Newbie Mistake

[MXGratefulDiver]

Ok. I've been diving about a year and have been going through all the fun!? of trying to figure out what gear I need. I dive mostly in the PNW so a light is a must.

I got the Light Cannon and it puts out a great beam. But, its very heavy and completely dominates one hand. Too bad I didn't know about you guys before I purchased it.

So, any advice on a canister light would be appreciated. I really don't want to shell out $1000 for a light, but I do need a good one. One thing I'm learning is that you really don't want your hands full of stuff - tried it, it's not fun.

Where in the Pac NW are you? If you're close to Seattle, let's arrange a dive sometime and I can let you try out my Terkel light. I've also got a 10W HID NiteRider that's nice ... but that's on loan to a friend at the moment.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It depends on your goal. Personally, I use mine for wrecks penetrations, caverns and night dives. I don't dive caves. My primary light is a UK Mini Q40 powered by 4 AA batteries. It serves my needs perfectly when I turn it on. Most of the time in those three situations, I leave it off. I'm not making movies, so I don't need to light the world. I let my eyes adjust to ambient light levels.

Walter, not sure if you've ever been to the Pac NW, but it gets pretty dark up here ... even during the day. Almost everyone dives with some kind of light at all times ... some days it can be almost like a night dive at depth, due to algae blooms or haloclines on the upper layers.

Then there's the fact that the things people like most to see are GPO's and wolf eels, and those reclusive critters are usually tucked into structures where you'd never see them without a light.

I have friends here who use the Q40 as a "spotter" light ... mounted on their camera strobes ... but that's about all they're useful for around here.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ColdH2Odvr]

There’s a DIY dive light group on yahoo (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hiddivelights/). For a while a lot of the guys were buying light cannons and converting them to canister lights. You can check the archives for more info. Of course this means cutting up your primary dive light…

Good luck,

Dave

Visibility? We don’t need no stinking visibility!

 

[Padipro]

This one works pretty good. It's only a 50 watt halogen but then again it only cost me $150 to build.

DIY Canister Light

 

[UWSojourner]

Where in the Pac NW are you? If you're close to Seattle, let's arrange a dive sometime and I can let you try out my Terkel light. I've also got a 10W HID NiteRider that's nice ... but that's on loan to a friend at the moment.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Bob,

Thanks for the offer. I'm currently waiting on a new drysuit. We're down in Portland. But we'd love to take you up on the offer once we get dry.

Kevin

 

[UWSojourner]

There’s a DIY dive light group on yahoo (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hiddivelights/). For a while a lot of the guys were buying light cannons and converting them to canister lights. You can check the archives for more info. Of course this means cutting up your primary dive light…

Good luck,

Dave

Visibility? We don’t need no stinking visibility!

Hey! Is there anyone who has tried converting the Light Cannon into a canister? That would save some money and might be a fun project.

Conversion info anyone?