I carry a primary light on every dive, and 2 backups if night or wreck diving.
Primary Light Recommendation - Rec Night Diving
- Thread starter ScubaGil
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That's the one we use too. My son got me a fancy OrcaTorch for my birthday and I'm looking forward to trying it out.
Camera.
And as a purely recreational diver I'm not so worried about points of failure with a dive light that is being used during the day or is one of two lights for a night dive.
Kendall Raine
Contributor
I wouldn't worry about the push button being a failure point in a modern quality light in recreational diving. Push buttons can malfunction at depth on some lights but those are greater than recreational depths. The push button also allows for multiple power/strobe settings. As a back up light in cave I still prefer twist on except for the SM helmet mounted one when one handed operation is really nice. The disadvantage of twist on, as has been said, is for people who don't dive much and turn the light head the wrong way. I know, righty tighty, but some people just can't walk and chew gum so the button solves that problem.
Get the OrcaTorch D710, you will appreciate the brightness when needed. I carry it as primary and a D530 as backup.
Ah, I see. I don't use a camera. It's not the "point of failure" argument exactly that deters me from using a pushbutton light, but it's related. I just prefer the mechanical simplicity of twist-on/off. Then again, maybe it IS the same reasoning as "point of failure."Camera.
True, the "point of failure" of the button may be the failure to find the button in a timely manner.
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I like the power levels and strobe function available with a button, are those available with twist on?
I have two Orcatorch D700s as backup lights. They've been excellent and reliable over ~300 dives in 2 years. I've burn-tested them at over 3 hours with 21700 battery cells, and I haven't ever had problems with them flooding or turning on inadvertently due to pressure (something that can happen for twist-on lights that are left too close to 'on' on the surface).
However, for a primary light in this price point, I'd also strongly suggest the XTAR D26 1600S, which can be had for ~$80 most of the time. It also runs on a 21700 battery, but has a brighter/tighter beam, as well as a threaded hole for attaching to a Goodman handle (which makes life a lot easier with a primary light). The D26 + Orcatorch D700(s) as backups make for an excellent set for tech/night diving, as they both take the same batteries, so you can cycle through your rechargeable batteries and make sure that none of them are sitting not being used for too long. (I take the battery from my backup and put it into my primary after every dive, then charge the discharged battery from my primary, and put it back into a backup. With two backups and one primary, it means each cell is getting discharged once every 3 dives. No concerns about rechargables sitting unused for months/years before needing them.)
However, for a primary light in this price point, I'd also strongly suggest the XTAR D26 1600S, which can be had for ~$80 most of the time. It also runs on a 21700 battery, but has a brighter/tighter beam, as well as a threaded hole for attaching to a Goodman handle (which makes life a lot easier with a primary light). The D26 + Orcatorch D700(s) as backups make for an excellent set for tech/night diving, as they both take the same batteries, so you can cycle through your rechargeable batteries and make sure that none of them are sitting not being used for too long. (I take the battery from my backup and put it into my primary after every dive, then charge the discharged battery from my primary, and put it back into a backup. With two backups and one primary, it means each cell is getting discharged once every 3 dives. No concerns about rechargables sitting unused for months/years before needing them.)
Good one! But I'm talking about the lights I use for casual reef dives. There's no hurry.
Nope, but again, it's the simplicity of a twist-on that appeals to me. I have a headlamp (not for diving) with all kinds of functions like that--strobe, power levels, etc.--and it often takes me some fumbling before I reach the mode I'm looking for. If I were to get a pushbutton dive light, I would prefer it have no extra functions; just simple push-on and push-off.
I'm the guy who found a GoPro's little buttons too confusing, and who is still reluctant to use air integration in place of my mechanical SPG. I'm an incorrigible luddite.
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