Torch - anybody use a torch for spearing?

[Marwan]

i have the small one which attaches to your mask (shown in MR. X's post above), great mask, surprisingly light , very stron and well focused, cheap too, got it for 20$ from spearfishinggear.
cheers

[mdemon]

LED is great for a backup gauge reader - less good for normal penetration.

HID is great but costs a fortune. Might be cool if you are rich enough to mount an umbillical onto the gun...

Halogen - cheap and cheerful. Best of all worlds.

[Huan]

Don't even go there with *umbilical on gun etc*
This will go the same way as the thread on mounting a Laser sight onto a speargun...
I agree cheap and cheerful is the way to go with torches, I have a few and the ones that have lasted the longest are the simplest.
I have a Cressi sub and a PCa Ikelite and they are both good.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by mdemon

Halogen - cheap and cheerful. Best of all worlds.

Glad to hear that, as that is pretty much what I have decided on. The LEDs look pretty good these days -- but still seem more expensive for similar/less performance (although supposedly more reliable -- I am sceptical of lower power claims). I read the advice given here and will probably get a couple of torches:

- a UK Mini Q40 -- the bottom of the line one...which I think is Xenon/Halogen (rather than LED or LEDplus). I didn't ignore the advice on size -- I was just quite taken by the design of this one and felt sure I could use it (I am big fan of head torches after some initial scepticism...this seems like the underwater equivalent).

- a more powerful handheld torch. Not sure what yet. Maybe just a regular dive torch, or maybe something big, second hand and cheap. I have seen a few large, old rechargeable UK lamps for sale at good prices...although I am wondering why so many of these are for sale; maybe they were just particularly popular 5-10 years ago but maybe the batteries have faded and/or better stuff is available now? [Actually, I notice a lot of divers retire from the sport, often due to illness , or switch to just renting gear on holiday]. I guess 10 years ago they cost a lot less too!

[rcerdena]

Using a torch for spearfishing in holes is a must, one must be carried all the time in the buoy to use it whenever it is necessary.
However, it is usual for me to carry the torch in the stomach, under the wetsuit jacket (close to the belt line), that way I don't have to swim to the buoy everytime I want to use it and it's accessibility is easy too.

For many years I have used the Ikelite PcLite, it has gone through a lot of abuse and it still works.

Hope this helps,

Cheers

Roberto

[Groupermadness]

Mr X , that green torch is the same stlye as the one i use 8w, maybe the same make, (mine has no name on it), solid as a rock, i got mine handed down a long time ago and its still going strong, and ime as ham fisted as an elephant so it needs to be .

The First green one not the huge, blind me please i dont like seeing, green one with the blue one. .

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by Groupermadness

Mr X , that green torch is the same stlye as the one i use 8w, maybe the same make, (mine has no name on it), solid as a rock, i got mine handed down a long time ago and its still going strong, and ime as ham fisted as an elephant so it needs to be .

The First green one not the huge, blind me please i dont like seeing, green one with the blue one. .

The Underwater Kinetics SL4 or SL6 (or 8)? (Clever, a US company calling itself UK!) It does look good. I like the look of that brand & the range seems excellent (size options, bulb/LED options) - quality looks good too.

However, I got lucky (I think/hope): I managed to get myself some torches on ebay this weekend (always a bit hit-or-miss and not without risk). I got a used UK mini Q40 (mask torch) AND an unused Omer Moonlight Elite. I actually ended up getting 2x UK Q40's - oops! (I hope that wasn't SurfNSpear running a dive-torch pump-and-dump scam ). The Omer was going for a song but I made the seller a better offer to finish early (nobody seemed v. interested in it though -- strangely, although Omer is in many ways the foremost all round spearo company, most Scuba guys just don't recognise the brand), so may be I will get to use it this weekend? [Alternatively, maybe the Scuba folk know something that I don't?!] It is 10W, so it probably eats up those tiny AAs! In truth, it is a little too fancy for me, I would be happier with a UK SL6. So keep an eye on this thread, you might see me offering it up in exchange for a UK SL4/6/8 next year!

