Dive Torch LED? Recommendations please.

[Pav]

Hi, hope all is well.
Quickie. I use a Beaver Platinum with I think the 20w bulb. Get about 1 1/2 hours if I am lucky, and use a PC Lite to get home.

Really want a main torch that will satisfy me as the Platinum does but with a longer burn time. What are the choices and what's worth the money? There are a lot of Cree LED cheapies out of China but have assumed although cheap are a waste of money? Beaver Plasma?

Depth is not important as will only dive a few meters in the dark.
Thanks.

 

[John B Griffith Jr]

By main light, I assume this is still for recreational diving...SCUBA or Freediving? So, you need a lightweight, powerful light with sufficient burn time, maybe good on the budget? I recently purchased two UK SL3 eLED lights. They are compact, streamlined, and are exceptionally powerful. Output is 98 lumens, with a 30 hour run time on 3C alkaline/LR14/AM2 Cells. They are small enough to dangle off the wrist, clip to your BCD, stick in a pocket, or mount on a speargun. I was lighting up 30+ feet in a 15 foot arc pretty handily...and we used one for a video/spotlight just fine on my last night dive.

 

[Pav]

Thanks.
It's for night dives. Freedive, no scuba. Only shallow dives.
Will have a look at the one mentioned.
Anyone else have anything to recommend?
Burn time Required is a reliable 3 hours.

 

[Mr. X]

Underwater Kinetics (UK) SL3 eLED

Same again in black, Underwater Kinetics (UK) SL3 eLED

(There are videos of other UK torches on that page too: SL4, C8)
3xC-cells - unusual choice of battery?

 

[Mr. X]

I just ordered one of these from Amazon: Rechargeable Dive torch

I did order a similar but cheaper torch from a different brand which had no reviews but then saw a couple of answers from owners, saying not to buy it because it leaks(!) & did not include a UK 3-square pin adapter. I cancelled the order.

Also ordered this tiny Beaver LED mask torch. Although fairly low 160 lumen rating (just one battery cell) it is rated twice as bright as a similar product on ebay, that was ~76 lumen. Handy for close-up work.

 

[Mr. X]

Another torch thread over here: https://forums.deeperblue.com/threads/sporasub-eyelight-torch-any-reviews.104331/#post-951567

 

[Guffer]

I just ordered one of these from Amazon: Rechargeable Dive torch

+1 for this torch. Used mine for the first time this weekend and it performed lovely. It cut through the shadows created by the bright sun on sunday and allowed me to search all the caves I could find. I used it sporadically during a 5 hour stint in the water and it isn't flat yet but I cannot with any authority say how long it was on for. That said if you want to extend the run time you can purchase multiple rechargable batteries as long as you have a safe place to swap them over without water ingress.

The only thing I would change is the lanyard for an elastic one so that you can store it high up on the arm and prevent it knocking against the gun and creating unwanted noise.

 

[Mr. X]

Useful information, thanks Guffer Yes the lanyard looks like a real weak spot - the main part is reasonably thick but the attachment part is ridiculously skinny and I see that at least one reviewer said he lost his torch when the lanyard broke.

Good tip about using elastic to hold it on your arm. My old torches (Omersub Moonlights, which were good pre-LED) were somewhat bigger & heavier & I never felt comfortable carrying them unless I had specific plans to use them (e.g. looking for lobsters/crabs/scallops/holed-up bass)- and clipping them so they dangled from my dive float just made them a constant concern for potential loss/damage & as a snag hazard. For that reason, I consider cheapness (i.e. low price not poor quality) & lightness to be a desirable, positive attributes for a spearing torch Watertightness is still #1 though

 

[Diving Gecko]

Hey Pav,
Are you Danish? Just wondering, as most of the spearing in Denmark takes place at night.

Anyways, an Italian engineer who is long, long time spearo residing in Denmark and who used to work for a high end torch manufacturer has actually launched his own brand and shop and torches and cold-water wetsuits are his first products.

He has two, perhaps three, torches designed specifically for long night dives and he knows his stuff so his torches has great burn time and since he is a great spearo himself plus an engineer, he has spent a lot of time finding the best mix between LEDs, batts and how the light is actually distributed.

On the Danish forums he is highly praised for good service and great knowledge. His website is in English, too:
http://ragnaroksub.com/

The torches:
http://www.ragnaroksub.com/Flashlights

No affiliation with the shop other than being a content customer

 

[Diving Gecko]

Ooops, just noticed this was an age-old post. Sorry guys, but I will leave the info up for others.

 

[Guffer]

I agree Mr X, nothing more annoying than a leaky torch

The lanyard is being replaced as we speak. Ihave a few ideas on a better storage solution on an upper arm but i need to do a few tests/prototypes first.

Your torch commendation is great though and for 20 notes you cant go wrong.

 

[Mr. X]

Don't forget to lube the O-rings (top tip from a SCUBA instructor colleague) - preferably with something that doesn't rot rubber (e.g. red rubber grease, silicone, glycerine rather than petroleum/oil based lubes).

Hey Pav,
Are you Danish? Just wondering, as most of the spearing in Denmark takes place at night.
...

Hopefully Pav will find this thread again. Last I knew Pav was in North Devon, I normally refer N. Devon queries to him.

 

[John86]

Thanks.
It's for night dives. Freedive, no scuba. Only shallow dives.
Will have a look at the one mentioned.
Anyone else have anything to recommend?
Burn time Required is a reliable 3 hours.

3hours.....Pav you're always asleep in the back of the van after 2 hours!