Flooded Light, new light recommendations?

[Dark Wolf]

@Dark Wolf thoughts? ik you've had a few lights.

Now that I have the light head sealed, I really like my Archon even though it is a budget light. I will not recommend it until I have more time on it with no more flooding.

As others have mentioned, LM and UWLD are hard to beat.

DW

 

[girlwithbigtanks]

Kent look at Rene’s lights. Divernutbar on FB. Makes vests too. He can fix lights too. He’s fixed my LM a few times. He can’t fix razor lights. Lol. He tried to fix a buddy’s. They are garbage.

 

[Rich1280]

Not sure if you can get them, but the Ammonite torches are becoming more popular in the UK. They seem to have a good range of batteries with different cord options.
Rich

 

[hedonist222]

Nanight tech 2 ?

 

[crofrog]

It'd be cool if UWLD offered demo lights. I'd like to try one to compare it to my Focus 2.

 

[tbone1004]

Not sure if you can get them, but the Ammonite torches are becoming more popular in the UK. They seem to have a good range of batteries with different cord options.
Rich

Nanight tech 2 ?

Essentially nonexistent support in the US unfortunately

It'd be cool if UWLD offered demo lights. I'd like to try one to compare it to my Focus 2.

The dealers usually have demo lights and the ambassadors will usually let you borrow one for a couple of dives. Northeast Scuba Supply may have a demo light which is probably your closest dealer. Mine is currently out on demo with a buddy of mine right now.

 

[crofrog]

The stack cap on the UWLD allows you to run the vest heater when you want it but remove it if you don't, and the vest heater is the most powerful and flexible on the market giving you full output of the heated vest instead of the LM/Halcyons that only output about 75-80% of the vests heat output because of the lower pack voltage.

I'm not sure if it's a great idea to run your primary light off the heater battery. I think that's something that might be better kept separate.

 

[hedonist222]

Essentially nonexistent support in the US unfortunately

How's the light though?

 

[tbone1004]

I'm not sure if it's a great idea to run your primary light off the heater battery. I think that's something that might be better kept separate.

why do you think that?

How's the light though?

not as good as the UWLD which has phenomenal support in the us....

 

[MattK911]

I'm not sure if it's a great idea to run your primary light off the heater battery. I think that's something that might be better kept separate.

My belief is it depends on how mission critical heat is for the Dive. If you’re doing stuff where you truly need heat, not just using it as a luxury, Having separate packs with an E/O light head certainly provides the most flexibility. I’m using a Fathom heat controller that allows me to switch the controller between any can with an E/O.

On a 8hr Dive, having more heat gives me warm and fuzzy’s (pun intended) considering I know several divers who experienced catastrophic suit floods on similar or longer duration dives, and were incredibly lucky to not go hypothermic or get bent.
One was saved on a 12hr dive by active heat, saying I “it felt like being in a water heater”
Another didn’t wear heat on a 6hr Dive and was shaking uncontrollably and blue by the time he surfaced, and ran very aggressive deco to get out faster. His saving grace was probably that he grew up in Michigan winters.
I personally don’t want to be in the position between choosing hypothermia or DCS.


For the diving I do (Florida caves, 68-72f) I generally follow these rules (I’m also a stick who gets cold easily and always wears 400g thinsulate for anything over 1.5hrs )

- I don’t usually bother with heat unless I’m doing a dive >2.5Hrs.

-On dives <4hrs I’m not reliant on heat, so I just carry one can for light and heat, as heat is just a luxury. I will switch to a backup light on deco, and enjoy my warm nap. I’m also running a Halcyon Focus, which consumes so little power that I’m very comfortable running heat off my 20ah Fathom battery pack for shorter dives.

-On dives >4hrs where heat is a necessity for safety, I carry one can for my light, and stage or carry one can for heat. I’m using a 20ah pack for primary light, and a 30ah pack for “dedicated” heat. This allows me to loose a battery entirely and still have some redundancy in heating.

Just my 2cents