Question about lights

[LowDrag]

My wife and I are looking into getting a set of lights. We want to get into a quality light that will hold up well and be bright but not too bright. I have heard OP talk about washing out things under water because the light is too bright. What do others here use and why? Lumen rating is a subject that raises a bunch of questions for me as well. I looked in the equipment foorum and did nor see anything in there. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated....

Thanks

 

[SangP]

What sort of lights are you looking to get, canister, hand held, backup, what sort of diving are you going to be doing and what's your budget?

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

If you are diving daylight or typical west coast conditions, cost/size will become your limiting factor long before a light is too bright. If your cursed with diving clear water night dives in the tropics, then you either buy a smaller backup or put a translucent plastic disc on the front to defuse the light.

Definitely think about LED, the cost and durability and efficiency are top notch. I find 200 lumen is nice and compact, but I also have a 1000 lumen which has become my favorite. It really only seems 2x as bright as the 200, its a bit of diminishing returns as you crank up the output. I typically dive 10-40 foot vis so I like a lot of light.

 

[fnfalman]

I'm a rec diver and I prefer not to have very bright light. Not really about washing out colors but more about scaring off the animals. For night diving, I'm happy with the Intova wide angle 220-lumens, with an Intova focused lense also 220-lumens.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

I have owned scores of lights. I don't think you need to worry about "too bright." I am not fond of the pistol grip types. I think they are too big and bulky. I like those I can hold in y hand, clip on my bc, or putting in a bc pocket. The ones I like best are from Ikelite, Princeton and Underwater Kinetics, but many companies have quality items. Look for a primary and a back up. Opinions and tastes vary, but a 4 c cell primary and a smaller 4 AA cell back up are pretty common and serviceable.
DivemasterDennis

 

[LowDrag]

We are interested in a main light and a smaller back up.

Budget wise...I am buying for two so cost is definitely something to think about. I would like to stay under $200 per main light if possible but may have to go $300.

Location would be the Puget Sound and some local locations such as mountain lakes and ocean bays. All the diving I have done so far (limited) gets dark any where from 30' - 60' and we want lights for that. We do plan on getting our AOW after we get some more dive experience and night diving is part of that program.

As for tropical diving that would be an occasional Carribean vacation.

Dennis...you brought a question to my mind. Batteries? Lithium Ion or C's and AAA's? Batteries are expensive not only to buy but to haul around on vacation. So, I was thinking rechargeable, is this idea a less than optimal idea? What is the burn time ratio comparing alkaline batteries to Lith-Ion recahargeable and is the difference so minimal that buying batteries is a non issue? I do realize that is kind of a trick question because it depends on light output among other things but just looking for a ball park idea.

Thanks everyone for responding so far. We appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience with us.

 

[fnfalman]

I think that you should go down to the Pacific Northwest subforum and talk about the specificities because unless we're familiar with your local dive sites, we can't help you much.

As far as rechargeables go, they do hold lesser charges as usage increases. My problem is that I tend to lose the damn chargers. Also, some lights come with built-in rechargeable batteries.

 

[DukeAMO]

We have these 4 AA cell LED lights: Ikelite PCm (2nd Gen) LED Lite and use them on every dive. They're a compact backup light for night dives, or a light to show you better colors for daytime dives. The wrist strap is nice because you can just drop the light for a minute to free up your hand.

For a primary, or for really low vis, I want to get the Sola Dive 1200 LED. It's expensive, though. Here's a quote from a very experienced diver I know: "Regarding light penetration,or "punch": I have a 10W HID canister, EOS LED canister, 21W HID Canister, and Sola 1200. In order of punch, nothing beats the 21W HID. After that it's pretty close between the Halcyon EOS LED and Sola, followed by the 10W HID. All are carried via Goodman handle. Burn time advantage to canisters, most others (size, portability, flexibility (flood/spot, 3 pwr settings), security (totally sealed batt compartment) tilt to Sola."

 

[Scuba_Noob]

I've been using this light for a few months (DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL). It seems to still be working well, though it does sustain some aesthetic scratches. It's relatively durable and bright enough for the Pacific Northwest.

I use rechargeable Cs.

 

[rhwestfall]

I've been using this light for a few months (DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL). It seems to still be working well, though it does sustain some aesthetic scratches. It's relatively durable and bright enough for the Pacific Northwest.

I use rechargeable Cs.

+1 for the DRIS 1000 LED with this handle:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cl...lights-designed-scubaboard-5.html#post6530514