I really like the Big Blue lights. Very bright, good battery life, as compared to the Solas that I also have.
Dive Light Recommendation?
- Thread starter Dermochelys
- Start date
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Hatul
Contributor
I trumpet the XTAR D06
D06 XM-L U2
you can buy it on Ebay or Xtardirect.com
It uses the rechargeable 18650 battery, it's compact, and has continuous brightness adjustment. I use it in a Goodman style dive sock.
D06 XM-L U2
you can buy it on Ebay or Xtardirect.com
It uses the rechargeable 18650 battery, it's compact, and has continuous brightness adjustment. I use it in a Goodman style dive sock.
jshank22
New
Many of you have discussed the importance, or lack there of, around the posted lumens on the spec sheets of the lights. I'm looking for a light that will be effective both during the day, and at night, without being complete overkill. I was initially interested in this light: 1000 Lumen Dive Light, but based on some of the responses above, this may be a bit intense for the dives I'll be doing.
All of my dives to date have been in the general vicinity of the Caribbean, and it is likely that my future dives will be in that area as well. Any recommendations?
All of my dives to date have been in the general vicinity of the Caribbean, and it is likely that my future dives will be in that area as well. Any recommendations?
Jshank22_ that is a good light. Can't imagine it as overkill. If you want variable intensity, there are those lights as well (see my earlier posts). Honestly I would not get anything that has less max output.
OP
Dermochelys
Contributor
As the OP on this thread I just thought I would give an update on my thoughts from my purchase of the UK SL4 eLED L1 after my dive trip to Oahu last week. In general, this light was just what I was looking for. I basically used it in three situations....
1) Day time over the reef...worked great as a "pointer" with a good, but not overpowering spot to show other divers something interesting. It worked in this role from about 5' out and closer.
2) Checking holes / crevices....Again, daytime diving on Oahu, this was a great light for looking in crevices and under overhangs at sharks and in more complex coral for critters hiding.
3) Wreck dive....We dove the YO-257 and the light worked great in low light situations within the ship. Nice wide, but not overpowering halo and spot to see all the nocturnal fish hanging out within the wreck. We also dove a site with a ton of big big pipes that were VERY long, and the light worked great there as well.
All in all, I'm super happy with the UK light. I used it by having the included strap looped through my right side D ring above my BCD pocket which I left open during the dives. Super easy to pull in and out of the pocket, and it fit perfectly in there as well. Easy to replace batteries, long burn time, and super easy switch operation all made me a happy customer. Anyway, I would recommend this light to someone looking for a good daytime light or a a night back-up (which is what I wanted), and in a pinch I could see me using this as a primary at night as well.
Just my 2 cents.
1) Day time over the reef...worked great as a "pointer" with a good, but not overpowering spot to show other divers something interesting. It worked in this role from about 5' out and closer.
2) Checking holes / crevices....Again, daytime diving on Oahu, this was a great light for looking in crevices and under overhangs at sharks and in more complex coral for critters hiding.
3) Wreck dive....We dove the YO-257 and the light worked great in low light situations within the ship. Nice wide, but not overpowering halo and spot to see all the nocturnal fish hanging out within the wreck. We also dove a site with a ton of big big pipes that were VERY long, and the light worked great there as well.
All in all, I'm super happy with the UK light. I used it by having the included strap looped through my right side D ring above my BCD pocket which I left open during the dives. Super easy to pull in and out of the pocket, and it fit perfectly in there as well. Easy to replace batteries, long burn time, and super easy switch operation all made me a happy customer. Anyway, I would recommend this light to someone looking for a good daytime light or a a night back-up (which is what I wanted), and in a pinch I could see me using this as a primary at night as well.
Just my 2 cents.
I just bought 2 flashlights for my wife. One is Fenix SD10 and another one is Archon. Fenix was delivered and it's light and bright. built quality is great. It is a big brand in flashlight industry. Archon is on the way so I can't comment on it.
tarponchik
Contributor
For your needs, my Dorcy Cree Q4 LED will be OK. It is not super-bright, but I do not need one and I prefer others to have dim lights. It gives a narrow beam of slightly bluish light, perfect to search in the holes.There is hardly anything more irritating than a moron with a 1000-Lumen torch on a group dive. He will blind me now and then by flashing into my mask, scare away most critters and attract all the krill from the 'hood, which ruins photography. I also have a couple of old Ikelites which I upgraded to LEDs myself.
eelnoraa
Contributor
Maybe I came in too late. But don't worry about the DRIS 1000 light being too bright. The fact is all the handheld battery operated light, with Cree LED produces about the same amount of light, a 10-15% difference in lumen isn't noticeably by human eye.
If you don't mind the size, DRIS1000 3C is hard to beat for the performance, price and DRIS reputation. If size matters, the 1x 18650 version of Cree are good choice. The light output is about the same with shorter run time. The UK SL4 is also a good light, but it has a weird physical profile. It is hard to stow on harness.
All these lights produce about 300-400 lumen in reality despite their claim of being xxxx lumen. A 21W HID produces about 1500 lumen only. Next to a handheld Cree, you know it can't be 1000 lumen. Not even close. So no, they won't blind or scary sea creatures. As for blinding fellow divers, it is all about properly light handling. Shine a light directly into someone's mask, even 100 lumen enough to cause discomfort.
If you don't mind the size, DRIS1000 3C is hard to beat for the performance, price and DRIS reputation. If size matters, the 1x 18650 version of Cree are good choice. The light output is about the same with shorter run time. The UK SL4 is also a good light, but it has a weird physical profile. It is hard to stow on harness.
All these lights produce about 300-400 lumen in reality despite their claim of being xxxx lumen. A 21W HID produces about 1500 lumen only. Next to a handheld Cree, you know it can't be 1000 lumen. Not even close. So no, they won't blind or scary sea creatures. As for blinding fellow divers, it is all about properly light handling. Shine a light directly into someone's mask, even 100 lumen enough to cause discomfort.
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