salt water effects on Flashlights....

Does moist from saltwater damage Aluminum/Stainless steel/Titanium made flashlights? especially the Rubber switch and glass lens?

I just came from a beach vacation and spending night time in a small boat port when i realize that the tables and my flashlights have moist from salt water. Spend 4 nights total in this set up.
:thinking:

I wouldn't think 4 days would harm anything, but i could be wrong, maybe someone who lives close to the coast could shed a little more light on the situation. Prolonged exposure probably wouldn't be good for it though.

If it's actually salt spray on your lights, then I think I'd wipe them off with a damp rag. If it's just the typical very humid air and condensation it won't be salty, so just dry them. Either way they should be fine.

Geoff

I doubt 4 days is enough for serious damage as long as you clean them up, not really along my line of experience though.I thought the reason McGizmo was using titanium in his lights was in part because of saltwater exposure, maybe there is some info in his sub forum.A search may also yield some info.

Good question. I just purchased a Jetbeam III-M and am suspicious that the clip on it will not hold up to a salt water environment.... Have asked for advice on replacements, but no response - maybe that means it'll hold up...

No brainer. Best light to use in salt water environment is a good quality dive light.

Plastic and titanium and glass and sapphire will not be harmed by excessive salt water exposure.

Unanodized aluminum and salt water aren't a great mix. Neither is stainless steel.

I suggest you use this opportunity to buy a cool polymer light (PT Amp 4 or 5?) or take out your titanium lights to play... You do have a Ti MiNi AA don't you?

In any case, you only really have to worry about extended exposure. A couple days, as long as you rinse them off with fresh water, won't harm.

Salt water is very corrosive to most materials. Dive lights are nothing special in this regard. They need to be rinsed off after a dive just like anything else.

Just look at the difference between the average car on the road in Hawaii and in Montana (or where ever). Salt water is very corrosive.

Spending 4 days on a boat isn't likely to be an issue if you wipe/wash them off with fresh water. Spending a year isn't a problem if you wash them off.

carrot said:

Neither is stainless steel.

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Why? I remember the Barbolight that was lost a few meters deep in the sea for several months and the stainless steel split ring was still perfect.

Stainless steel lasts for a long time. I use SS bolt snaps on my dive gear. It does get washed off thought.

I'm not expert on the stainless process...I think with enough time and exposure even that can be a problem. So far I've had good luck with SS in diving environments however.

carrot has it pretty spot on.

Unannodized Al will corrode pretty quickly and create some whitish looking powder and pits.

Any stainless steel will end up rusting if not cared for in a saltwater environment.

Just rinse off your light after you get out of the water. A few days is probably ok, but I try not to go that long.

Watch your orings, and do not disassemble your light until you can rinse it off. You don't want any salt crystals getting into places it shouldn't.

BigHonu said:

Any stainless steel will end up rusting if not cared for in a saltwater environment.

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ANSI 316 a.k.a. A4 have been used in marine industry for years.

Sure you're not comparing with your "stainless steel" cutlery?
Unless some very special cutlery I can guarantee you it's not 316 steel - but they do exists if looking enough for them. That "stainless" rusts - even in the dishwasher.

Or even the classic 18/8 aka ANSI 304 will be fine for most things. It's not like you're leaving your light in water for months or years.

The "best" (of course depending on your intended purpose) stainless steel types such as the 316 and the classic 18/8 is only very weakly magnetic and under most circumstances you need a strong neodymium magnet to detect anything - the Austenitic types.

To sum up. Stainless steel is not just stainless steel. There are many types depending on the wanted properties (price is one of them). Some magnetic, others not. Some much more resistant to various substances and environments than others.

Making only educated guesses since it has been decades since I have been near an ocean but here goes.

If I were to spend time in that environment I'd look for a polymer light -- while titanium is pretty immune most steels and aluminum won't benefit from any exposure to salt water or spray unless they are maintained very well. Even then best to minimize or avoid exposure.