Apparently Omer Moonlight Elite has a (removeable) spring -- so you have to apply switch pressure to keep it on -- which seems like a good way to save batteries. It might be a good complement to the UK Q40 too -- e.g. use the Q40 to seek & the Omer to destroy!

The Omer Moonlight Elite is probably a much better(/more expensive) torch than I was looking for or need (they go for 45 pounds new in the UK, see apnea.co.uk, gulp); so I will probably loose it first time out ! (It is black after all )...If it doesn't get stolen. Failing that, I will probably destroy it (see my earlier posting on the PCBs).

(BTW Anybody need a UK mini Q40?)

[SurfnSpear]

Originally Posted by Mr. X

(BTW Anybody need a UK mini Q40?)

..... Not me!

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by SurfnSpear

..... Not me!

I knew it! Actually the Q40 torches arrived already. Neat little things -- very cool. Maybe I should use both -- just like Jaques!

BTW A diver friend recommended lubing the O-rings of torches regularly with silicon grease, to avoid leaks/gasket damage. I might use glycerin/glycerol (which already I use as mask de-mister); apparently it is used in labs for lubing rubber bungs & tubes...and in K-Y products - whatever they are used for -latex safe.

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by stoneshot

I have used a light for years on smaller guns under 48" for shooting around and under ledges. Chad carney makes a holder for a torch, send him a pm.

I came across Chad's website on another thread:
http://www.mobilescuba.com/Quiver.htm
... I see what you mean, many/most of his pictures feature a speargun (usually woodies) with an under-barrel torch fitted. Actually, of the 2 torches he mentions, the UK Mini-Q40 is one. The new defacto standard obviously!May be I should rig one of mine under-barrel?! [Hmm, could be a problem with a railgun -- cable ties would have been my preferred approach].

Hey, anybody tried fitting a fishing lure to the end of their speargun...like this:
http://www.europeanspearfishingsuppl..._sea_bass.html
Pretty clever...apparently effective too. It would get in the way of your torch of course!

The other torch Chad mentioned was this one (which actually includes a clip in bracket), PELICAN MITYLITE® 4AA:
http://www.chiefsupply.com/pelicanlights.phtml

[gserghiou]

If you are serious about torches/flashlights for spearfishing then you should only look at these :

OMER Micra (attaches to your belt)
OMER MiniMicra (Even smaller than Micra and also attaches to your belt. It can be easily unhooked with one hand-release mechanism)

Check them out at
http://www.omersub.it

[Ted Budion]

Originally Posted by Murat

Ted, do you have a link for it? What is its size?

Try this one out: http://www.au-vieux-campeur.fr/gp/as...p?codprd=69656 . And the factory site is: http://www.fa-mi.com/ecommerce2/prod...asp?KeyPro=157

There may be other places in Europe with decent prices. I don't know.

Decathlon doesn't sell by the internet.

Good luck.

[Ted Budion]

I found out about the Fa-Mi Power Led 40 (or 4) because I was very impressed with another Fa-Mi model, called Spitlight , I saw some spearfishers hunt grouper with in the Med. Very powerful LED lamps, but the body was too big for my taste. But if you miss the shot after lightening the fish, the grouper likely will have permanent damage to its retina

So I asked Daniel Deflorin, my colleague in Apnéa Magazine, who tested and ran a piece about the Power Led 40 in the 2005 July issue. As it's very small, I became curious about its performance. Deflo told me it's a strong white concentrated focus light for dark cracks up to 2 m away. That's all I needed.

However, I'd never carry it hanging out from my weight belt. Or any protuding position on my body. That's asking for trouble. At least in the waters I usually hunt.

[rcerdena]

I agree with Ted, a torch should never be carried hanging out from the weight belt! This is dangerous.
This is almos the same principle why I don't like the MiniQ40 attached to the mask (as the scubies carry it), it bugs while introducing your head in narrow holes.

Cheers,

Roberto

[jimdoe2you]

The old UK QXL4 lite is a great light. It is the long narrow blue light at the bottom of the photo. These lights still come up for sale now and then on Ebay.

Even though you can't see the lens in the picture, the lens is red. The fish are less spooked by red light than they are by white light.

Jim