Some of you may remember that I've been hard on Surefire lights re their failure to guarantee of even a minimum level of watertightness on many models. I'm a boater, diver, and live in Seattle, so some assurance of being watertight is critical to me.
On a whim, I decided to dunk several of my lights in my hot tub for 10-15 minutes today. While a bit on the heart-stopping side, I decided that knowing that a light could really take a full (if somewhat brief and shallow) submersion would be very valuable to me, more than enough to cover the cost of a blown lamp module or two, or even (unlikely in fresh water) the total loss of a light.
Tested lights were SF M6, L4, Z3; Inova 24/7 and Microlight; Arc LSH-P, LSL-P, AA and AAA; and Pelican Stealthlight and Super Sabrelight. All were put in exactly as they came out of their storage places. No exta silicone lube, no checks for dog hair on the o-rings, etc.
FYI, the tub was a nice toasty 102*F, with depths mostly about 1.5' on the shelf where I set the lights. Each light was submerged, and the switches operated several times. For those with push momentary and twist constant-on, I tested both methods several times each.
The lights that aren't rated as submersible are the Z3, Microlight, and 24/7. I fully expected to fish these out inoperable, especially the 24/7, as others have indicated that theirs have failed with only a light splash of water. The Z3 and 24/7 came out operating perfectly, the Microlight had an unusual failure, in that it failed 'partially on', with the light operating at ~1/2 brightness with the switch off, and would go to full brightness when switched on.
Among lights that are supposed to be water-resistant, the L4, M6, and all the ARC's, all came out working perfectly (though putting the M6 in was mighty hard). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
Finally, and totally unsurprisingly, the dive-rated (and previously dive-used by me at up to 100') Pelicans also came out fine.
The only significant lights I own that I didn't test were the SF G2, which I couldn't find, and the Dorcy Spyder, which I forgot about. Maybe tomorrow!
All in all, I was very suprised and impressed by the 24/7 and the Z3. I'll be much easier on SF on the watertightness issue in the future, though I do wish they'd give a rating, so one wouldn't have to sweat it.
On a whim, I decided to dunk several of my lights in my hot tub for 10-15 minutes today. While a bit on the heart-stopping side, I decided that knowing that a light could really take a full (if somewhat brief and shallow) submersion would be very valuable to me, more than enough to cover the cost of a blown lamp module or two, or even (unlikely in fresh water) the total loss of a light.
Tested lights were SF M6, L4, Z3; Inova 24/7 and Microlight; Arc LSH-P, LSL-P, AA and AAA; and Pelican Stealthlight and Super Sabrelight. All were put in exactly as they came out of their storage places. No exta silicone lube, no checks for dog hair on the o-rings, etc.
FYI, the tub was a nice toasty 102*F, with depths mostly about 1.5' on the shelf where I set the lights. Each light was submerged, and the switches operated several times. For those with push momentary and twist constant-on, I tested both methods several times each.
The lights that aren't rated as submersible are the Z3, Microlight, and 24/7. I fully expected to fish these out inoperable, especially the 24/7, as others have indicated that theirs have failed with only a light splash of water. The Z3 and 24/7 came out operating perfectly, the Microlight had an unusual failure, in that it failed 'partially on', with the light operating at ~1/2 brightness with the switch off, and would go to full brightness when switched on.
Among lights that are supposed to be water-resistant, the L4, M6, and all the ARC's, all came out working perfectly (though putting the M6 in was mighty hard). /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
Finally, and totally unsurprisingly, the dive-rated (and previously dive-used by me at up to 100') Pelicans also came out fine.
The only significant lights I own that I didn't test were the SF G2, which I couldn't find, and the Dorcy Spyder, which I forgot about. Maybe tomorrow!
All in all, I was very suprised and impressed by the 24/7 and the Z3. I'll be much easier on SF on the watertightness issue in the future, though I do wish they'd give a rating, so one wouldn't have to sweat it.
