Inquiry on lights

[rollerboi]

I'm going to be taking three SSI specialty courses (Deep, Night, and Nav) in a month and a half. I've just found out that we'll be expected to buy our own lights for this.

I was not expecting to need to buy lights so early on. All of my gear purchases are being done with DIR standards in mind, since I know the direction I want to go, so I don't want to waste money in my journey. My wife is .. particular .. about my scuba gear purchases. She's not going to be too pleased when I tell her I've got to buy a dive light, especially not while I'm saving up to buy a BP/W.

So.. I'm having a little uncertainty with the standards pertaining to lights as posted on GUE.com. I realize that the majority of you dive with canister lights as your primary.. I also realize that if I turn around and spend $500 on a can light, my wife will either a) have me committed, or b) served with papers.

Can anyone give me a good suggestion on some relatively inexpensive dive lights that would serve as a good primary for now, but that will also do me well in an eventual fundies course? I'm somewhat turned off by the pistol-grip lights, they just seem too bulky and unweildy, taking up a hand, et al. Some of the other lights I've seen that are handheld look small enough to tie off to the wrist or even to fashion a kind of goodman handle for. Will these give off enough light to be used as a primary, though?

Can anyone recommend anything? My broke college student budget, with wife possibly becoming pregnant in the next month, really doesn't want to have to buy a light right now.

The reason I post here is because I want DIR-compliant advice only. Thanks!

 

[rongoodman]

How about a "GUE approved" reserve light, which should be fine for your night dive course. I have the Halcyon 3 C-cell lights with the LED conversion and I expect Salvo or Oxycheq have products that are just as good and maybe cheaper.

 

[lamont]

I also realize that if I turn around and spend $500 on a can light, my wife will either a) have me committed, or b) served with papers.

you got a problem, mate.

best bet is probably ebay, stuff like this:


Halcyon Proteus 3 10 watt Adjustable HID Dive Light - eBay (item 170257315162 end time Sep-07-08 15:05:19 PDT)

 

[lamont]

How about a "GUE approved" reserve light, which should be fine for your night dive course. I have the Halcyon 3 C-cell lights with the LED conversion and I expect Salvo or Oxycheq have products that are just as good and maybe cheaper.

PTs are also good:

gulftex

 

[Cyclops_Diver]

My personal favorite, the OxyCheq Raider 3W LED. For a goodman handle for the same light, get the "light sock" from OxyCheq as well. Scubatoys has both last time I checked, but you have to call them. I dont think the site has been updated with the addition of the light sock yet.

Raider LED

Raider Light Sock

 

[RJP]

Salvo Rat backup light would serve you well as a primary now and a DIR-compliant backup later.

Features
-3 Watt LED
-3 C-cell design providing 10 hours of burn time!
-8 Degree beam angle
-Machined from a solid rod of delrin
-Double o-ring seal
-Body dia. 1.4"(3.5cm) Bezel dia. 1.75"(44cm) 8"(20cm) Overall length
-500'(150m) depth rated

My LDS here in NJ has a pretty good price on the Salvo Rat Light 3 Watt LED and includes free shipping.

 

[rainman_02]

PTs are also good:

gulftex

Was night diving with someone when their on-loan primary failed (battery charge, oops my bad)...they continued with their PT and it was just perfect for a dark night dive.

 

[Vie]

I also realize that if I turn around and spend $500 on a can light...

21W HID canister lights are mostly in the $1,200+ range now (if you want long burntime, expect to pay even more) so you should count yourself lucky if you can find a new canister light for 500 bucks. 10W HID lightheads are cheaper but still not in the $500 range.

Like Lamont suggested, eBay is your best bet.

How about a "GUE approved" reserve light, which should be fine for your night dive course. I have the Halcyon 3 C-cell lights with the LED conversion and I expect Salvo or Oxycheq have products that are just as good and maybe cheaper.

The Halcyon LED Scout (1W) is the worse one (and most expensive), imho. Go for 3W LED like the PT or Salvo Rat, or get a regular Halcyon Scout and put a UK SL4 eLED module in it.

 

[b1gcountry]

I agree with everyone else for now, go with a backup light. They will be plenty bright for night dives in decent vis. I have some of the Oxycheq lights, and they are pretty nice, and the cost is pretty minimal.

Tom

 

[coldsmoke]

Another vote for PT. No comparison to the older scout that I have, although I haven't compared any salvo backups.

Hunter