Cutting the Cord?

[TONY CHANEY]

Wow, a lot of good input here. I have and do dive them all. Worst is the hand held big lights like the UK ones (I had a D8). Lights with a cannister and cord are great (I have 2 21w HIDs and a had a 10w HID that I sold). So here is the deal according to me.
Lights with a cannister and cord:
Pros:
Longer burn time
If you drop the light you will not lose it
Great punch power
You can focus it (mine can)
You can change out the diffuser for a video one
The cord pulls the light head back so it does not slip off your hands while using your hands
The cannister gives you a place to tuck in your long hose
With the cord you can place it around your neck while working
Head is light weight

Cons:
Very heavy
A lot more failure points
HID bulbs cost too much
HID bulbs are too fragile
Can't change the output for light matching
Everything is expensive to get repaired
Cord can get wrapped / trapped around other gear (we always do S drills prior to the dive)
If you switch hands during the dive the cord can get in the way of a OOA situation
No indication or warning of battery life (my model)
Not a + or - but sidemount diver tend to use a differnt cannisted head cord angle

Cordless lights: (2 BigBlue VL1800 video lights and 1 TL2500 primary)
Pros:
No cord to get into the way...as stated above
Light weight overall
Not very expensive
Great for light matching in that you can decrease / increase output
Gives you indicators of battery life
More compact
Very tough
Easy to switch hands without the cord getting in the way
Does not matter if SM or backmount
Da&* bright for a small light
Less failure points

Cons:
Battery life (I have and extra battery to change out between dives $30.00) and you can also decrease the output to increase the battery life.
Can slip off hand and be lost (buddy and I have bungee cords on the back of them to prevent this)
You can't put it around your neck while working but you can clip it off
I still believe that the HIDs have a better punch in the limited vis

So that is my take on the situation. I really do not know why an Instructor would prohibit the use of a cordless light. IMHO as for the whole video vs. primary light situation goes you buy a video light for video a primary light for a primary or put up the cash for one that will do both with different light heads.

 

[PfcAJ]

Kev, it sounds like you need more or better training. Plenty of guys (myself included) can run a line in 3 dimensions and in bad vis and not get entangled.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

... (is that a train I see approaching?) ... :shocked2:

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Kevrumbo]

Kev, it sounds like you need more or better training. Plenty of guys (myself included) can run a line in 3 dimensions and in bad vis and not get entangled.

Then come with me to the Truk wrecks. . .it's not as benign as you think & dismiss it as being --I'll even let you lead with the primary reel.

 

[Storker]

... (is that a train I see approaching?) ... :shocked2:

May be. It looks kinda wrecked, though...

 

[PfcAJ]

Kev, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that id do that with you. Sry m8.

 

[LiteHedded]

i still can't see how you get the light cord in your line unless you're technique is very poor. are you keeping the line tight? what hand do you run the reel with?
no offense, but i've put down thousands of feet of line in reasonably tough conditions (even in three dimensions) with a large payload of gear and this has never been an issue. you should also always be able to donate gas...

 

[victorzamora]

Wow, a lot of good input here. I have and do dive them all. Worst is the hand held big lights like the UK ones (I had a D8). Lights with a cannister and cord are great (I have 2 21w HIDs and a had a 10w HID that I sold). So here is the deal according to me.So that is my take on the situation. I really do not know why an Instructor would prohibit the use of a cordless light. IMHO as for the whole video vs. primary light situation goes you buy a video light for video a primary light for a primary or put up the cash for one that will do both with different light heads.

Tony, your Pros/Cons list is valid for HID Canister vs LED Cordless. I dive an LED canister so I lose the cons of no light matching and the fragile/expensive bulbs. Some canister lights can focus, but most can't...and most cordless can't, either.

To me, the biggest differences are that my canister light gives me >30hrs of burn time on low at nearly 6 times the light output of the Dive Rite LX20 mentioned in the OP. In the water against the LX20, Sola 600, Sola 1200, and Sola 2000....my light is DRAMATICALLY brighter on high and noticeably brighter with mine on low and the others on high. Other than super murky water, I'd prefer my LED to even a 50W HID. With mine coming off the goodman handle so easily, I typically use it as a handheld with a cord.

As for getting the line and long hose tangled in my light cord.....Kev, I think you're seriously deficient on skills, or you're just looking for a problem. I honestly cant comprehend how that could possibly be a problem with a properly mounted/routed canister light.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I have two corded primaries. A Salvo 12 watt LED that I like for most stuff around here with my sidemount rig. I also have a 21 watt HID made by light monkey for HOG. I have yet to see anything in my area anyway as good at cutting through some of the conditions we get. As for it getting tangled I don't see how either. Right now I run both over my shoulder when diving sidemount. The 21 watt canister is going back to Corey to get a 90 degree head put on the canister to allow me mount it on the butt plate sideways and just to have it checked. I've used it sparingly over the last two years or so and just want it gone over.
That said for most of my dives with students other than tech, my Morph back ups provide more than enough light for most classes.

 

[Omisson]

As battery systems improve- the use of non-cord systems will become more common and the parity will be such that for non exploration dives the considerations will be negligible.

Any "potential" entanglements created by a can light are outweighed by longevity and brightness now- but the convenience, light weight, swappable battery compartments , non entanglement features of more modern non-cord lights make them an attractive alternative in a given price range.

If you aren't doing 4 hour cave or wreck dives an 8 hour burn time isn't a necessity (most such dives are likely 1-2 hours) - so cost factors in.