Do I need a dive light?

[amajamar]

I usually have a light in my BCD pocket on every dive. It sits beside a finger reel and a safety sausage. I just bought a new one in January - an Innova LED that uses two 3V lithium batteries. It has a bright white beam that works better than my C8. I paid $50.00 but it was worth it. It allowed me to leave my C8 at home when I went to Curacao. 2-3V lithiums instead of 8 D cells. On the night dive it was one of the brightest and smallest lights there. As I say it is still new - I'll know better in a year if I just recommend it, or if it is THE BEST LIGHT EVER. Stuff keeps getting smaller and better with white light LEDs getting cheaper.

Which model number did you buy? I didn't see any Inova lights that were dive rated when I searched.

 

[HenrikBP]

Could that be an "Intova Torch" rather than Innova?

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/lights/215775-intova-3w-led-dive-light.html

Henrik

 

[amajamar]

Yeah, that looks more like it!

 

[Prostar]

Hey Gary,

Welcome to the pond. Perhaps we'll bump into each other up at Puget Sound one day. Or maybe even closer, at the Lloyd Center, as I teach out of a shop in Portland. You might just find that the water is a small place if you consider where divers go and what we like to look at.

Welcome and have fun,
Jeff

 

[nataliemay]

I agree with the last post - without taking a light down you will not appreciate the beauty of the colours down there. Red light is lost below 5metres so even shallow 10 metre sites benefit from a bit of light. If youtake to diving then at a later stage you will want to invest in a larger and more powerful torch but I'd suggest you buy a small torch now that will later act as a back up. And Im a fan of the little LED lights - many really arent expensive.

 

[DeputyDan]

I try to carry a small light on all dives

 

[LittleFish0505]

I always carry one, it is always better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it....

 

[dschonbrun]

I find lights helpful during daytime for penetration diving, and for looking in crevasses. I would highly suggest getting one.

 

[RonFrank]

I would buy THIS

I have this, and an OMS Vega as backups. The OMS vega is a bit brighter, smaller by about 1/3, and slightly more focused. However this light has a sweet magnetic switch, and really puts out some light for a compact. There is NO better light on the market for the money, and if you order this from ANT, it's about 1/2 the cost of what I'm seeing from online DiveShops.

This is my go to around the house light as well, and I keep it that way with rechargeable batteries.

As to if you need a light, the short answer is yes. You could always rent, or whatever, but for under $30 just get it.

 

[D_B]

I'll have to second Rons opinion of the Intova LED light, Brightness to price ratio is way up there .. very much a viable alternative to spending lots more on a light .. I have two of them