What's a good Diving light?

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J

Jalben

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
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Hey guys,
First time poster, came across these forums when I decided to get my father a diving flashlight for Christmas, and I have to say you guys have blown my mind. I've spent the last week look at flashlights in a whole new light. I've always loved flashlights, but never dreamed that such awesomeness exists. So having learned more about flashlights in the last week that I thought I'd ever have to think about, I am finally coming back to what brought me here in the first place.

What do you guys think is the best dive light?
 
Hi and welcome,

the best dive light can be the worst dive light if it is used in different conditions so you'll need to provide some additional info on the type of dives that will be done with it.
clear tropical water, murky low visibility water, cave, wreck, night, video/photography, required battery life, primary/backup... that sort of information.
 
My father does his diving mostly in salt water here around Newfoundland, mostly for scallops so in the 30-40 ft depth range. The water isn't usually isn't too murky unless in a cove where there's a fresh water stream outlet. Since we're on the bottom most of the time there's a fair bit of silt that gets kicked up, but usually we're not staying in that. I'd like it to be a strong enough light for a primary, and the more I'm thinking of this I think it would be useful if it was a headlight, as that would allow both hands to be free for scallops and such, but I'm not sure how well most headlamps straps would work with googles on. I also didn't see this dive light section till this got moved here, so I'm just starting to read this section now. 🙂
 
For off the shelf I really like my TUL-300. It's a nice compromise for wide angle vs throw and can be zip tied to a helmet I you want head mount.
 
If you want hands-free there's also the wrist and shoulder-mount options.

Shoulder-mount is good for immediate area only, like for looking under a ledges, in caves or lighting instruments and immediate area at night. I wouldn't recommend this for your primary as you can't point the torch but it's a good secondary light for if you have to put down your primary and use hands.

Like this;
torchwristband.jpg
wristmount.jpg

QP407torch.jpg
shouldermount.jpg


Goodman handles are another solution but as you hold the torch handle in the web of your hand they are not strictly hands-free.

Commercial mask mounts are limited in size/lumens because there's a limit to the bulk and weight a mask strap can carry. Another solution for head mounting would be to rig some cable system down to your BC where the power source can be housed. Or a helmet with the same.
 
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Shoulder, helmet or mask light is not a good option for normal buddy diving.

Hand/wrist mount is the way to go. IMHO

The other week i dived with a buddy using commercial full face mask with mounted light (umbilical). Challenging conditions, very dark low visiblity dive. Invariably he kept blinding me every time he tried to signal to me ;-). Although he understtod my signs, he thought i was blinded by his video lights until half way inte the dive when "the light turned on" for him so to say. ;-)

Cheers
/O
 
I agree, I think I have some neoprene can cozzies around here that I can make into a wrist mount for what ever I end up getting. I think I need to find out what the specs are on his current old HID light is so I know what I need to measure it up against. But I definitely want something in the torch style. So much to read here, and so little time till Christmas, oh my.
 
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