I do too, but only in applications that consume lots of power, like my Intova strobe. When I used alkalines, I had to replace batteries every 4 dives. This makes 2x12 packs of AAs for a 1 week trip or more than double that amount for a 50 dive trip. So recharchables make lots of sense. Back up light that I will use maybe once? No.
I agree, a lot. Well mostly... This attitude makes total economic and practical common sense. Screw the "stupid rules" and base your life upon the technology that you have chosen to best fit your life.
My camera strobes have always used AA batteries. But my RCD-8 dive light (bought before my camera stuff) used about 10 lbs of D cells.(yes, 8 D cells in a monster light just slightly bigger than my head). Our previous dive lights, which became our backups, used 6 AAs.
Over the last 2 years we have updated all of our dive lights to LED based rechargeable 18650 technology (primary and backup). We are vacation divers, these are single battery lights around a max of 1000 lumens.
So we started with AA technology in crappy divelights, morphed to a mix of D and AA technology, then refocused on AA with D, dumped the D and now have a mix of 18650 and AA technologies.
I am a little pissed that I still have to drag around AAs for my strobes. Who will be the first manufacturer to offer an 18650 powered strobe? I am tired of carrying 4 rechargers (a main and a spare for each technology).
P.S. We just updated our tank marker lights for night dives from AAA based to AAA based. Sh*t. I'm a Moron! But my AA charger also does AAA.
P.S. I am ignoring the very early really stupid C based dive lights we first bought that flooded every time**.
** Yes I replaced the innards and then it flooded the next dive. Several times. Slow learner!
