Night Dive Personal Strobe/Marker Light Question

[flfishhead]

Pretty basic question, but where is the best place to attach a night dive strobe light so that it doesn't get tangled with various hoses etc, but will be prominently displayed?

 

[RJP]

Are you asking about a tank marker that will stay "on" during the dive? Or a strobe that will be "off" during the dive... to be deployed and turned "on" in case of an emergency?

These are two different things.

Please DON'T dive wearing a flashing strobe/light.

Please.

There's no reason to have a strobe flashing during a dive. It will annoy you, other divers, (esp photogs) and the fish.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

No strobes.

But a chem light or similar can be attached to the tank valve. This may be about the best position for other divers to "see" it.

Best wishes.

 

[FishLovingStudent]

Neck of tank is usually where I see it around.

RJP/leadturn, why don't you like flashing strobes? I am impartial to them but they do seem to have their uses for instructors and general use when viz drops to 1 feet or similar low viz condition.

edit:

ah, when i think of strobe I think of the small water activated ones like this one:
New Water Activated Marker Light for Scuba Divers, Snorkelers and Boaters (Blue) | Amazon.com: Outdoor Recreation

I can see the problem with an actual powerful strobe.

 

[RJP]

Neck of tank is usually where I see it around.

RJP/leadturn, why don't you like flashing strobes?

As mentioned...

It will annoy you, other divers, (esp photogs) and the fish.

The OP asked about night dives specifically, rather than "low viz" situations. The photographer thing is not understood by non-photographers: Many dive camera external strobes are "slave" units, meaning they fire when the main flash on the camera fires. Unfortunately, even the small strobes like the one you linked to, can be seen by a nearby photographer's off-camera lighting as being the in-camera trigger causing the photographer's strobe to fire randomly based on the tank marker continued flashing. They will also simply ruin photos and videos being shot by other people.

And they are annoying in general; a flashing light is seen as someone signalling an issue or trying to get another diver's attention. There's no reason to have a flashing strobe tell the world where you are in the ordinary course of events.

---------- Post added July 7th, 2015 at 03:25 PM ----------

No strobes.

But [-]a chem light or similar[/-] a small battery-powered tank marker can be attached to the tank valve. This may be about the best position for other divers to "see" it.

Fixed it for you.

As you alluded to, cyalume sticks contain CHEMICALS. Bad if they end up in the ocean, but since they are not recyclable with the chemicals still in them they are bad no matter WHERE they end up.

The Princeton Tec "Eco Flare" is a great light. Less than 3" long, it takes two AAA batteries. Bright enough to be seen at a distance. They are less than $12.

 

[doctormike]

I never understood the idea of those tank valve lights on a night dive... I know that they provide a sense of security to new night divers, but assuming that everyone has a light of some sort, the handheld light is much more visible IMHO than one of those little glowing lights sticks or small tank lights.

I find that there are FAR fewer issues with buddy separation on a night dive than a day dive. Unless the vis is spectacular, you can easily lose track of a buddy a short distance away, even in the Caribbean. At night, no matter how engrossed I am in macrophotography, I just look up and at a glance I can tell exactly where the other divers are.

Especially today, when even relatively cheap dive lights are extremely bright LED versions. Just the reflected light is enough to be seen from far away.

 

[flfishhead]

No, not talking about a bright strobe light, just a "small" blinking red light (TEKTITE). Actually, it's not my idea, but required for the dive. Couldn't hurt, I guess. Attaching to the tank neck sounds like the best idea. I'll see how that works.

 

[Damselfish]

If I use one (I happen to have the eco flare mentioned above) I put it on the tank valve. On any marker light with a cord I replace the regular cord with a short piece of thin bungee, that way I can easily put it around the neck of the tank and pass it through the loop after my reg is already on there, which is usually when I remember. Works better than a longer cord with cord lock getting tangled up in stuff.

If they help you keep track of your buddy or feel more comfortable, they don't hurt anything. Some dive ops require them.

As far as strobes, besides annoying everyone (I think even a small one is annoying), white ones are commonly used to mark exit points. In the case of a night boat dive many will hang one from the boat. If you're all spread out rather than diving in a herd, it can sometimes be hard to tell the difference between a strobe on a person, and the one hanging from the boat.

 

[RJP]

No, not talking about a bright strobe light, just a "small" blinking red light (TEKTITE). Actually, it's not my idea, but required for the dive. Couldn't hurt, I guess. Attaching to the tank neck sounds like the best idea. I'll see how that works.

Who is "requiring" a blinking red light?

 

[flfishhead]

Who is "requiring" a blinking red light?

Actually, no one is requiring a "blinking red light"; just a personal marker light. And I'm not entirely sure that is even a requirement, but I don't want to be caught short. (This group is headed up by an instructor, although I'm not one of his students; just going along for the ride.)