Rev. Blade
Contributor
I own a few of the less expensive lights mentioned in this thread. Although I'm not certain if there can be "too much light", I'm sure I've had more than enough. For various dives, I use Princeton Tec's Light Canon, Shockwave LED, XL LED, Attitude, and Matrix (headlamp). I also have an Underwater Kinetics SL4.
I disagree that the Shockwave LED puts out as bright a light as the Light Canon. I've turned them on, and overlapped the beams. I can clearly see where the LC beam passes through the LED beam. If your LDS has both, try them before you buy them. (Of course if you want to try gear at your LDS, it's only fair to buy it there, too.)
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I tried a few of my lights on daytime dives. The XL LED did not put out enough light for the daytime. I've used it in caves, and on night dives, and was very impressed. It just doesn't have the power to light up better than the sun.
I carried my Shockwave LED one day (a mile each way from condo to dock uphill in the rain... both ways...! OK a mile along the beach, no hill). The 8 C cell light got heavy, even though it's very managable in the water. More importantly, the beam is too broad to use for pointing out critters. The rest of the week, I used my SL4.
The Attitude and (original style) Matrix use 3 small LEDs. You can light up your gauges, but they are best suited for emergency use if your real backup flooded while on a multiday trip. (I prefer bringing spare lights with batteries, than just the batteries, when diving Internationally. Renting a light for a night dive costs almost 1/3 as much as buying some of the lights they rent. That's actually how I came to own an SL4. I rented one on a trip [$8.00 to use it for one dive.], and decided I wanted one.
I've not heard how the warranty works for Manta, or some of the other top quality lights work. So far on the Princeton Tec and Underwater Kinetics... you call them, get an RMA, and send them the flooded light. They send you a replacement, or get the old one working. I use silicone grease on my O-rings, and try to keep them clean, but my lights seem to flood from time to time. I'd be put out if I had to throw out a $500. - $1500. light. Realistically, the good lights could all be rebuilt, so you wouldn't throw it out... but I think the repairs on some, can run past what it costs to buy several of the cheap lights.
True, I want a Manta, Greenforce, Dive Rite, Salvo, or Metalsub light. The variable power HID from Metalsub sounds awesome. If it had a focusable lighthead, I might even spend the serious cash to buy one. ...but I know I'll be peaved when I need to spend hundreds of dollars to fix it. Even if that means a hundred or two for a new bulb.
...so for a night dive, my favorite light is my Shockwave LED. For a cave dive, I prefer my Light Canon's reach. For a compact backup, the XL LED rocks! I would have had to abort my AOW dive if I didn't keep a light in my BC at all times. We couldn't see the slate to do math problems without a light. I try to always have some sort of functional light with me. I was the only diver in our class diving with a light.
I disagree that the Shockwave LED puts out as bright a light as the Light Canon. I've turned them on, and overlapped the beams. I can clearly see where the LC beam passes through the LED beam. If your LDS has both, try them before you buy them. (Of course if you want to try gear at your LDS, it's only fair to buy it there, too.)
On a recent trip to Hawaii, I tried a few of my lights on daytime dives. The XL LED did not put out enough light for the daytime. I've used it in caves, and on night dives, and was very impressed. It just doesn't have the power to light up better than the sun.
I carried my Shockwave LED one day (a mile each way from condo to dock uphill in the rain... both ways...! OK a mile along the beach, no hill). The 8 C cell light got heavy, even though it's very managable in the water. More importantly, the beam is too broad to use for pointing out critters. The rest of the week, I used my SL4.
The Attitude and (original style) Matrix use 3 small LEDs. You can light up your gauges, but they are best suited for emergency use if your real backup flooded while on a multiday trip. (I prefer bringing spare lights with batteries, than just the batteries, when diving Internationally. Renting a light for a night dive costs almost 1/3 as much as buying some of the lights they rent. That's actually how I came to own an SL4. I rented one on a trip [$8.00 to use it for one dive.], and decided I wanted one.
I've not heard how the warranty works for Manta, or some of the other top quality lights work. So far on the Princeton Tec and Underwater Kinetics... you call them, get an RMA, and send them the flooded light. They send you a replacement, or get the old one working. I use silicone grease on my O-rings, and try to keep them clean, but my lights seem to flood from time to time. I'd be put out if I had to throw out a $500. - $1500. light. Realistically, the good lights could all be rebuilt, so you wouldn't throw it out... but I think the repairs on some, can run past what it costs to buy several of the cheap lights.
True, I want a Manta, Greenforce, Dive Rite, Salvo, or Metalsub light. The variable power HID from Metalsub sounds awesome. If it had a focusable lighthead, I might even spend the serious cash to buy one. ...but I know I'll be peaved when I need to spend hundreds of dollars to fix it. Even if that means a hundred or two for a new bulb.
...so for a night dive, my favorite light is my Shockwave LED. For a cave dive, I prefer my Light Canon's reach. For a compact backup, the XL LED rocks! I would have had to abort my AOW dive if I didn't keep a light in my BC at all times. We couldn't see the slate to do math problems without a light. I try to always have some sort of functional light with me. I was the only diver in our class diving with a light.
