L0D - CE AND WATER

[EsthetiX]

It says "dunkable" on the package...

Does anyone know if you can actually take these things under water swimming (like 12 ft).

 

[bobisculous]

I bet it could go that deep, but not for a few seconds is all. The o-ring on it seals it up fairly good for general water, but put some pressure on it, and I doubt it will hold a lot of water back. You might be able to put a slight larger in thickness, oring on it and it might work better, but you will sacrifice the ease of turning the head from mode to mode, which I find incredibly easy and convenient.
Also, I am not sure how well sealed the end of the light is, where the lens connects to the rest of the light. Might be more subject to leaking there than anywhere else.

I had a Fenix L1P that went to the bottom of a 8 foot pool for maybe 2 minutes, and it had water in it by the time I got it out. Trust me, you do not want chlorine water in your lights. Fogs up the lens and reflector with a rainbow of colors, like just after you get out of the pool with your eyes open.

-Cameron

 

[EsthetiX]

that guitar solo from under a glass moon must be the craziest thing i've ever heard. haha

 

[Lite_me]

I would say that any of these lights designed like the Fenix with an o-ring against a twisty like this will only be 'dunkable'. To get real waterproofness you'd need the cap(s) or twisty to tighten-up against a rubber (or appropriate) seal.

 

[timcodes]

any idea to make to waterproof? I don't understand.... please elaborate.

I have a p1d-ce ... would like to make it waterproof!

 

[carrot]

I have exposed a few of my Fenix lights to water with no problems. I do not know how they will fare on a swim or snorkeling expedition, however.

 

[WildChild]

I know that my L2T with the stock head o-ring isn't water proof nor weather proof. When I close the tailcap, I can hear bubbling sound near the o-ring and lube bubbles. I would have to replace that o-ring but I just don't care for now as it's a bed desk light since I received my L2D. O-rings on this one are ticker. The head and tailcap are more difficult to turn! It's a good news.

 

[raythompson]

Trust me, you do not want chlorine water in your lights. Fogs up the lens and reflector with a rainbow of colors, like just after you get out of the pool with your eyes open.

Actually the chlorine in a pool is not what aggravates the eyes. It is the PH not being properly balanced. Chlorine is typically at 1.5 to three parts per million of free chlorine which will not even be detected by your nose or your eyes. The PH should be about 7.2. Higher is not too bad and easily corrected with a cup of muratic acid, lower is too acidic and will cause the eyes to burn and requires some alkali added.

If you smell chlorine in a pool what you are smelling is combined chlorine, chlorine that has done it's job and needs to be eliminated. You eliminate this combined chlorine by using a lot of free chlorine, as much as 20 parts per million of unstabilized chlorine. This will oxidize the combined chlorine and will quickly dissipate.

Public pools have a little higher ratio of chlorine but a properly maintained public pool you not be able to smell the chlorine.

Most chlorinated public water systems have more chlorine than your typical home pool.

And to keep it on topic I suspect the Fenix lights are OK in the rain or a drop in a rain puddle. Submerging to 12 feet would put a lot of pressure on the lens, probably as much as 30 pounds. It just isn't worth the risk.

 

[Flying Turtle]

What about just wrapping the light up in a heavy duty baggie or having it shine out of the bottom of a small clear glass bottle? If you're only going down 12 feet this should work.

Geoff

 

[Buckeye]

I don't know if the LOD SE is that different. My wife's (with the pretty snowflakes) has been through the washer...twice :laughing: , and once in the dryer for 15 mins. (What is that awful clanking sound in the dryer?) It came through with no ill effects. She now has a neck lanyard on it. It doesn't go in her pocket anymore.
Don't tell her I told you.
Doug

 

[EngineeringGuy]

My general experience and observations are that the L0-series Fenix lights are fairly waterproof, definitely more waterproof than the L1/2 series.

The clickie boots of the fenix line are their weakest link (when considering water resistance). The boot is not designed properly for a watertight seal and this is where leakage typically occurs first in the L1/2 lights. I do not believe the O-rings, if properly lubed and maintained by the user, will leak under the types of depths that a person would "free dive" to. In order to make my L1P more waterproof I removed the clickie and boot and placed a small amount of RTV around the inside edge of the tailcap (where the rubber boot seats). The RTV improved its water resistance, however I would not use it for diving. Fenix could improve the design of their clickie boot by modifying the molded part to include a raised ring or two on the surface of the boot which mates against the tailcap. The molded ring(s) would effectively act as a half o-ring creating a seal betweeen the rubber and the tailcap.

