New Primary

[KenE]

I have been diving the OrcaTorch D710 for the last two months and find it a great primary light. It has the ability to put out a very bright 3000 lumens for a short period, but the 2000 on high is more than sufficient to cut through the muck we dive in. It has lower settings if diving at night as well. I have the D550 as a backup because it was not sufficient as a primary, but compact enough for a secondary.

 

[buddhasummer]

Tillytec mini uni, choose your LED module. 21700 battery but will also run on an18650 and AAAs, triple beefy O ring sealed, very robust.

Website is a bit clunky.

Mini uni

Mini uni

www.tillytec.de

 

[halocline]

I like the big blue TL3800, I use it as a back up primary on long cave dives. There’s also the next step down, the 2900. It’s pretty unlikely you’d use the highest setting in OW on either, so the burn time would be good.

People generally don’t give positive reviews of big blue lights, and there’s one long-time poster who rants against them (or used to when he was on here) but I’ve now had two of their lights and like them both. For the money, the amount of light and the color is excellent. I haven’t had any problems with the lights (others have reported switch flooding) but I did notice a loss of burn time on one of the batteries and they replaced it quickly and without any questions.

 

[ChrisMBC]

I really like the XTAR D26 1600S as a primary for PNW diving, it has a very tight beam that cuts through low visibility well, and works really well for signalling. If you leave it on the second-brightest setting, it's constant output and ~2hrs runtime on a 5Ah 21700 battery. More than enough runtime for any individual dive, and easy enough to swap on a surface interval.

I've designed a couple different handles for it that incorporate a thumb loop that makes scooting super easy. The only handheld light I've tried that I prefer is a Halcyon Flare, but I refuse to spend that kind of money on a fancy housing for an LED.

 

[crofrog]

You should really reconsider a can light. Uwld, halcyon and light monkey all make excellent ones.

Nothing cuts through the water like the Focus2, which you can get as a handheld but is sort of huge. The flare exp is also really good, and it has a much more reasonable-sized battery than the Focus2 handheld.

The are the 2 lights lined up so the goodman handle is even with each other. You can see how the flare exp sticks out farther back towards the wrist than the focus 2. That is quasi annoying with dry glove rings.

Mainly because the battery is also thicker than the focus body, you can easily remove the goodman handle from either one of them.

 

[crofrog]

These aren't the best photos for comparsion, but when you focus the focus all the way down you get the windows logo... The crosshair in the middle, while ugly, does sort of have an admirable purpose of allowing you to point out little things very accurately. It also helps differinate team mates if the guy in the back of the cave for instance is all the way down to the windows logo, and the middle person is running just a bit rounder.

The windows logo cuts through the murk really well

Just a tiny bit defocused from the windows logo

When you unfocus it all the way, it is a pretty good video light, honestly... not the brightest, but very even coverage.

The flare exp strikes a good middle ground.

UWLD beam pattern is prettier and more even for sure, and the light monkey variable focus is nice, but does not tighten down as much as either the UWLDs normal beam, or the focus all the way in.

The diveright ex35 is also an exceptionally nice beam quality and the video diffuser works really well. I own or have owned all of the lights mentioned at some point.

 

[Boarderguy]

These aren't the best photos for comparsion, but when you focus the focus all the way down you get the windows logo... The crosshair in the middle, while ugly, does sort of have an admirable purpose of allowing you to point out little things very accurately. It also helps differinate team mates if the guy in the back of the cave for instance is all the way down to the windows logo, and the middle person is running just a bit rounder.

The windows logo cuts through the murk really well
View attachment 857265

Just a tiny bit defocused from the windows logo
View attachment 857264

When you unfocus it all the way, it is a pretty good video light, honestly... not the brightest, but very even coverage.
View attachment 857266


The flare exp strikes a good middle ground.

View attachment 857267


UWLD beam pattern is prettier and more even for sure, and the light monkey variable focus is nice, but does not tighten down as much as either the UWLDs normal beam, or the focus all the way in.

The diveright ex35 is also an exceptionally nice beam quality and the video diffuser works really well. I own or have owned all of the lights mentioned at some point.

I agree 100% that a can is the best option but I don't like the handles. I'm more inclined to try one again now that I have a T handle on my scoot and swapping hands isn't as tasking as it with with the stupid thumb trigger. It's so not as simple as swapping a handheld over though.

 

[crofrog]

I agree 100% that a can is the best option but I don't like the handles. I'm more inclined to try one again now that I have a T handle on my scoot and swapping hands isn't as tasking as it with with the stupid thumb trigger. It's so not as simple as swapping a handheld over though.

Since you said thumb trigger I assume you have a black tip.

I just stick my index finger through the thumb loop on the goodman handle and then I can be hands free with the light in my hand.

You can just unscrew the Goodman handle too.

 

[halocline]

I agree 100% that a can is the best option but I don't like the handles. I'm more inclined to try one again now that I have a T handle on my scoot and swapping hands isn't as tasking as it with with the stupid thumb trigger. It's so not as simple as swapping a handheld over though.

My humble opinion after diving with canister lights for years is that at this point the main reason to get one is the burn time. My LM went over 5 hrs on the highest setting. There are handhelds that have comparable light output, but you’re not getting 5 hours. Fortunately, this is not a problem for 99% of divers; you simply switch out the battery in between dives and you can get a solid 4 hours of use on the highest setting for two 2 hour dives. I am doing some 3 hr+ dives, and I still use handhelds. I just bring two of them on the dive, and the cost is still far less than a canister light, and I have full redundancy.

BTW, I have a cave diving buddy who used a Halcyon focus and that was one of the ugliest-looking lights I’ve ever seen in a cave. It was convenient at times with a 3 person team, because we could always identify her light by the yellow square.

There has been so much written about canister vs handlheld, you could spend a lot of time reading about it. I won’t rehash those arguments here, but there is a fair argument to be made that having your light on a tether is an advantage. You’re never dropping it. The cord does add some complexity to a dive with air sharing and some other skills. As with most things, there are advantages and disadvantages. It’s just that for many years, there was no choice for technical diving; you needed a can light. Now there are all sorts of choices, some of which are a fraction of the price.

 

[JoeTPhilly]

You should really reconsider a can light. Uwld, halcyon and light monkey all make excellent ones.

Nothing cuts through the water like the Focus2, which you can get as a handheld but is sort of huge. The flare exp is also really good, and it has a much more reasonable-sized battery than the Focus2 handheld.

View attachment 857259
The are the 2 lights lined up so the goodman handle is even with each other. You can see how the flare exp sticks out farther back towards the wrist than the focus 2. That is quasi annoying with dry glove rings.

I found it annoying with dry glove rings so I ordered a Focus 2.0. I am sure I will like the Focus 2.0 after I am done crying about the price...