UW Light Dude vs Light Monkey Primary for Cave Class

[Wreck(ed)Diver]

Hey all!!

I have begun taking my first steps towards my cave certification and am trying to budget for the cavern/intro cave class. The only piece of gear I still need is a primary light and I'm torn about which to by. I have two options:

Option 1: My instructors shop sells UW Light dude primary's and I would get a 10% discount on them, however, they are very pricy. The total cost would be about $2038 with the discount. (He may throw in a backup light for free as well)

Option 2: My local dive shop has ordered some Light Monkey lights and will start to carry those. The cost for those is lower, probably around $1600.

Is UW light dude worth the extra cost or should I just go with light monkey? Also, does anyone know the beam angle of the Light Monkey lights and if the have overheat protection?

Thanks for the input!

 

[Lorenzoid]

In the case of primary lights for cave, I think there is a definite relation between price and quality, though I'm sure it's not linear. You can't beat UWLD, and LM is a time-honored performer. Is it "worth the extra cost"?--I don't think anyone but you can answer that. If you have never used any primary light in a cave, can you really know what will float your boat? Will you like the spot pattern? Who knows. Today's LED lights are brighter than you really need, so it isn't necessarily true that the brightest light will please you most. It's truly a matter of preference when you're talking UWLD vs. LM. (I'd add Halcyon in there, too.)

That said, when I found my budget stretched in preparation for my "first steps toward cave certification," I bought a gently used LM HID light from someone who was upgrading* to a modern LED. For about $500 I had the same workhorse light that had served a generation of cave divers, and a year or so later when my wallet recovered, I was able to sell that same light for about what I had paid for it--to another cave student--and buy the kind of expensive light you're looking at. Pay it forward, as they say.

* There are some divers who actually prefer the HID's beam over the LED's, so I hesitate to denigrate them just because they are old technology.

 

[GF99/99]

If you have the money get the UWLD. There really is nothing more to be said.

These are miles better than a Light Monkey. Also Bobby from UWLD is top notch and will make sure you are taken care of if you have any issues with your light. I would say his customer service is on par with Shearwaters.

Worst case if get out of diving you can always sell it, they hold there value very well and in cave country it would be very easy to sell one. There is a reason why you never see used one for sale and when there is they get pickup really quick.

 

[tbone1004]

Hey all!!

I have begun taking my first steps towards my cave certification and am trying to budget for the cavern/intro cave class. The only piece of gear I still need is a primary light and I'm torn about which to by. I have two options:

Option 1: My instructors shop sells UW Light dude primary's and I would get a 10% discount on them, however, they are very pricy. The total cost would be about $2038 with the discount. (He may throw in a backup light for free as well)

Option 2: My local dive shop has ordered some Light Monkey lights and will start to carry those. The cost for those is lower, probably around $1600.

Is UW light dude worth the extra cost or should I just go with light monkey? Also, does anyone know the beam angle of the Light Monkey lights and if the have overheat protection?

Thanks for the input!

The UWLD is absolutely worth the premium, vastly superior product with vastly superior service if you ever need it. Unfortunately the legendary service that LM used to provide is long gone. Since you're in Mass the UWLD also has a much better vest controller for heated vests which you'll appreciate up there as well as in cave country

I will say though that while I am very good friends with @Bobby and have made many posts on this board about how amazing his products are, I would question whether you really need one at this point in your diving career. A Dive Rite LX20+ is a fantastic light *I own three UWLD's, but the pair of LX20's probably have a higher dive count even though the UWLD's have a higher dive time since they're what I just "grab" when I'm doing short dives*. One of my LD40's is effectively integrated into my sidemount rig so that stays and the other is for doubles and I have to commit to wanting the cord which means the dive has to be long enough or need enough light to justify the cord. I really think the LX20+ is probably a better "now" investment in your diving until you get to the full cave level and are really committed.

 

[mr_v]

I own UWLD LD-40, a tall battery, and a heat controller. But my LX20+ sees the most cave action.

LX20+ offers 3HR on medium burn which is more than enough for a solid cave dive, excluding deco. You can get these lights slightly used for under $500. Invest in 8-10 high quality "Japan core" 18650 batteries with a decent charger - make it a rapid, 8-battery capacity one - and you have a solid option for two cave dives per day. And yes, you will drop the light; hopefully, you'll recover it and never drop it again.

UWLD is a superior product all around. Competitors don't come close. I'll take my UWLD setup if cave dives may turn into 4-5hr endeavors. Bobby can adjust the cord length so that it is just right for your setup. UWLD batteries also allow you a stacked configurationk where you can run a light and a heater using the same battery pack. It is not ideal, but it may work for you. The battery pack is also latchless - fewer points that may lead to entanglement.

