Night Dive Lumens

[Landlocked123]

Well I have a Big Blue Canister light. I believe 2400 lumens or there about. I never use it. I carry 4 lights on me on every dive. One DGX 600 Push on the helmet. Two Bib Blue twist camera flood lights on either side of the helmet. These are for the Go pro (I go pro all my dives)One DGX 600 Twist backup on D ring and tied down with bungee. I swear by the DGX 600's. They are an incredible light. They are actually 800 lumens but 600 "out the front"..they are tight enough to punch through almost anything. I have had mine for years and no problem on either one. I cannot recommend them enough. Again I dive in extremely low to near zero viz most of my dives and these lights have been with me on hundreds of dives. I have never even replaced the Orings with the spare set that came with them. The burn time is ~ 1 hour each. So I alternate them if needed meaning only one is on at any given time. I did a 1:45 minute shallow dive average 30 feet with my Re-breather diving buddy and between those two lights and the Big blue floods I could have stayed down another hour probably. Rechargeable batteries to boot... Give them a try. You will not regret it.

 

[RIHappyDiver]

I have 2 lights rated in the 1000 lumens range (probably less in reality) that I have used day and night in 5-20’ vis here in Rhode Island, as well as 100’ + vis in Bonaire. They are narrow beam lights, which work great in the low vis, and well in the tropics, but I am getting the wide beam DGX 600 push button for my next tropical trip. The folks I dove with in Bonaire were using wide beam, about the same lumens as me, and I could definitely tell the difference. Especially at night. Wide beam blinds you in particulate low vis, but is great in clear water. As long as the lights you are looking at have adjustable beams, the lumens you listed should be fine.

Have fun on the night dive!

Erik

 

[JackD342]

My (current) lights are also my video lights. A couple different models of the SeaLife Seadragon. The most versatile are either the 2300 or the 2100. 2300 is wide angle, with 3 power settings plus Auto Brightness and Auto Detect. The 2100 has 3 power settings on wide, or 800 lumen on spot. You can purchase with arms and trays, or just buy the head and add a handle. Or both!

 

[Bowers]

i have a tiny 300 lumen that is nice for daytime peeking into things but for night dives ive had great success with inexpensive 1000 lumen lights. and diving in ohio im very familiar with cold, low viz water.

 

[boulderjohn]

There is a school of thought that you can have a light that is too bright, blinding and almost cooking those nighttime creatures.

I am in that school. For a tropical night dive, pretty much any basic light is more than enough. Too much and you are actually interfering with the dive life, scaring everything away.

On a tropical night dive I prefer to get away from others and have no light at all for a while. Your eyes become accustomed to the light, and then you can see how much light there is there without you. Many creatures are giving off light, but you can't see it when you are flooding the area with light.

 

[jgttrey]

Agree. On a recreational, nice vis night dive you don't need much. you end up blinding other divers if you're not careful and it's just not necessary. If there are others around, I often shut off my light entirely and just follow along. You actually see more sometimes if you let your eyes adjust and just look in the spill from the other lights.

I usually use my DGX600 lights because that's just what I have, but it would be better if there was lower setting. Sometimes I cup it with my hand. Anything more is overkill. Super narrow beam high pwr lights have their place in caves, wrecks, silt, etc. but are not necessary or even particularly desirable on a clear water recreational night dive on a reef.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

+1 on the DGX 600 and 800 lights. Bright enough to see what you need, I would prefer more of a flood pattern, but they are great lights.

The only time I have ever seriously considered turning off someone's air at depth was the new diver that showed up in all brand new top of the price list gear with a light cannon that looked like it came off a the front of a jet. He was obnoxious on the boat but worse underwater. He could not resist shining his light directly in everyone's eyes with every typical reef fish he found. Not octopus, sleeping sharks, toad fish, or something cool. Every Lobster, trunkfish, etc. nobody could see anything for that damn Lumenmaster 10 gazillion lumen light on his hand shining in their eyes every 30 seconds.

Sometimes brighter is not better. Now I understand why divers carry 14 inch knives on night dives. It's not for aggressive marine life....it's for idiots with light cannons.

Good luck with your search,

Jay

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

This light is excellent for both day and night dives. 970 lumens.
You may want to consider the option wrist mount for night dives.

https://www.makospearguns.com/970-Lumen-Dive-Light-p/m970dl.htm

 

[Landlocked123]

Good points all around. in Clear water less is more. Jedi Sabers not needed

 

[ajduplessis]

DGX600 dive lights are durable, powerfully, compact with fantastic waterproofing. Best bang for buck IMO.