SLS Toby Torch 800 lumens?

[Locus]

I'm looking for my first dive light and I want something bright, rugged and versatile. Sola looks awesome but it's well out of my price range.

My LDS is offering this for $170 with charger and a longer-lasting battery included.

What are your opinions of it? Is it worth the investment?

http://stewartsy.com/toby_torch/

 

[buddhasummer]

What is the beam angle? I went to the site but could not find any info.

 

[Locus]

What is the beam angle? I went to the site but could not find any info.

Can't say exactly, but I got a chance to try one and the beam is fairly tight. Seems to perform well in my uneducated opinion, but I'm wondering how it compares to others in the same price range or below.

Also does anyone know the cost of replacing a Cree xm-l t6 LED bulb? I found some online for $10, but are those the right kind? Some say drop-in, and others dont. Do I need a specialized version for use in a dive light, or will any xm-l t6 do?

 

[diversteve]

I wouldn't sweat replacing the bulb too much:

Cree currently recommends a maximum drive current of 1500 mA for XLamp XM-L white in designs seeking the ENERGY
STAR* 35,000 hour lifetime rating (≥ 94.1% luminous flux @ 6000 hours) or 25,000-hour lifetime rating (≥ 91.8%
luminous flux @ 6000 hours).

A lot of people seem to like these also for bright dive lights under $100 - I don't have any personal experience with them:
DRIS Dive Gear 1k Shorty Dive Light - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL
DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

More light isn't necessarily best either unless you're in a wreck/cave - in which case you probably don't have a $100 light...lol.

I have a 220lumen Dorcy that regularly scares the fish away at night. You can watch them run and hide because you've just made them a target for night fishing predators. Piranha sells it for $43. http://www.piranhadivemfg.com/item/Penetrater-220-1560

 

[Slamfire]

A lot of people seem to like these also for bright dive lights under $100 - I don't have any personal experience with them:
DRIS Dive Gear 1k Shorty Dive Light - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL
DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

I've had the 1000 lumen for a year now. It is very bright and well made. I recently started diving with a shorty version as well. It is very comfortable. You can't go wrong with DRIS.

 

[Locus]

I've had the 1000 lumen for a year now. It is very bright and well made. I recently started diving with a shorty version as well. It is very comfortable. You can't go wrong with DRIS.

One reviewer mentioned a problem with the C cells in the full size light. How expensive and available are they? Are they available in rechargeable?

 

[buddhasummer]

I wouldn't sweat replacing the bulb too much:



A lot of people seem to like these also for bright dive lights under $100 - I don't have any personal experience with them:
DRIS Dive Gear 1k Shorty Dive Light - Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL
DRIS Dive Gear 1000 Lumen Dive Light | Dive Right In Scuba - Plainfield, IL

More light isn't necessarily best either unless you're in a wreck/cave - in which case you probably don't have a $100 light...lol.

I have a 220lumen Dorcy that regularly scares the fish away at night. You can watch them run and hide because you've just made them a target for night fishing predators. Piranha sells it for $43. Penetrater 220

Yes, totally agree with this post, more is often less depending on conditions, narrow and bright for day time or low vis, bright and narrow for night and low vis, wider and less bright for night and clear water, way less bright and wide for clear water tropical reef diving. Different lights for different applications and conditions. Personally I'd buy two, you need a back up anyway. A light with variable beam is convenient as it is more versatile, BigBlue and Hollis make such lights as do MB-sub but their lights are higher in cost. Don't get caught up in the lumen race. I own a smaller 250lumen light and, for travel, a bigger 1000 lumen light, I was in Thailand a couple of months ago and did a variety of day and night dives. The 1000 lumen light was used once the whole trip for around 10 seconds. It was too much light and did nothing except to send all fish running for cover. The 250lumen light with variable focus, in this situation and these conditions, was perfect.

 

[Locus]

I've had the 1000 lumen for a year now. It is very bright and well made. I recently started diving with a shorty version as well. It is very comfortable. You can't go wrong with DRIS.

Do the DRIS 1000 lumen and its shorty version have adjustable brightness?

Do you wristmount either of them? If so, is it difficult to use the twist-on switch if the light is already in the wrist mount? It sounds like a two-handed operation.

 

[Slamfire]

Do the DRIS 1000 lumen and its shorty version have adjustable brightness?

no. It's all or nothing.

Do you wristmount either of them? If so, is it difficult to use the twist-on switch if the light is already in the wrist mount? It sounds like a two-handed operation.

Yes. I tied the light to the glove so that I can operate it single hand. It's worked perfectly fine one handed.

See pictures

.

 

[pedo]

One reviewer mentioned a problem with the C cells in the full size light. How expensive and available are they? Are they available in rechargeable?

Really? C cells? They are cheap(depends on brand), everywhere and can be had in rechargeable format.

I have the shorty. It is a great light.