Surefire Weatherproof/Waterproof

Are Surefire products weatherproof/waterproof? Specifically is the U2 weatherproof or waterproof? I remember reading somewhere that the Surefire's should be able to handle ~33'. Does anyone have access to the Surefire literature that states it? Thanks.

I can vouch for the C3 being waterproof. On my last camping trip I woke up with a small puddle in my tent, that my C3 was laying in, mostly the bezel. I even have the lighthound aftermarket crenulated bezel, and an A19 extender, and it kept water from coming in.

Try this:

surefire.com/

AFAIK, Surefire lights are not really certified waterproof but they are capable of going to somewhere near 10' depth if using a clickie switch and more if using the old lock out tail cap. The tension on the clickie switch is too soft to withstand the pressure of deeper water thus switching the
light on inevitably. There could be other reasons I am unsure of. 6PN is definitely certified waterproof.

(Edited a typo)

SureFire does not make divelights.

Only a few it's models are rated waterproof without each one being individually tested - the X200A & X200B and the Military Series hangun WeaponLights spring to mind.

SureFire designs, manufactures and assembles its products to be capable of each being individually tested and rated waterproof with little or no modification.
Specific exceptions are the NiCad rechargeable models which have a vent-hole with catalyst plug (8AX/8NX/L7/9AN/10X).

If you need to use or transport your SureFires underwater you can order ones that have been individually tested. These are then given "N" (Navy) designation for use down to 30m. The 6PN and M951CN are typical examples.
The Military keeps SureFire busy with large orders of 'N-Certified' lights (mostly WeaponLights) so this service is not offered to the public at this time. I have seen a few M3N's being sold by a dealer that ordered a batch for a Police unit and had some left over.

I would suggest one of the main reasons why SureFire uses the term weatherproof rather than waterproof is because the issue with leaks tends not to be with the flashlight design but with the user since the o-rings and threads must be kept clean, lubricated and undamaged. There is a balance between the ability to easily rotate a TailCap and having overage on the tightness of the o-ring seals sufficient for allowance for poor o-ring care.

There are going to be a small few units in any production product when a seal is not perfect when a flashlight is assembled or whatever. In the rare event a SureFire is taken underwater and by slim chance it happens to be one with a less than perfect seal there is the possibility it may leak.

In cases where SureFires have leaked I am aware of no examples of SureFire not replacing/repairing the product.

My perspective on the bottomline of this is that even a rated "waterproof" device has the potential to leak in use - the only way to have confidence in your gear is to train in the most realistic way possible before deploying it for real.

Al

The old non-LOTC lights were hardly even weather-resistant around the tailcap button. The LOTCs were a great improvement in that regard.

JNewell said:

The old non-LOTC lights were hardly even weather-resistant around the tailcap button. The LOTCs were a great improvement in that regard.

Click to expand...

Exactly right. Back in the olden days SureFire offered a closed-end TailCap and a diaphram-sealed TailCap as options to improve water-resistance.

Even my old G2 Nitrolon is not a true LOTC. Now they use the G2Z tail cap.

pjandyho said:

Even my old G2 Nitrolon is not a true LOTC. Now they use the G2Z tail cap.

Click to expand...

Releasing the G2 without a LOTC was a big mistake in my opinion. I'm glad they've now corrected this.

Al

Just to clarify: any SF will survive a dunk in a puddle, a river, or maybe a quick swim ashore from a capsizing boat, or the rare spin through the washing cycle, right? That's probably as "extreme" as most of us will dunk our lights, so I'm not overly concerned.

The reason I'm asking is because a friend of mine stated that all Surefire products are waterproof ~33ft. I bought a U2 last week and he took it from me and dropped it into the sink along w/ his E2L for ~1 minute to prove his point. There were no issues after drying it off. However 2 mornings later I decided to try it again in the bathtube for ~20 minutes. This time when I wipped off the U2 I noticed there was a water fog/spot inside the window. I heated up the LED and disassembled it to let the water evaporate. I contacted Surefire and they stated that their products are NOT waterproof but only weatherproof. They had no problem w/ me sending it in for repair however I'm concerned because some people say waterproof while others say weatherproof. I want to see something from Surefire stating waterproof.

chuglobal said:

The reason I'm asking is because a friend of mine stated that all Surefire products are waterproof ~33ft.

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That is likely the result of reading a review on http://www.flashlightreviews.com

www.flashlightreviews.com said:

UPDATE: Surefire has affirmed that all current Surefire lights should be waterproof to about 33 feet/10 meters. Some reviews were posted before Surefire made the affirmation that their lights were watertight to 1 atmosphere depth. Any new Surefire lights you purchase now should be considered waterproof to 33 feet/10 meters.

Click to expand...

chuglobal said:

I contacted Surefire and they stated that their products are NOT waterproof but only weatherproof. They had no problem w/ me sending it in for repair however I'm concerned because some people say waterproof while others say weatherproof. I want to see something from Surefire stating waterproof.

Click to expand...

Exactly what I just posted above. SureFires are 'rated' weatherproof.
With only a few exceptions, only lights that have been individually tested by SureFire are rated waterproof. The term "waterproof" will always be bound by the operation depth below which it should not be considered waterproof.

Was the bath water hot? Sometimes condensation will form from the moisture in the air inside a sealed unit when the unit is subjected to rapid changes in temperature.

I think that was one place I found the "waterproof" idea. I thought I reading somewhere else too. Yes, the water was hot. It was enough the feel toasty if sitting inside the bathtube.

Any other ideas?

I always take my E1l in the hot-tub with me close to every other day, its stays clipped to the elastic band on my shorts...never had a problem with water. 102 degree chlorinated water.

How long is your Surefire submerged underwater? Surefire TS stated that it's ok the be dropped into water as long as it's picked up relatively quickly.

prolly half a hour I would assume, sometimes longer than that

I´ve taken my M6 down to 16 feet but no more than that and it was only for about 20 minutes...no problem. Surefire has said lately that their lights are waterproof to 33 feet.

My guess, and only a guess, if these lights were to be "certified" they would have to undergo severe testing, and they were not really designed as divelights. But I think the lights can take it down to a few feet with no problem if the seals are good. The M6 has two seals in the tailcap. You´d probably have to have three atmospheres pressure on the water for it to be a real problem.

Weatherproof is fine for me and I use flashlights under demanding conditions. The only time I've have to purposely dunk my light under water was to located a submurged valve in a foot of muddy dirty rainwater. I had to locate and open a stormwater valve to drain the parking lot. My G2 with regular tailcap did fine with tailcap tighten down and light turned on. Turning on/off underwater I find is a no-no.

Two o-rings are required when a threaded component is required to be rotated underwater. Avoiding rotating components underwater is the best way. Otherwise one single o-ring should be fine if well designed and well looked after.