UV Dive light

[Snoweman]

Is a UV dive light helpful/fun for night dives in Cozumel?

 

[northernone]

Oooh yes!!! Particularly if you bring a yellow sheet of something to look at the world through when using UV light.

 

[Snoweman]

I'm sensing sarcasm...

 

[morecowbells]

I am not a big fan of night dives. When we were in Bonaire last Fab. my husband and our friends did one with the UV lights and mask filter. He said that the first few minutes were fascinating, but after a while it got old and was more of a distraction. He compared it to 'Hey Jude'. Good for the first couple of minutes but after a while, the novelty wore off.

 

[Snoweman]

So, the yellow filter wasn't sarcasm?

 

[northernone]

I'm sensing sarcasm...

I'm easily amused, but am fascinated by biofluorescence. Had converted a dslr to full spectrum for UW photography here in Cozumel (I promptly drowned it). It's a whole new experience seeing the reef in a way I hadn't before.
A video explaining the mechanics of it:

And how it looks:
(complete with yellow filter)

 

[Schwob]

(I promptly drowned it).

Oh man, ... sorry!

Edit: I have a good enough idea what a full spectrum converted camera does (and at rare times use one at work), but maybe not that a good of an idea:
Why did you do the conversion for flourophptography?
(Genuinely curious, explaining why I am asking while asking... not trying to be right and very likely not knowing better at all)
Would‘t you not want to exclude the UV & blue end of the spectrum to see the fluorescing response better and would‘t the yellow filter do that even on a full conversion?
Or are you expecting a fluorescing response reaching all the way into the IR spectrum?

 

[ReefHound]

So, the yellow filter wasn't sarcasm?

https://www.amazon.com/BigBlue-Fluoro-Diving-Flashlight-Silver/dp/B0087VBMPG

FYI, there's one floating around Roatan somewhere. Tip: secure your yellow filter to your mask.

 

[northernone]

Oh man, ... sorry!

Edit: I have a good enough idea what a full spectrum converted camera does (and at rare times use one at work), but maybe not that a good of an idea:
Why did you do the conversion for flourophptography?
(Genuinely curious, explaining why I am asking while asking... not trying to be right and very likely not knowing better at all)
Would‘t you not want to exclude the UV & blue end of the spectrum to see the fluorescing response better and would‘t the yellow filter do that even on a full conversion?
Or are you expecting a fluorescing response reaching all the way into the IR spectrum?

Love the question. I had intended experimenting with various filters and various lights and hope to stumble on something new. Having a bare sensor (full spectrum) was to let me pop on a filter (or two) and hit the critters with everything from IR to UV and see what showed up. Dabbled in Astrophotography in the past a little too so was borrowing some of the notch filter ideas.

Particularly interested in the cave critters, some glow and it makes them easier to spot.

Had been working with a couple Chinese light venders who were willing to drop in any LED chip I wanted into can light heads. After the flood I haven't converted another camera and I'm putting funds into the therapeutic dive program these days. Will pick up the hobby project again some day.

P. S. I assume you have an awesome job!

 

[mstevens]

Is a UV dive light helpful/fun for night dives in Cozumel?

Helpful? No, not really. You'll still need a regular light.

Fun? Very much so.

"UV" dive lights are usually really blue excitation lights rather than ultraviolet but you're talking about lights that allow visualization of biofluorescence and those are a hoot on a Cozumel night dive.

I'm sensing sarcasm...

I'm not sensing any.

So, the yellow filter wasn't sarcasm?

I seriously doubt it.

The yellow filter is part of the system. Without it, colors are pretty washed out. They can be annoying to deal with in addition to all the other tasks one faces during a night dive, but are worth it.