I have no test data to prove this, however my feeling is that the L0 & P1 series lights would leak first around the glass window. Without testing one in a pressure chamber I cannot make an absolute statement. I do, however feel fairly confident that the seal around the glass is probably the weakest link in both the L0 and P1 lights. The bore seal (o-rings on the battery tube) will provide a waterproof seal to remarkably high pressures if the O-ring is properly cared for.

All of that being said... You are PROBABLY okay taking an L0P/D to the bottom of your swimming pool, but don't take it scuba diving!!!

 

[TORCH_BOY]

There is a post somewhere on this Forum where one went through the wash and it still worked

 

[Illum]

apply a THICK coat of nyogel and dont twist that part of the assembly under water...

12 feet? other than surefire I have yet to hear companies that guarantee their lights to depth...

 

[65535]

You could make a plastic acrylic case for it and maybe create a way for it to be sealed, and twistable but you could easily make a little cylinder for your ligh tturn it on at the surface and seal the tube then swim, I would just buy a acrylic tube ~3mm thick and a couple of 3mm thick plates and glue the plate on one side to the cylinder then cut it down carefully, then for the other end use a slightly smaller diameter pipe glue it to the second plate slide an oring to the bottom of the smaller tube and press together then figure out a good way to keep that sealed tight yet removable.

 

[carbine15]

I use ziplock bags.

 

[Rob187]

My fenix lights are moderately water resistant having survived without problem a few 'dunks'. I generally agree with the other posters. In a bath it should be ok but I would not take it swimming.


BTW, Illum, Heliotek claim the HTE-1 will work at 150 feet underwater....

 

[moontroll]

I left my L1P in my pants and washed it.Worked like a charm no effects what so ever.It takes a licking and keeps on going and going.

 

[IMSabbel]

My experience with my lop is that those lights are very dunkable.

I used it several times for underwater illuminatium (1-2m depth), including turning on/off underwater (on each oaccasion, i used up a complete battery), and never got any water inside.

 

[DM51]

Why risk it? It isn't a dive light - it wasn't designed to be one. It isn't suitable for every circumstance - no light is. It should stand up to reasonable everyday mishaps such as being dropped in a puddle of water, but taking it swimming to 12ft is asking for trouble in more ways than one - if you go swimming in open water when it is dark you need a light for safety reasons. That means you cannot risk it failing on you. I strongly suggest you get a dive light.

 

[Frank Maddix]

Actually the chlorine in a pool is not what aggravates the eyes. It is the PH not being properly balanced. Chlorine is typically at 1.5 to three parts per million of free chlorine which will not even be detected by your nose or your eyes. The PH should be about 7.2. Higher is not too bad and easily corrected with a cup of muratic acid, lower is too acidic and will cause the eyes to burn and requires some alkali added.

If you smell chlorine in a pool what you are smelling is combined chlorine, chlorine that has done it's job and needs to be eliminated. You eliminate this combined chlorine by using a lot of free chlorine, as much as 20 parts per million of unstabilized chlorine. This will oxidize the combined chlorine and will quickly dissipate.

Public pools have a little higher ratio of chlorine but a properly maintained public pool you not be able to smell the chlorine.

Most chlorinated public water systems have more chlorine than your typical home pool.

And to keep it on topic I suspect the Fenix lights are OK in the rain or a drop in a rain puddle. Submerging to 12 feet would put a lot of pressure on the lens, probably as much as 30 pounds. It just isn't worth the risk.

Re. pools: I heard that the irritation is due to the chlorine combining with various unmentionable substances from the other inhabitants of the pool (and maybe from you, if you don't shower first!).
Re. Fenixes in pools: I put my P1D in the washbasin (full of water) in the bathroom to attain the kind of lighting commensurate with my need for peace after the hurly-burly of the day. Or aftre getting the kids' supper ('Dad, this cheese isn't vegetarian!')... Grrr.
It doesn't leak, but if it was a raincoat I would term it 'showeproof' not 'stormproof'.