's a standard place to attach on shoulder D-rings.

Pick whatever you feel most comfortable based on frequency of use.

 

[Eyegore]

Very helpful stuff--thank you! I plan to always carry two lights.

 

[Divectionist]

Daytime:
1 light bolt snapped on chest D ring bungeed to the harness - grab for looking into dark bits
1 light stowed away in thigh pocket

Night dive:
1 light permanently in hand, loop around wrist
1 light bolt snapped on chest D ring bungeed to the harness

That way I always have two lights (I always have the same gear on board), but how 'present' they are depends on the type of dive. In any case, the daytime light retrieval muscle memory is exactly the same as grabbing the backup light in total darkness without wasting a thought on it, should the primary fail.

 

[happy-diver]

There they are no putzing no unclipping no lanyarding no wristing no fitzing

just getem ere

DGX 800 Handheld Light | Dive Gear Express®

There they are, fit like torches close to the, "cough" chest

Nothing dubious here, "cough cough cough!"

and some real action no unclipping just lifting, and your built in hand dimmer sometimes over the lens


Hey check out the two huge grouper

 

[MrBlenny]

+1 for primary on a chest D-ring, spare in a pocket. If I'm not using my camera, my primary is on my hand (Goodman style grip.) Great for signaling buddies

 

[Eyegore]

The Goodman-style grip seems a good option. Made a shore dive in the Pacific nine days ago and so greatly appreciated having a flashlight along. It'd be nice to have it secured to my wrist.