What light(s) to buy

[jhelmuth]

As a newbie, I am in the process of adding to my gear. I'm going to do my AOW in the next few months and I know that 1 of the required dives is a night dive. So I'd like to get the real info from you all (the ones I trust the most) to help me determine what to buy. Other than what I've told you, I would not know what other information you might need to help me.
I am most intrigued with the LED light technology - are there better choices that I should consider?
What do I need to know and what are your suggestions (primary, backup, what they are for, etc.)?

 

[Genesis]

are useless for primary lights or even backups. Just not enough light.

A Sunlight C8 is ok. The Light Cannon 100 is even better (you won't BELIEVE the difference if you have someone with one and you have the other on a night - or day - dive!)

For backup the UK Q40 is ok for open water.

For markers the LED things that replace a Yoke-screw are ok, or you can do what I do and use the chemical glow sticks (you need a marker for each diver on a night dive)

Check out http://www.leisurepro.com for the lights - they have very nice prices on them.

 

[salty]

From my limited experance with LED lights I can say they might be good for a back up light in a cave where vis tends to be good or maybe in the carabien but other than that they dont seem to be bright enough.
Depending on your goals as a diver there could be several sugestions for a primary light. I dive with an ALU (american underwater lighting) Canaster light, 50 watts and 90 minute burn time. Thats a good light if you dont want to spend alot for your first primary canaster light, I spent 225 on mine. If you want a good hand held light for a lot less I had a pelacan 4-D cell that lasted for 9 years befor I retired it. If I had to get another hand held primary I would probly get on of the new HID handhelds, that looks like a pice of equipment that would stay with you for a long time.
As for back ups the UK SL-4 is awsome. I just orderd some Canadien Extream Lights Since I dive DIR but the SL-4's are nice just watch that they dont get turned on by accident.

What type of diving do you plan on doing?

 

[jhelmuth]

Yeah - I've started to read some of the other posts and I think I'll stay away from the LED idea (kinda expensive too). What uses would I use the different lights (backup, primary, etc.). I'd like to get good gear and that usually means doing one piece at a time. How would you buy?

 

[joens]

I have had several small backup style light and have been dissatisfied with all of them . but I recently ordered a Halcyon scout [I havent got it yet ] I have high hopes for it . I someday plan to get a canister light . but for a hand held primary I like the UK HID light cannon .
joens

 

[Genesis]

The primary is what I'd buy first. If you're doing recreational diving a canister light is overkill, and unless you're using a BP+Wing the canister is a PITA to attach properly, so I'd go with a handheld of some kind if you have a "regular" style BC.

I like the UK SL-C8 for a "reasonably inexpensive" primary. Decent burn time (couple of hours), 13 watt bulb, second bulb for backup (no surprises due to burning a filament at 100'), and a good design. Princeton makes a decent light in the same class. The D4s are not as bright, by the way (10w bulb .vs. 13w)

The backup is there for if the primary fails on a night dive. You need at least one for OW night diving. The idea here is that your buddy's primary is still working, but you need some kind of light for signalling and possibly to illuminate instruments when you turn the dive as a consequence of the primary failure. This light needs to be reasonably small so its out of the way, but should provide reasonable burn time and light output. I like the Q40, but some people think its too "wimpy" and want something with more burn time and "heat" (light output.) For me, in open water on a night dive, its more than enough as a BACKUP (meaning you're going to turn the dive if your primary fails - its just to get you to the surface ok.)

The "marker" for night diving in OW is just that - a marker. I use the glowsticks, but that's because I have lots of them already (we fish for swords using them) so they are close enough to "free" to not matter much. If I was going to night dive a lot I might consider one of the LED flasher-lights that you can replace a K-valve yoke screw with (on your reg), assuming you have a yoke reg.

Now this is all for OW diving. If you're doing penetrations or taking cave training then none of this applies.

 

[jhelmuth]

OW is the application - at least at this time. I like the idea of keeping hands free (so I can keep them tucked in under me). But since I've not doen any night dives, I don't know if that is not practicle when using lights? Are there and reasonable "forehead" designs that would be an option within the same price range? How do you feel about hand held lights (from the dive technique perspective)?

 

[Genesis]

That's just my opinion, but there you have it.

One of the PRIMARY uses for a light on a night dive is for SIGNALLING.

For example, you can't exchange "ok" with your buddy easily on a night dive. So what you do is make a circle on the bottom (or in the water column) to ask "ok", and he makes one around your beam "spot" to reply "ok".

