Securing Backup Lights

[Mr Carcharodon]

What to you use to secure backup lights in place?

I have been using bits of mountain bike inner tube and it certainly holds the light in place securely. So securely in fact that it is a pain to take the light out and replace it. In practice this means I do not check if my backup lights are working very often. Are there better alternatives?

 

[Otter]

Stretch out the tubes a bit more?

 

[Gombessa]

I actually prefer the inner tubes to be tight, since my backup lights have a way of riding up the harness and interfering with a can light switch, or letting d-rings flap about.

They're certainly not that easy to get to and check pre-dive (I've on a number of cases just not checked them for the same reason--but then again these are all daytime OW dives) but I don't hesitate to ask my buddies to help me stow a backup light if needed.

 

[rjack321]

When I'm cave diving I check their voltage and then (with bare hands) after getting in.
For local OW diving with dry gloves I just check when I'm setting up my gear.

Try a bigger innertube? Practice+learn how to connect-reconnect them more efficiently?

 

[b1gcountry]

You can also cut the inner tube on an angle. It's a little bigger this way.

Tom

 

[Mr Carcharodon]

You can also cut the inner tube on an angle. It's a little bigger this way.

Tom

That's a good idea, I had not thought of that.

As far as I know the tube diameter is fixed at least for mountain bikes (roadies have more options).

 

[Gombessa]

That's a good idea, I had not thought of that.

As far as I know the tube diameter is fixed at least for mountain bikes (roadies have more options).

Not necessarily. I'm not sure if it's marketing or measurement, but you can get mountain bike innertubes rangning from 1.95 to 2.50 and greater. I think a greater difference though is the potential thickness/elasticity between tubes of different manufacturers. I've yet to find a set of mountain bike innertubes that are tight enough for my tastes...maybe it's cause my harness is made from a diamond-hardness weight belt material.

 

[rjack321]

As far as I know the tube diameter is fixed at least for mountain bikes (roadies have more options).

There are bigger tubes, including those on 'fat tire' urban bikes. How wide are your strips? Any wider the 3/8" gets to be pretty resistant to stretching. Thinner rubber band style are more flexible and easier to stretch but get nicks in them and break more often.

Some folks use 1/8" bungie but it rolls. Once you take the backup off, the bungie tends to end up at your waist buried in weightbelt, behind your can light etc.

 

[kwflfire]

I have a thigh pocket glued to my wetsuit, that has back up tables, john line, and back up light. Works great for me..

 

[ucfdiver]

I have a thigh pocket glued to my wetsuit, that has back up tables, john line, and back up light. Works great for me..

Works very well, until you unclip a light that's turned off and it falls in a little silt never to be found again. The chest Dring method allows a diver to turn the light on BEFORE unclipping it, so if it's dropped, you can find it.