How do you attach your dive lights?

[BigAirHarper]

So basically the title says it all. I was just curious what the opinions were on the best way to securely mount your primary hand held light (or your secondary too if you don't keep it in a BC pocket). I'm fixing to get my first set of lights, a pistol grip LED and a smaller LED. I didn't know if those retracting gizmos were worth the money or those coiled lanyards. Just curious in what you use.

 

[Mopar]

I use a stainless steel split ring with a stainless snap bolt just clip it to your D ring. The snap ring will not tear up with you like a retractor might.

 

[tstormdiver]

For my Primary HID cave light & my back- up lights, I use a Stainless steel clip with several loops of cave line looped through both light & snap bolt, pulled tight & in which the knot has been melted to hold. It will hold the light secure on a D-ring, but is not "hard wire attached" to anything & could be cut away if it should become entangled.The secret is to know how you want to mount your light & then learn exactly where it is on your BC to make finding it worry free.

 

[idocsteve]

My primary light is on a retractor and I keep it in my BCD pocket when I'm not using it, unless I'm just going to let go of it for a short time during the dive, in which case it hangs close to my body and is easy to grab with a quick sweep. A heavier dive light may need a locking retractor to keep it in place.

Secondary light is attached to my BCD inflator hose.

 

[kathydee]

I use a stainless steel split ring with a stainless snap bolt just clip it to your D ring. The snap ring will not tear up with you like a retractor might.

I do the same - it works perfect with a bp/w

 

[gcbryan]

So basically the title says it all. I was just curious what the opinions were on the best way to securely mount your primary hand held light (or your secondary too if you don't keep it in a BC pocket). I'm fixing to get my first set of lights, a pistol grip LED and a smaller LED. I didn't know if those retracting gizmos were worth the money or those coiled lanyards. Just curious in what you use.

If you're going to have a bigger light for your primary and it has the option of a lantern grip you might look at that. It's a little more natural to hold underwater I think. Then just use a boltsnap on a standard short lanyard and attach it to your chest D-ring. You probably don't need a coiled lanyard.

Led's are now available in a small enough light (even for your primary) that you don't have to get a pistol or a lantern grip. If you keep the size small you can mount it hands free on the back of your hand. In that case you just clip it to your chest D-ring when you're not using it.

There are many different ways. If I was just starting out today I wouldn't get a big pistol grip type of primary since you can get lights just as powerful that are much smaller with no need for those kinds of grips.

 

[a22shady]

Same as Others. My Primary canister light goes on Right hip with the Light Head attched to Right Shoulder D-Ring via bolt snaps. I have my 2 back-ups clipped off on to each shoulder D-ring and then Rubber Banded to hold in place against webbing

Back-ups clipped to chest

Canister on right side

 

[SkimFisher]

+1 on bolt snaps and cave line and rubber bands to secure danglies. As most do, I use cut up bicycle tire inner-tubes for rubber bands. Everyone has there own way, but here's a good guide for attaching bolt-snaps with cave line:

How to Attach a Snap - Dive Gear Express

 

[jtivat]

Bolt snaps and tire tube.

 

[buddhasummer]

as others have stated, I too use cave line and a bolt snap to attach backups to shoulder D rings, one is permanantly atached to my fight shoulder D ding and never gets used other than to check before diving. Primary is a handheld DR LED so I have a lanyard and bolt snap attached with caveline.