Dive Lights

[DFessler]

Lights...Really we had to go there.

A) I have too many B) I will always find one in the future better C) Yes I hate disco balls too D) How you hold is a preference not a rule, find one thats comfortable for you. and E) I will be happy to lend you one of mine. I have a UKC8 eled, a UK Aquasun, a UK Light Cannon, an older Nite-Rider Halogen (wouldn't recommend its frickin old) and I can arrange for you to demo a Light and Motion Sola 1200 either mine of from Light and Motion. Why no canisters? I myself haven't been so lucky with them. I have owned 3 and they have all flooded, on two of them twice. So I know when I shouldn't own something

The Sola Dive 1200 has 1200 lumens in a flood and can also switch to a 500 lumen tight spot. It uses a back of hand mount that is comfortable and it is a sealed battery. Since you don't have to open it to charge it, one less seal to worry about flooding.

[spatman]

I think we scared him away.

this thread almost scared me away.

[LCF]

I have had MANY dives however where the disco ball effect from a buddy's dangling pistol grip light has driven me batty. If you get a pistol grip light, and must swim around with it clipped off, please turn it off first. Your buddies will thank you.

+1

Three of the most amazing photographers I know, Scott Lundy, Kathryn Arant and Kenneth Kopp, use ENORMOUS camera setups with canister lights on Goodman handles.

I do think a light like the Solas lights is a nice alternative. But I just don't like pistol grip lights. I have used them; there is no option at times but to drop the light, and turning it off every time you want to use that hand is a PITA. So the end is that you WILL do the disco ball thing, and it's extremely annoying to anyone you dive with who routinely uses lights for communication.

[airsix]

...and turning it off every time you want to use that hand is a PITA. So the end is that you WILL do the disco ball thing, and it's extremely annoying to anyone you dive with who routinely uses lights for communication.

I'll also point out that turning off the light isn't an acceptable solution to disco-balling IMHO. Since the light is your primary communication tool it shouldn't ever be off.

[Norris]

I think people should lighten up. I have been in the water with people toting pistol grips and disco ballin and if I get a flash I look at them, establish that they have clipped it off, and then go on my way. It usually is short lived until they finish doing what they are doing i.e. camera, video, or whatever. If that is my buddy my eyes are usually kinda on them anyways so I am rarely fooled into thinking they are trying to get my attention.
If you get "annoyed" or pissed at this then it is obvious that you should just dive with people that conform to a certain light/gear/thought configuration or someone that will easily conform to yours. I think there are groups like this....
Personally I use a canister light that I bought off one of our very own light makers, and it works WONDERFUL. I also rock a goodman handle, because FOR ME it is easier to deal with cameras, SMBs, and whatever else I may need two hands for.

However if anything written in this thread makes someone with a pistol grip light self conscience about diving with people, you can dive with me and get your disco ball on, I may even hum funky town into my reg while you are doing so.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CImrIKNmBo[/youtube]

[selkie]

I think people should lighten up. I have been in the water with people toting pistol grips and disco ballin and if I get a flash I look at them, establish that they have clipped it off, and then go on my way. It usually is short lived until they finish doing what they are doing i.e. camera, video, or whatever. If that is my buddy my eyes are usually kinda on them anyways so I am rarely fooled into thinking they are trying to get my attention.
If you get "annoyed" or pissed at this then it is obvious that you should just dive with people that conform to a certain light/gear/thought configuration or someone that will easily conform to yours. I think there are groups like this....
Personally I use a canister light that I bought off one of our very own light makers, and it works WONDERFUL. I also rock a goodman handle, because FOR ME it is easier to deal with cameras, SMBs, and whatever else I may need two hands for.

However if anything written in this thread makes someone with a pistol grip light self conscience about diving with people, you can dive with me and get your disco ball on, I may even hum funky town into my reg while you are doing so.

+1

[mancub]

+2 Norris

It is not the light's fault that it is dangling and blinding nearby buddies. It is the diver wielding it. That being said, I currently use a "you're gonna die if you dive with that light, pistol-grip light" and I enjoy it. Granted, I never let it dangle even when taking pictures (well I don't use it with my camera). If I need my hands free I often put it under my armpit like a newspaper and it shines down at the ground quite unobtrusively.

I do really really want a can light, but for now I love diving with whatever bright enough light I can get my hands on. And for now, my pistol/lantern interchangeable grip suits my recreational habits perfectly. OP get a nice led light that doesn't break the bank, and just have fun with it. I find some of the pistol grips work great at actually seeing things underwater, not as good for signaling. But I always spot stubby squid and grunt sculpins long before my can light buddies do.

[airsix]

Sorry to everyone for being a turd in this thread. A more verbose PM has been sent, but to everybody else I also wanted to say I'd like to apologize for not being very polite. Sometimes I need to stop and remind myself I'm a guest here and just exactly how grateful I am for this place.