I'd look into a Tuf Cloth or Marine Tuf Cloth for anything metallic exposed to salt spary. Do some research on how to clean and maintain equipment exposed to salt water and salt spray.

Dive lights are for the most part meant to be used underwater only. Incans especially need the cooling water on the outside of the light provides. Otherwise they get HOT!. Even small dive lights can get unpleasant to hold if they are used above water for more than a (very) short time.

Since your stuff was exposed to salt if it were mine I'd take it apart as much as possible and at a minimum wipe everything down with a Sentry Tuf Cloth. Here's their brief FAQ.

Do not procrastinate. Waiting to take care of your salt exposed gear is very bad mojo.

McAllan said:

ANSI 316 a.k.a. A4 have been used in marine industry for years.

Sure you're not comparing with your "stainless steel" cutlery?
Unless some very special cutlery I can guarantee you it's not 316 steel - but they do exists if looking enough for them. That "stainless" rusts - even in the dishwasher.

Or even the classic 18/8 aka ANSI 304 will be fine for most things. It's not like you're leaving your light in water for months or years.

The "best" (of course depending on your intended purpose) stainless steel types such as the 316 and the classic 18/8 is only very weakly magnetic and under most circumstances you need a strong neodymium magnet to detect anything - the Austenitic types.

To sum up. Stainless steel is not just stainless steel. There are many types depending on the wanted properties (price is one of them). Some magnetic, others not. Some much more resistant to various substances and environments than others.

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Thanks for the information! Yes, I was mainly referring to my experiences with the 'stainless' steels used in cutlery.

The stainless stell I used to see is used to build these kind of things http://www.icespedes.com/catalog/index.php?language=en and is almost like Ti, but heavier and cheaper (of course I am talking in practical use, not composition).

I never saw any of those with even a minuscule bit of rust (and being used with wine you are sure they must resist acid too).

vali said:

I never saw any of those with even a minuscule bit of rust (and being used with wine you are sure they must resist acid too).

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Yes it's quite amazing what the right type of steel can do. Even when used in less favorable ways.
Whenever I need to replace a nut or bolt or similar on my car, bike or MC I use A4. Of course I only need very few so cost isn't a problem even though they're more expensive and even more than they should be because manufacturing wise because only few asks for them. I buy them in a marine shop at the local harbor.

Never seen stains of rust on those either. Even when I had a scooter I one day needed to take off the exhaust pipe. The original bolts cracked because they where almost rusted though (only slight surface rust on the iron cylinder - odd). Had to take the cylinder off to get the rest of the bolts bored out. Replaced them with ones of A4. Even when I sold the scooter a few years later to get an MC the A4 bolts where as shiny as the day i put them in - they've even out in the danish winter weather and as we all know danish authorities love extreme salting of the roads. They where placed so they got lots of spray water from the front wheel - the reason the original ones rusted quite fast.

Thanks for the replies, Maybe I'll just choose my most rugged lights on my next trip and apply your advises. I think I did not clean my lights after the trip since non was submerged underwater.:thinking: I'll probably be more cautious next time...

would those pads that knife users help?

Forget what they're called but they leave a slight film of lubricant to help prevent rust...

Mixing metals can give rise to serious problems, such as galvanic corrosion. If anyone is interested to see what can happen, I posted a story ~2 years ago about the problems I experienced with a modified Navy Dive Light.

Yes. Mixing stainless steel and aluminum isn't a very good idea for objects which are emerged. Too far away from each other in the (don't know what it's called in English) "galvanic ordering".

However that can also be a benefit. Ships and boats are too large object to be made of stainless but you can slow rusting from the inevitable cracks in the painting bellow sea by using a piece - an "anode" - of zinc in electrical contact with the ship. The anode is an offer material which is on purpose "eaten" in order to preserve the steel. It has to be replaced once in a while.