How to attach & use a handheld light

[JohnnyC]

My non-canister light is a LM 12W cordless. Bolt snap on the back. If I'm using that, I just have a little bracelet of bungee that goes around my wrist and the bolt snap gets clipped to that when it's on my hand. If I need to switch hands (which is one reason why goodman handles are way better than light socks) it's a quick unclip, light goes into right hand to do whatever, then back on left hand, quick re-clip.

The benefit of a bolt snap and a bungee bracelet over a lanyard is that you can stow it on a d-ring easily, the bracelet doesn't get in the way, it's still secure clipped to your wrist, and you don't have a lanyard getting in your way when you're not using it.

I'm not plussed with push-button vs. twist for recreational lights. Backup lights should be twist. The push buttons are just too easy to turn on accidentally, especially in wiggly bits.

 

[tbone1004]

@JohnnyC the oxycheq goodman handle referenced in this thread is more like a soft goodman than a sock. No thumb loops and while nothing swaps like a hard goodman handle, it does move back and forth between hands relatively easily

 

[EireDiver606]

Boltsnap on end of light. If it’s backup, twist on is ideal,

I don’t use lanyards as I hate them or those expensive gimmicky retainer “thingies”.

Just don’t drop it. Easy.

 

[JohnnyC]

@JohnnyC the oxycheq goodman handle referenced in this thread is more like a soft goodman than a sock. No thumb loops and while nothing swaps like a hard goodman handle, it does move back and forth between hands relatively easily

Yeah, I've got one I bought to try with my DRIS stubby back in the day. Every time I put it on I felt the blood clot in my brain start to get to work.....

It just never felt stable to me, and taking it on and off to keep reasonable light discipline was enough of an annoyance that it sits in the box of unused crap. For an un-concerned recreational diver it works much better than any of the other light sock options, but to me it's a pain in the ass. If it's tight enough to be stable, it's annoying to get off, if it's loose enough to get off easily, it's floppy. Meh, I've got other solutions that work better, so that's what I use. I should probably sell it.

 

[EireDiver606]

Get an aluminium Goodman handle

 

[RIHappyDiver]

It just never felt stable to me, and taking it on and off to keep reasonable light discipline was enough of an annoyance that it sits in the box of unused crap. For an un-concerned recreational diver it works much better than any of the other light sock options, but to me it's a pain in the ass.

And for me, this is the point. I’m the un-concerned recreational diver. I’m not worried about light discipline, I’m just trying to see pretty things in dark holes under rocks. If I were a tech or cave diver, I might feel differently, but this is great for allowing me to see where I want and still have my hand free when needed. Plus, it adjusts easily for when I’m wearing 5mm gloves or no glove.

 

[Charred]

For diving during the day, I had the light attached via bolt snap to my chest D-ring.

I also wear a loop of bungee around my wrist.

Sometimes when I use the light I don't even take it off the D-ring. If I do, I immediately attach to my wrist. I've even passed the light to my partner with the bungee attached to the light so they can put around their wrist.

FWIW, I do the same thing with my compass. I don't often need it so I just clip it off on a D-ring. If I need it, I attach to my wrist bungee while using.

 

[scubadiver888]

I just got a DGX600 for use in daytime dives in the often-dark kelp forest. After reading lots of old threads on how to stow dive lights, I'm a bit confused.

Sounds like the standard advice is to attach the light to the right shoulder D-ring using a bolt snap, and then using elastic band to secure the light to the harness so it doesn't dangle.

Here's what I'm unclear on: does this mean that, to use the light, you unclip the bolt-snap so that the light is held in your hand and not secured to your gear in any way?

Yes. That is exactly what I do.

I have two concerns with that:

1. Seems like it would be easy to drop the light, especially wearing thick gloves.
2. If I'm using the light intermittently throughout the dive, seems like it would be annoying to have to unsnap & resnap it to the D-ring multiple times throughout the dive.

Is this just what people do? Unclip the bolt snap from the D-ring every time you want to use the light during a dive, and try your best not to drop it?

These are valid concerns. If I'm wearing 7mm gloves, I do have to be conscious of the light. It is very easy to not grip the light tight enough and drop it. So I hold it very firmly and look at my hand every once in a while to make sure it isn't slipping or moving. However, lately I'm diving with 2mm gloves or using dry gloves. Much easier to hold the light.

Practice, practice, practice. I'll often wear my harness (no tank), close my eyes (this is important), unclip the light, re-clip the light, tuck it in the rubber band. I also practice this in a pool (with a tank). After a while it becomes second nature. I'll be diving, see something I want to peak into, unclip the light, look in, re-clip the light. Sometimes on a dive, I'll practice unclipping and re-clipping my light just for the practice.

Or is common to have a longer length of line between the light & the bolt snap so you can keep it clipped on the D-ring while still using the light, and maybe just tuck it back into the elastic band when not using?

Just tucking it into the elastic band sounds danger to me. I have never known someone to lose anything clipped to a D-ring (unless it wasn't clipped properly) but just this weekend someone was having trouble with their DSMB. So they tucked it into their BCD. They get back on the boat and no more DSMB. Could have just as easily been a light.

I have seen a number of 'lines' for connecting things like lights. Just a piece of line would be a bad idea. Even if you tuck it back in your elastic band (by the way, my setup does not have an elastic band), just like the other guys DSMB, the light could fall out. Now you have a dangling hazard. If the line is strong enough, you could get entangled. If the line is able to break away, the light might get snagged on something and break away. The more you dive, the more likely this is going to happen.

And depending on where you dive, you could be dragging your light across marine life, e.g. coral. Not cool.

If you have one of those curly lanyards, they bunch up and become smaller when you tuck the light in your elastic band. But again, if the light falls out, the weight of the light is going to make the lanyard expand. Snagging hazard.

If you have a fully retractable line, those things break. They are similar in design as the retractable lanyards I use for id cards at work. Those things ALWAYS break on me. Most often someone comes in the office and asks, "Did you lose something?" When I say no they hold up my id card and ask, "Are you sure?" I wouldn't think of using one of those for a $100 to $1000 light.

 

[rongoodman]

And for me, this is the point. I’m the un-concerned recreational diver. I’m not worried about light discipline, I’m just trying to see pretty things in dark holes under rocks. If I were a tech or cave diver, I might feel differently,.

You might not be worried about light discipline, but how about the other divers in the water with you? They're the ones who are going to be constantly distracted by the "emergencies" you're signaling, or blinded by your light in their eyes.

 

[Compressor]

This is a good thread as I was having the same issues as original OP.
I sometimes use the DGEx Goodman handle to put my light in but the clip stays on. Most of time though its clipped but turned on. My buddies see me and I can take out of bands on harness to look. Most of my diving is in low viz (8-10 feet).