[LCF]

Well, I won't apologize. In our waters, lights make great communication devices . . . and because the visibility makes people hard to see, lights are a fabulous way of keeping track of not only WHERE your buddy is, but HOW he is. Spending a lot of time becoming sensitive to people's lights -- because I not only want to pick up their deliberate signals, but I want to pick up a light that has become erratic, because it may mean a buddy who is stressed or experiencing some kind of difficulty -- means I jump whenever a light is not controlled. You may say I'm too sensitive; I don't want to dial down my sensitivity, because I don't EVER want to fail to check a buddy who is having a problem, because I've learned that his erratic light movements don't mean anything. So, if the light is dancing, I'm looking at my buddy; if the light is dancing all the time, I see nothing else during the dive, and that doesn't make me very happy.

[Nwbrewer]

Well, I won't apologize. In our waters, lights make great communication devices . . . and because the visibility makes people hard to see, lights are a fabulous way of keeping track of not only WHERE your buddy is, but HOW he is. Spending a lot of time becoming sensitive to people's lights -- because I not only want to pick up their deliberate signals, but I want to pick up a light that has become erratic, because it may mean a buddy who is stressed or experiencing some kind of difficulty -- means I jump whenever a light is not controlled. You may say I'm too sensitive; I don't want to dial down my sensitivity, because I don't EVER want to fail to check a buddy who is having a problem, because I've learned that his erratic light movements don't mean anything. So, if the light is dancing, I'm looking at my buddy; if the light is dancing all the time, I see nothing else during the dive, and that doesn't make me very happy.

+1

[spatman]

funny how this thread went from a new diver asking about which light to buy, to people feeling they should or should not apologize.

[Norris]

[H20doctor]

I dont see what all the fuss is... Let people buy lights.. Dim or bright.. Wrong or right.. To light the dark night..

[Dashrynn]

The way I see it, a lot of people are giving the same advice. Something must be up.

[Sounder]

I love Light Monkey!! Great lights, best customer service (especially for people who do dumb things like I do), and you instantly get 10 bonus cool-points for having monkeys on your gear.

Oh, and Lynne, Jake, and Ben are absolutely dead-on too.

[Norris]

Sigh

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[diverden]

However if anything written in this thread makes someone with a pistol grip light self conscience about diving with people, you can dive with me and get your disco ball on, I may even hum funky town into my reg while you are doing so.

Hehehehe... this is a much better alternative to becoming irritated. Thanks for the reminders to be less crotchety and a little more go with the flowy.

[Dusty2]

I'll have a light, maybe 2 at the club dive that people can dive if someone would like to try one out.

"WARNING" for those without a can light they are extremely addictive and I cannot take responsibility for damages to your finances due to these demos.

[Novice]

Ok, so I haven't been scared off. This may be a dumb question but it seems like lights most reliably compared based on lumen output. Is this correct? Would anyone posit a minimum useful lumen level for a primary light? I am going to rent lights from my LDS to try out a few.

[CaptnJack]

Ok, so I haven't been scared off. This may be a dumb question but it seems like lights most reliably compared based on lumen output. Is this correct? Would anyone posit a minimum useful lumen level for a primary light? I am going to rent lights from my LDS to try out a few.

Unfortunately manufacturers measure differently (if at all), or they flat out lie about lumen output, or fail to acknowledge the distance or or or. So it not really a metric which works outside of a bulb (led) catalogue.

Why not attend the club dive and borrow a light(s) or at least dive with different buddies using different lights and see what is appealing to you?

[Dashrynn]

Ok, so I haven't been scared off. This may be a dumb question but it seems like lights most reliably compared based on lumen output. Is this correct? Would anyone posit a minimum useful lumen level for a primary light? I am going to rent lights from my LDS to try out a few.

Unfortunately manufacturers measure differently (if at all), or they flat out lie about lumen output, or fail to acknowledge the distance or or or. So it not really a metric which works outside of a bulb (led) catalogue.

Why not attend the club dive and borrow a light(s) or at least dive with different buddies using different lights and see what is appealing to you?

Do as he says or you will die! Just kidding, but having been burnt I definitely agree. The lumen rating is rarely done consistently and scientifically.

Plus there are way to many people on this board to go off and rent a light when you could borrow theirs or at least dive beside them. Dive club get together are an excellent way to acquire knowledge, 1/3 of everything I know about diving comes from local dive buddies answering my persistent questions about gear and gear configurations.

[LCF]

Well, I wasn't sure if I was going to come, because I had a tentative date to do a road trip with a buddy, but given the viz reports, I may stay closer to home. If so, I have three canister lights that can be borrowed, and backplate setups if anybody wants to try them. And I am very happy to dive with novices.

[Norris]

Just remember all you pistol light slingers, its a simple formula...

[Nwbrewer]

Just remember all you pistol light slingers, its a simple formula...

[Dusty2]

Just remember all you pistol light slingers, its a simple formula...

GOOD ONE!