Another example; "heh, I need your attention" is a quick waving of the light back and forth in a plane where your buddy will see it. He will see the "flash", even if he's not quite sure what's up - he knows to look. You can then use your lights to illuminate your hand and use your normal signals - once he knows where to look!

Since you are (almost) always looking where the light is pointing, this means he can figure out where your EYES are any time he wants to, AND he can tell you where HIS eyes are pointing if there's something you need to see.

That's IMPORTANT.

Finally, one of the CARDINAL rules of a night dive is that you NEVER "flash" your buddy's face. You do that, you ruin his vision for a couple of minutes and he's going to be cursing at you (kinda like being flashed with high beams on the road, but WAY worse - trust me.) So you MUST have independant aiming from where you're looking, or you can't look at him!

A head-mounted light would make that kind of signalling and procedure almost impossible.

A canister light typically has what's called a "goodman handle", which is a piece of metal that wraps around your palm with the lighthead attached to it. It more-or-less leaves your fingers free - kinda - you can still pick something up with it on your hand since it goes across the palm rather than being held in the fingers. The cord comes off there and then to the canister, which holds the battery and switch. Canister lights are nice, and for long exposures or really BRIGHT lights (like for caves) are almost a necessity, but for typical OW diving they're both overkill and expensive.

The way I rig my primary light (Light Cannon HID) it is on a coiled heavy-duty cord with a bolt snap on the end to my top left D-ring. The coiled cord can be "snapped together" to hold the light to my chest, or unclipped to allow me to have it in either hand and extend my arm and point it as required, without the risk of losing it if I drop it somehow. I take it often on daytime dives when I'm hunting, because sometimes I want to be able to see inside a wreck or under a keel or ledge to see what might be in/under there to shoot or (in the case of lobsters) grab.

BTW, make sure your attachment is good. I made the mistake of trusting the plastic "snap hooks" that the coiled cord came with, and it cost me a Sunlight C8. Jumped in the water, swam down, went to grab for it to turn it on and it wasn't there. Grrrrr.... Needless to say the attachment hardware got swapped out for a bolt snap on the BC end and a SS split ring on the light end before I put it on the light cannon.

 

[leadweight]

Lights are application specific. For night diving in warm water with good visibility (40 ft +) some of the brighter lights mentioned (C8, Light Cannon) are a bit much and just scare the critters away. If the water in your area is clear, I would get an Ikelite PCa for a primary (and to carry during the day for looking in holes). For a backup, either a second PCa or a Princeton Tec40. Both llights are small, but the PCa is brighter than all getout. IMO, the mini q40 does not put out enough light to be useful underwater. I have never used an led flashlight underwater, but have only seen negative reports about them.

You could rent a light for your first night dive. Having more light the first time around may be a confidence boostser. Usually, rental lights have 4 D cells, are brighter than the small lights, but not as bright as a C8. This would give you a point of reference from which to make an informed purchase.

 

[Scuba]

What do I need to know and what are your suggestions (primary, backup, what they are for, etc.)?

Rechargeable or Non- Rechargeable

Rech. are more expensive initially but will pay for themselves and save money in the long run if used often enough.
Environmentally friendly since lifetime is much longer than disposables.

Brightness

Is measured in lumens, but in many cases manufacturers do not provide this information making comparison very difficult since higher wattage and voltage to not translate into an equivalent increase in brightness. Compare the beams side by side to see which one appears brighter.

Flood or Spotlight

Some beams will produce a floodlight effect spreading the light over a wide area. Look for one that will have fairly consistent brightness over a wide area. Some will have a bright narrow spot in the middle and the wider area will be much dimmer.

A spotlight will have a very narrow, usually intense beam, but will not illuminate much to the sides.

Color temperature.

HID's reproduce a color spectrum similar to the sun making the colors appear brighter, more natural, and penetrate water farther than conventioanl halogen and xenon type. Units and bulbs can be considerably more expensive and require a greater degree of care in operation.

Burn time.

How long the charge lasts or the batteries last varies from unit to unit. Also bulb life. These are operation and cost factors.

Grips

Pistol grips, handles on top, others and none. Either use a lanyard to attach it to your wrist or a coil spring as Genesis suggests to keep from loosing in event its dropped. Some lights are designed to be worn on the head with a band, others can be affixed to your arm or other places.

Other

Some have two bulbs in case one goes you have a backup, in addition to your backup light. Some lights have dual beams, high and low.

Some have on-off single hand operation lever switches that are more prone to accidentally be turned on or off compared to the twist method requiring two hands operation which are also more likely to allow water to enter the unit if not operated correctly. (UK SL4 has both)

As leadweight said lights are application specific - along with user considerations.