Is it worth $2K? I think so. It is also not the most expensive cave equipment you will buy after you realize that kicking into the current is for plebs ;-)

 

[Kendall Raine]

I have used the same LM primary for twelve years and am very happy with it and the service and attention I get from Corey and Joel. Only problem I ever had was when I flooded it (my fault) in salt water but the separately sealed battery compartment saved the battery and $60 and a week later I was back in the water.

I have a fixed beam 32w LED which is more than I’ve ever needed in cave (good in wreck). If buying new I would get an output adjustable (Piezo switch) head so I could step it down for smaller cave. Doing so significantly extends burn time allowing for a smaller battery pack.

For the latest word on technical specs (beam angle, overheat protection) you should call LM. You might ask if they have a used light for sale. They took my old Pro 6 in a trade in…

The idea of buying used makes a lot of sense until you really know what you like/don’t (i.e. you might decide you want to go SM and want a different lid/routing configuration).

 

[InWay2Deep]

I own a Light Monkey 20ah dual output 10-32 VF. The VF is kind of a joke as it just adjust the deflector about 1/8 of an inch and really doesn't make much difference. I have sent the light head back to LM twice, both times for flooding. From what I understand my head was made during a bad batch where it was just ever so slightly out of spec and would not seal, as a result it would flood if I went below 100'. The first time (it was a few months after initial purchase) they 'repaired' it and sent it back, in the mean time I had started using my BigBlue more and didn't really bother w/ the LM (I bought it for winter use to run my suit heater as well). The second time the light was out of warranty and I tried several times to contact them via email/phone no response. Via phone I was told to 'send an email'. I finally got fed up and just mailed it to them w/o an RMA. A couple weeks later a LM box showed up on my door w/ my light head in it and a letter basically saying they replaced everything, NO CHARGE. I have taken it to sub 150' a few times and so far no more leaks. I have owned the light for almost 3 years and used it less than 15 times....I do plan to use it more now that winter is coming, mostly as a primary backup and to heat my suit.

So, I don't have much good to say about the light, the beam isn't very tight, lots of spillage and not much center beam. My BigBlue is much tighter and way better for signaling but much heavier on my hand. I like the corded light b/c if I need to drop it for whatever reason I'm not going to lose it and it fits on my hand much nicer w/ my SiTech wrist seals and doesn't wack into my Petrel like the BB.

LM service, while they could have been more responsive, was good, they fixed the light quick and no charge, I get it, it's a couple guys that like to dive trying to run a business, but I expect more from a $2,000 product. If I were to spend that amount of $$ again, I'd spend it at UWLD, I've heard nothing bad about them. Sorry LM, love you guys, but just not getting the ROI I expected out of the purchase.

 

[inquis]

I went with the LX20+ for my first primary as the brightness/burn time is plenty, and I spent the rest of the money on cave trips.

My plan was/is to get an UWLD when I switch to CCR & DPV for the substantially longer required runtimes. The LX20 will be a great backup at that point.

 

[Rilelen]

I use a fairly low-end LM light for my primary; it’s totally fine and we have had great experiences with their customer service (we are close enough to drive to them). If you want the nicer light, by all means go for it, but you don’t need it strictly per se.

 

[Wreck(ed)Diver]

In the case of primary lights for cave, I think there is a definite relation between price and quality, though I'm sure it's not linear. You can't beat UWLD, and LM is a time-honored performer. Is it "worth the extra cost"?--I don't think anyone but you can answer that. If you have never used any primary light in a cave, can you really know what will float your boat? Will you like the spot pattern? Who knows. Today's LED lights are brighter than you really need, so it isn't necessarily true that the brightest light will please you most. It's truly a matter of preference when you're talking UWLD vs. LM. (I'd add Halcyon in there, too.)

That said, when I found my budget stretched in preparation for my "first steps toward cave certification," I bought a gently used LM HID light from someone who was upgrading* to a modern LED. For about $500 I had the same workhorse light that had served a generation of cave divers, and a year or so later when my wallet recovered, I was able to sell that same light for about what I had paid for it--to another cave student--and buy the kind of expensive light you're looking at. Pay it forward, as they say.

* There are some divers who actually prefer the HID's beam over the LED's, so I hesitate to denigrate them just because they are old technology.

Good to know! Seems the consensus is UWLD is the best of the best. I have considered buying a second hand light in the meantime but I have had trouble finding people selling some for a reasonable price. Part of the issue is not seeing brands I’m familiar with being sold. I’ll keep looking in the meantime.