travelinman
Enlightened
My son wants a dive light for his bday. He was impressed with the Tusa 300. Any other recommendations?
Recommendations for LED dive light? Tusa?
- Thread starter travelinman
- Start date
Help Support Candle Power Flashlight Forum
moldyoldy
Flashlight Enthusiast
My older daughter also had questions on a dive light. You should take a look at the generic LeisurePro website which has many dive lights, and also at the PrincetonTec and other mainline diving light websites.
Based on my previous experience with the PrincetonTec Torrent Xenon bulb version, my daughter settled the PrincetonTec Torrent with the Xenon bulb rather than the LED. The Xenon puts out 115 Lumens whereas the more expensive LED version puts out only 95 lumens. Notice that the light actually takes 8AA cells, 2x4AA in parallel, to increase the runtime, although you can use only 4xAA as well. Note that the earlier model of the same basic light received good comments on CPF as a general flashlight.
However, my recommendation was any of the dive lights with 3 LEDs using the 4 C cells. The 8C cell versions are rather large to provide long run time. Most hobby divers do not stay down that long. For the size, I would recommend the PrincetonTec Miniwave LED version. Ikelite, Pelican, Tektite all have competing products. The form factor is popular. Do be careful of sales on older versions with lower-power LEDs.
However, whatever you choose, if he is going diving where he _needs_ a light, do not allow him to go in to the water with only one light. He needs a bag light as backup. It can be really dark down there. Buddying up is obvious. Also, if the diver is not able to simply drift up, or even see light "up", that diver has a potential problem.
Marduke
Flashaholic
Have you looked here?
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=127
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=127
Linger
Flashlight Enthusiast
What kind of diving, specifically? or just general dive light?
There's a 'diving' forum, down near the bottom of CPF< 'speical application lighting.'
Go there.
Packhorse sells a light that is a bit longer than the tusa 300 your son picked out. it'll perform about a hundred times better (aspheric lens - that Tusa's 40 degree beam will put out a big 40 degree cone of backscatter between your son and what he's looking at.) I'm biased though, there are many people in the cpf dive forum who will make a light that is fantastic.
I don't have the tusa to take apart, but at a guess it's a 5 year old led that's available for a few bucks and about one quarter as efficient as current year emiters.
Recommend a name, well, I have some old UK lights (seriously old, one is 2nd hand and +15 years old) %100 functional.
Princeton tech has a very good reputation for after-care : any problem with the light, they'll replace it.
Tusa is someone else, I"ve forgotten whom, and rebranded.
Go to scubaboard or divematrix and try and find something used. People are always trading for more expensive lights.
There's a 'diving' forum, down near the bottom of CPF< 'speical application lighting.'
Go there.
Packhorse sells a light that is a bit longer than the tusa 300 your son picked out. it'll perform about a hundred times better (aspheric lens - that Tusa's 40 degree beam will put out a big 40 degree cone of backscatter between your son and what he's looking at.) I'm biased though, there are many people in the cpf dive forum who will make a light that is fantastic.
I don't have the tusa to take apart, but at a guess it's a 5 year old led that's available for a few bucks and about one quarter as efficient as current year emiters.
Recommend a name, well, I have some old UK lights (seriously old, one is 2nd hand and +15 years old) %100 functional.
Princeton tech has a very good reputation for after-care : any problem with the light, they'll replace it.
Tusa is someone else, I"ve forgotten whom, and rebranded.
Go to scubaboard or divematrix and try and find something used. People are always trading for more expensive lights.
travelinman
Enlightened
Thanks everyone...Lots of hints and tips for both of us to research. Is this a great forum or what? lovecpf
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1400L-CREE-...0747588?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item2c5db5a9c4
This isn't 1400 lumens but its still a nice light that in the future can become a backup. If you wanted you could have 2, 1 for backup and 1 for primary. I like the twist type for cold water diving or diving with dry gloves. If you are diving in warm water.....
http://www.lightmalls.com/200-meters-cree-xml-t6-700-lumen-led-diving-flashlight-2-18650 this is the one I own personally and dive as a backup/primary or occasion.
This isn't 1400 lumens but its still a nice light that in the future can become a backup. If you wanted you could have 2, 1 for backup and 1 for primary. I like the twist type for cold water diving or diving with dry gloves. If you are diving in warm water.....
http://www.lightmalls.com/200-meters-cree-xml-t6-700-lumen-led-diving-flashlight-2-18650 this is the one I own personally and dive as a backup/primary or occasion.
