SCUBA Diving Equipment for Technical, Wreck and Cave Diving: Dive Rite, Inc - Product Catalog - LED LUX Canister Light
Sux for people like me who recently bought the 700 lumen version. I'm hoping I can upgrade to this new new module in the future.
In some ways it is much like computer technology, in that it will make significant leaps and bounds every year or so.
So you need to look at it differently. If I waited for a given technology to plateau befroe I bought one, I'd still be diving my 20 W OMS Phantom halogen light. You need to buy any light you buy on its own merits in that it fills a need you currently have. And like a computer, unless you are a power user, feel free to stay away from the leading edge technology and instead save some bucks and stay back a step or two.
In my opinion LED technology is at a point where it is worth investing. A 700 lumen LED for example is more than adequate for 99% of all cave diving - and certainly lightyears ahead of the 3 W halogen lights that were the norm 30 years ago or even the 20-50 W halogen lights that were the norm 10-15 years ago.
I've had my LED 700 in Madison where most of the tunnel between Madison and Friedman's is large enough to dwarf a Washington Metro station and I have not felt under lighted. To be fair I've also had it in P3 on very murky days when I would have preferred the tight spot of my older MR11, but again the dive was not less enjoyable because of it.
I also think LED technlogy is where everyone is headed and unless you are into video and need dual 50 W HID lights, I think we are at a point beyond which it makes little sense to spend big bucks on a 21, 35, or 50 W HID.
So I plan to dive my LED 700 through the next couple of technological leaps then move up to a 2000 lumen LED or whatever the decent price point standard is in a few years. And again, if DR offers an upgrade for $150 or so, I'll probably jump on it as well.
Madison is a completely different water source and its a LONG ways from Friedman's 
