Headlamps

[ThePipingSheriff]

I was looking in a LP catalog and saw two products and was wondering if they were worth their money or not. The Vor Tech and Matrix 2 Headlamps. Both of these items are fairly inexpensive. If I needed some light would either of these do or would I be better off with some other sort of light and attaching it to my mask or something?

Thanks

 

[jonnythan]

Neither of those are useful for diving. Not nearly enough light.

They're both pretty decent for hiking or dry caving, though.

 

[pipedope]

Generally, scuba diving with a buddy calls for a handheld light.

The problem with headlamps is that it is far to easy to blind your buddy.

I often carry a mini Q-40 on dives and if I need to I can attach it to a mask strap.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

I was looking in a LP catalog and saw two products and was wondering if they were worth their money or not.

Quick answer: No.

You don't need a headlamp underwater. You need a relatively strong, narrow beam light to use for signaling, communications, navigation, and illumination. None of these are optimally handled by a headlamp. All you'll do is blind your buddy, whom you will be looking at many times during the dive, but particularly should some emergency interrupt your sojourn. How'd you like to be frantically grabbing for a second stage you know is there somewhere, but you're blinded by the glare of your buddy's headlamp shining into your eyes?

If you want a headlamp to wear on shore before and after a night dive or something, fine. But not while diving. FWIW. YMMV.

 

[caymaniac]

I agree with what has been said but would like to add one valid point. If you've ever dove in the Caymans and been doing night dives then you would be aware that there are these worms that will collect around your dive lites in a manner that becomes like abunch of flies swirling around a pile of stink, times 1000. I've had those darn things obliterate my dive lites. The best thing one can do in a case like that is turn off the dive lite for a minute or two and scoot away from that particular area of the reef, even then you come to the realization that this will continue to happen. Think about having that lite perched on top of your head and then a thousand swimming worms congregating around your head.....and they will swim in your ears. There's no danger to them other than, your site will be obliterated for at least a minute, and your ears will tickle like crazy, they become a monstrous pest. , , , , And you WANT to put a light on your head?---your'e nuts!

Dive Safe,
Caymanaic

 

[Allison Finch]

Hey! those things swarming around you are "bloodworms" and all you have to do is shine your light onto a hungry coral and watch the polyps munch as the worms follow the light onto the coral. YUM!!
I use a headlamp and love it. Get the nightrider light as it has an adjustment that allows you to aim the light more downward so that you don't blind your buddy. I like having the light go everywhere I look. I also use a handlight and switch between them, turning one then the other off. I sometimes like to use no light at all, turning both off and looking around on other's reflected light. Awesome! Don't give up on the idea of a headlamp, just get one that you can adjust.

 

[archman]

My Matrix headlamp flooded on the second dive. Not like it was very useful anyway. Good riddance!