Primary/Backup lights for first liveaboard

[BigRed96]

Are you one of those people who go for a weeklong dive trip with no checked bag? I mean, a DGX 600 is already one of the smaller lights that people use for this kind of diving. I don't know what people use the 300 for, but it sure looks tiny.

I will be one of those people for this trip. This is my first trip on a liveaboard. Besides I am used to packing lite as I also motorcycle camp.

 

[scbaNE2179]

Are you one of those people who go for a weeklong dive trip with no checked bag? I mean, a DGX 600 is already one of the smaller lights that people use for this kind of diving. I don't know what people use the 300 for, but it sure looks tiny.

Hey! I'm one of those folks who doesn't check a bag! On last 2 livaboards, I was able to stuff all of my gear-BPW, fins, everything else into a carry on and backpack. One of the awesome benefits of diving a BPW. But to answer your original question, like you guys, I too have the 600 and for a backup, I just use the smallest and cheapest light out there. That's just me though, if I can minimize bulk and with the VERY LIMITED space on the BB's boats, you'll be glad you're not carrying 2 bulky lights.

Also FYI, when I was on the BB boats and on the night dives, they will require a tank light-and it's advised that it should not flash white. This is because the boat uses white strobes as markers on night dives and their concern is that other divers may mistake another flashing white tank light as the boat.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I envy you people who don't check bags, but I couldn't do it, if for no other reason than I often have liquids in excess of 3 oz. per bottle and so can't be carried on a plane. Sunscreen, insect repellent (but not on liveaboards), contact lens solution, ear drops, toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorant--probably more that I can't think of at the moment. There may be ways around it, but more trouble than it's worth to me. I'll just check a bag.

 

[scbaNE2179]

I envy you people who don't check bags, but I couldn't do it, if for no other reason than I often have liquids in excess of 3 oz. per bottle and so can't be carried on a plane. Sunscreen, insect repellent (but not on liveaboards), contact lens solution, ear drops, toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorant--probably more that I can't think of at the moment. There may be ways around it, but more trouble than it's worth to me. I'll just check a bag.

Even for a land-based trip(which I rarely do) I only bring a toothbrush as everything else I can buy at a cheap grocery store at my location. Deodorant? People use this on dive trips? I'm pretty sure a woff of an unrinsed wetsuit will overpower smelly pits. I do know if I'm on a LA all bathrooms have soap, shampoo, etc.

It took me at least at least a half dozen if not more trips to have the courage to go carry on only. Another reason why I swtiched over to a BPW-there's no way in hell I would be able to carry on a full-sized back inflate BCD with fins.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Even for a land-based trip(which I rarely do) I only bring a toothbrush as everything else I can buy at a cheap grocery store at my location. Deodorant? People use this on dive trips? I'm pretty sure a woff of an unrinsed wetsuit will overpower smelly pits. I do know if I'm on a LA all bathrooms have soap, shampoo, etc.

I don't know about you, but I often spend a few days on one end of the trip or the other doing something other than diving, such as seeing the local sights (which, in the tropics, means insect repellent), or I may pass through a connection city and overnight there, or various other things. Depending on how far the dive destination is, a one-week diving package usually means I will be away from home for 10 or more days. I often stay in budget hotels that may not stock the room with freebies of what I need. My dermatologist would frown if I went anywhere in the tropics without sunblock (though when actually diving I wear a beanie or hood instead). So, as I said, "more trouble than it's worth to me" to take time to go shopping for a list of sundries when I land somewhere after a long flight and will be heading to a liveaboard or resort. In some places, contact lens solution isn't sold in every corner convenience store or grocery store--you have to go to an actual pharmacy, and it often costs a lot more than I pay at Target or Costco. Believe me, I have gone through that and don't care to waste time on it again. I have looked into buying vinegar and rubbing alcohol from a local grocery store to make ear solution, but in the end I decided it's more trouble than it's worth. So my liquids bag in my checked bag ends up weighing a couple of pounds.

But indeed, on my last dive trip, when doing the final packing and weighing of my bag to be checked, one of the items I chose to remove to get it down to 50 lbs. was the deodorant.

 

[scbaNE2179]

There are other activities besides breathing underwater? I guess for me the land stuff is a bit boring and I am not into any of the land excursions. But I can totally see your point about having the bare toiletries regardless if you're on a LA or land-based.

Apologies for sidetracking the thread regarding backup lights and BB though!

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I have an DGX800 and 600 as a backup. I bought my wife 2 600's. We have had them for a few years and have no complaints whatsoever. Strange thing, with the original batteries they seem to be lasting longer after use. We used to get 50 minutes to an hour out of the battery life, last trip we got over an hour.

In a perfect world, they would have a switch instead of twist on an off, and maybe multiple brightness settings....but they are great lights. Solid, dependable, and about as bulletproof as they come. More light than you need.

A charger capable of charging all of your batteries would be handy, especially if space or number of plugs is an issue. Supposedly, there are better batteries out there, but our original batteries are still doing fine.

Safe travels, please post a trip report when you get back. Blackbeards is on my bucketlist. Remember, it is perfectly acceptable to turn off the air of the asshat with the Nightsun billion lumen light Cannon that keeps shining it in EVERYBODYS eyes. The world will thank you.

Jay

 

[diversteve]

Good thing you have the Jetpack as Blackbeards is going to make everyone else unpack their bags and leave them in storage on the dock.

I wouldn't overkill the light output either - the Bahamas are usually crystal clear so all too much light does is scare away what you're trying to see - they run and hide when you light them up for predators at night.

One night the lights at the bow (not Blackbeards) lit up the baitfish so the sharks came in and fed 120' from us hanging on the ladders.

 

[divinh]

I bought a DGX 600 push button and 300 for my first liveaboard. I already had an Evolva D02 for a video light.

On my first night dive in Komodo, I used the 600 push button as the primary, had the 300 hang from a D-ring (always on) as a locator, and the D02 as a backup in my BC pocket. The 600 push button was brighter than every other light on the dive. After about 20 minutes or so, the 600 push button shut off by itself and pushing the button would turn it on only for an instant before it would turn off again. It was useless. I thought it might have flooded. I switched over to the backup D02 and it worked well for the rest of the dive, though the beam is obviously broad, not focused.

The 300 became super dim after about 30 minutes, as the description on DGX's site says. One reviewer said it lasts 60 minutes. That's just not true. The 300 can be used as a backup in an emergency if the primary fails and you're going to end the dive pretty soon. It's not a true backup if your primary fails during a trip and you need a replacement.

DGX replaced the 600 push button and I requested a twist version instead. DGX said they had never seen the problem I described before. It didn't flood, by the way. It just doesn't switch on and stay on.

The D02 was actually a replacement for a D02 that I had early, which had a switch problem that's been well documented in reviews found in Amazon. The mode switch fails in older models; that is, it continually cycles.

I'll still keep the 300 as an emergency light.

 

[Lorenzoid]

There are other activities besides breathing underwater? I guess for me the land stuff is a bit boring and I am not into any of the land excursions. But I can totally see your point about having the bare toiletries regardless if you're on a LA or land-based.

Apologies for sidetracking the thread regarding backup lights and BB though!

My apologies, too. OT rant on my part. Nevertheless, it's not necessarily land activities but overnight connections, too. I usually arrive a day or two early to increase the likelihood of me and my luggage making it to the boat. Gotta go out to dinner somewhere that night, and that's after a long plane flight. I guess last trip, with no deodorant, I just relied on showering before going out. But bug spray--gotta put that on. You and I who neglected to use deodorant can sit next to each other on the plane home.