Suggestions for a Hands-Free light

[handben]

I'm looking for a decent light that I can wear around the forehead or attach to my mask strap. I've seen the OMS light and it looks good, but I do not like the unusual battery (two high capacity CR-123A Lithium batteries). I also do not like Goodman handles, this is only marginally better (if any) than just holding it in the hand. I want this light for night dives, but also to use during the day and will use the extra light to help restore some color when taking video or still shots. I will also use it on land collecting firewood in the dark - so an LED would be better. I am considering one of the smaller Sartek lights (EBL2200 (3 AA batteries) and the EBL2200LI (1 Lithium Ion rechargeable cell) will produce 220 lumens at 6500K. But I am not sure of a good way to attach these to the mask strap or forehead. Any ideas amongst the board for workable solutions to hands-free lights? Thanks. Ben

 

[RJP]

I want this light for night dives, but also to use during the day and will use the extra light to help restore some color when taking video or still shots.

Spend a few moments thinking through what a pain in the neck (literally) it will be to do this with a light attached to your head...



How are you going to point the light at the subject properly? Also, think about needing to move your head every time you need to move the light a few degrees. Your eyes - and hence your field of vision - move independently of your head, but since your light won't...you will need to move your head to follow your eyes. Try to walk around the house for even 5min with your eyes fixed STRAIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, and moving your HEAD when you want to look at something.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

And if you are diving with a buddy how many times do you think they are going to take you shining a light in their eyes every time you look at them before they cut your hose?

 

[elan]

I wonder how signaling for emergency would look like. If I dove with a buddy with a head mount light I would not miss a chance of picking up on him/her asking if he/her is OK every minute

P.S. goodman handle , is way more than marginally better.

 

[handben]

I really was hoping to avoid a debate about the merits of a hand free light (a goodman handle is not hands-free); but I suppose I should lay out the case for it as so far no one sees it as useful. I already use a cheap terrestrial LED head light (with an elastic band) very frequently around the back yard. It is very useful as I need to pick up firewood to haul in for the insert (I am trying to do all my heating with wood this season; but have natural gas as a back-up). RJP, it really doesn't not take much eye head coordination to get the light where you want it to go; it is pretty darn natural. It also isn't terribly difficult to avoid shining in peoples eyes. That comes with a bit of situational awareness. If you know where your buddy is you don't shine the light in their eyes - Pretty simple.

What really got me thinking about this was a recent DAN diving and hyperbaric medicine conference that I attended in Dominica. One of the presenters (David Sawatzky) was an avid tech and cave diver as well as a dry caver. He made a compelling case for using a head mounted light. The main reason for which is the complete use of both hands for other things. (For me handling my camera as well as a light in the other hand at night very tough). He was surprised how many folks have adopted the Goodman light handle among the cave diving community when it is an inferior solution.

On a later talk, we performed an accident analysis of a cave diver in South Africa who actually video taped the entire dive in which he ultimately died. His goal was to retrieve the remains of a diver who had previously died in a cave. The plan was to put the body of the other diver into a body bag to take back to the surface. In order to accomplish this required cutting the straps of the other diver's equipment, opening the bag, tying lines and so on. Having his light source on the end of his hand and not having both hands entirely available for these complex tasks contributed quite a bit to his stress load and respiratory rate. He died of respiratory failure using a rebreather.

I do not intend on ever doing dives of this level of complexity (a retrieval of a body at 900+ feet); but I still can envision many scenarios where having both hands available is advantageous and indeed safer. Now if we can continue, are there any good ideas on how best to mount a light hands-free?

 

[RJP]

Now if we can continue, are there any good ideas on how best to mount a light hands-free?

Well, for the camera application I would mount it to the camera. Ikelite makes lights with mounts for this application, though they are more properly "focusing lights" with the optimal solution to "restore some color when taking video or still shots" being an actual video light for video and strobe(s) for still shots.

As for head mounting I've seen clips to mount small LED/halogen lights onto mask straps.

What's the issue with the "unusual" CR-123A batteries? Cost? Availability? You can get them at RadioShack and many other places. Cost-wise they are easily available online at prices similar to good C-cell batteries.

In terms David Shaw's death, saying that "Having his light source on the end of his hand and not having both hands entirely available for these complex tasks contributed quite a bit to his stress load and respiratory rate" is a bit ridiculous, as where he was carrying his light was the LEAST of his problems.

PS - are you saying that Sawatzky is actually surprised that EVERY SINGLE CAVE DIVER has adopted a can light with goodman handle? Because saying he was surprised at "how many divers had adopted..." makes it sounds like there's merely a decent sized handful of cave divers using can/goodman lights, when of course that's not the case.

 

[SteveAD]

I have used head mounted lights while diving and found the head mount to be the inferior solution. While a headmount is fairly convenient as a dry land work light, and can work fairly well in perfectly clear water, as soon as there is any turbidity a headmount becomes the equivalent of high beams on a foggy night, the divers vision is impaired by backscatter.

 

[elan]

Good point Steve, even if you need both of your hands for some tasks the clipped off light pointing down provides quite a lot of illumination with the side reflected light. And for those moments when you need to see the details with more light you can always point it quickly w/o unclipping. For video it is quite logical to put the light on the camera.

 

[handben]

What's the issue with the "unusual" CR-123A batteries? Cost? Availability? You can get them at RadioShack and many other places. Cost-wise they are easily available online at prices similar to good C-cell batteries.

These were about $7 or so at the local Target. I'm sure they are cheaper over the internet, but not as easy or cheap to find as say AA.

In terms David Shaw's death, saying that "Having his light source on the end of his hand and not having both hands entirely available for these complex tasks contributed quite a bit to his stress load and respiratory rate" is a bit ridiculous, as where he was carrying his light was the LEAST of his problems.

Having analyzed the video with some 70 or so other diving medicine physicians, the light source was considered a contributing factor. If you are able to see the video, I don't think it would be difficult for you to arrive at the same conclusion.

PS - are you saying that Sawatzky is actually surprised that EVERY SINGLE CAVE DIVER has adopted a can light with goodman handle? Because saying he was surprised at "how many divers had adopted..." makes it sounds like there's merely a decent sized handful of cave divers using can/goodman lights, when of course that's not the case.[/QUOTE]

I do not know the exact percentile of cave divers who use the Goodman handle, it is high, though not 100% as at least one prominent caver doesn't use it (see above). I concede that a Goodman handle allows somewhat more usage of the hands than a hand held handle; but my point is that if you need to use your hands for more critical purposes - probably you won't - then having a light attached to the top of the hand limits both the light as well as the hand's effectiveness.

 

[RJP]

but my point is that if you need to use your hands for more critical purposes - probably you won't - then having a light attached to the top of the hand limits both the light as well as the hand's effectiveness. [/I]

That's why we have a bolt snap on it...