ANY BOATERS OUT THERE? NEED A GOOD RECOMMENDATION

Hi there,

I'm hoping to find a good deal on a flashlight to carry on my boat for emergencies and any suggestions would be appreciated.

Here are the most important criteria:

1. Must float.
2. Resist saltwater.
3. Take alkaline C or D cells.
4. Reasonably powerful.

Thanks in advance.

I suggest about any divelight and a lanyard with a cork.

Thanks Walt, hadn't thought about using a cork.

Dorcy makes a floating lantern (uses 6 volt lantern cell) for like 5 bucks at walmart, Ive thougth about buying it to specifically keep on the boat. You could then buy a 4 d cell adapter to use in place of the lantern batt if you dont want to use those.

On my boat I have just a good torch, and a small dive light with a wrist-strap. No corks attached.

When I was a kid I had a floating flashlight. It was a 3D cell light that used only 2 batteries. The air in the flashlight made it float. It had o-rings for and aft!...

... to carry on my boat for emergencies ...


Headlamp .

i go offshore i lot. i have a ray x60 350 lumens spot 2 by cr123.

what it does
waterproof enough
long battery shelf life (after 10 years should be some usable power in em)
construction quality probably good for years in a dry locker.
daytime and nitetime signaling for couple of miles or more.
good narrow strong beam for searching at night for objects in or on the water or for the shoreline.

what it doesnt do
float
strobe is too fast to be effective.

notes
water at night eats lumens, you want something way bright and with throw.
im not sure at all about leaving lithiums for years in a boat but i think thats whats in an epirb and a jacket light and folks here seem to think its ok
im not sure about c or d size. you wont get shelf life or a torch with enough lumens or throw, but let us know what you find.

i ll shut up now - cheers.

I just got underwater kinetics 3c led
This is the latest model in black but they also have yellow
Is very powerful 3c light
I have the twist model 120 lumens white tint
Is waterproof to 150 feet maybe more
Does not float but is awesome is a divelight
I love mine - i need a boat . Lol

This one meets 3 of your criteria and you can just walk into Lowes and buy one.

http://www.baccusglobal.com/stanley/fl5w10.php

Streamlight Waypoint its a spotlight/flashlight takes 4 c batteries 3 modes including strobe 210 lumens 8 hrs on high mode it comes in yellow or black check it out...got one for my uncle for fathers day cuz he has a boat and loves it...he said he dropped it in water and it works

I used to own a 22' bowrider, a Bayliner.

Back in the day I used to keep a 4D Maglite in the boats glove box, and it got a fair bit of use for navigating to the mooring in the dark.

I put some reflective strips on our dock in reference points to guide me in safely.

This was 5 or so years ago so I was not privvy to some of the later flashlights which would have made night-nav a lot easier.

1. Plenty of throw. A 'Hound Dog' emitter would be perfect. Distances out on the water are decieving and that nice little bright light of yours will get swallowed by the darkness.

2. I don't think it needs to float. Are you mildly retarded or a Navy SEAL? If neither, then just don't drop your light. I never dropped mine and was out on the high seas at night during the remnants of Katrina.

3. Dedicated holder. If you're determined to go with a hand-held, then, like a bicycle mount, find a way to mount the light in the cockpit so you can orient it in the direction you want to project the beam and not have to hold on to it.

4. 4D Maglite with a throwy drop-in would work.

5. Do you need a handheld? A dedicated marine spotlight sounds like it would be more effective. If I'd kept my boat a few more years I would have purchased a marine spotlight and mounted it in the cockpit.

6. Headlamp.

Ideally, I would go with a combo of a marine spotlight that is fixed to the boat, and wear a headlamp for personal lighting. Tying ropes with one hand and completing the mooring process in the dark and choppy water is not fun. That is a situation where dropping your handheld is a real possibility.

I can't think of a situation where I'd want (although its what I did) to operate a boat in the dark with one hand and fuss around on the docks with ropes with one hand. I want hands free on the wheel and hands free on the dock.

Headlight + Fixed spotlight = Win.

Powerful handheld = Bandaid fix.

you dont need to be retarded to "accidently" drop your light...we all have dropped our lights at one point or another

Have you dropped your light into deep water?

Have you accidentally jerked to the left on your car steering wheel on the highway? Simple little action that just doesn't happen ...

I don't think I've ever dropped a light when it was firmly in my hand. And if it's suspended over deep water, you can bet it's firmly in my hand.

A wrist lanyard would work for those lacking basic motor skills.