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Good light for freediving
- Thread starter Fondueset
- Start date
Thread Status: Hello
, There was no answer in this thread for more than 90 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.
This looks like a bright little monster (you too gera 
)
Brightstar Darkbuster HID Dive Light from LeisurePro.com
I'm seeing the light cannons on ebay for around $150us
)Brightstar Darkbuster HID Dive Light from LeisurePro.com
I'm seeing the light cannons on ebay for around $150us
It looks like most of the lights sugested are more for scuba than freediving. They are good dive lights. Just not what comes to mind when I think of freediving. I will list a few lights that I would consider for freediving, including what I currently use. They range in price from $15 to $600.
First off, your light selection will be determined by type of diving and preference. The majority of my freediving is into spring, caves, and caverns. Mostly daytime, but some night dives. I like to have my hands free for equalizing and pulling along ledges when needed. This is a primary factor for me. It also lead to creating my current set up.
My primary freediveing light is actualy a secondary light for scuba. I typicaly use a Princeton Tec, Tec-40. It is compact and only uses 4 AA batteries. It is a twist on design, which has a unique side effect which makes it so great. And it only cost $15-$20. Cheap, but very good. This is not the brightest light, but its bright enough. During the day, in caverns, it will light up a 20ft. wall 40ft. away, and everything between. At night, it seam even brighter and will project over 100ft. in clear water.
This is how I use it. I take two rubber snorkle loops, pinch the holes together and slide them over the body of the light. This creates two loops on the light. I then slide a velcro strap threw each loop. This allows me to strap it to my arm. With the twist on design, I twist the cap until the light turns on, then back it off until it just turn off. Now if you push on the cap, the light turn on. And when you release it, it turns off. What makes this nice is that as you descend, the water pressure will automaticaly turn it on at about 20 ft. And on your ascent, it turns off at about 10 ft. This feature turns it on right when I neen it, and saves my batteries. By placeing it right behind my wrist. If I need it to turn on sooner, all it takes is a flick of the wrist, bumping the light.
Underwater Kinetics makes two similar lights. The mini Q40 and the mini Q40 eLed (LED). The mini Q40 acts the same as the Prinston Tec, Tec-40. The mini Q40 eLed has more of a white light than the others and the batteries last longer. It does not turn on as easalt with water pressure as the others. But at night you want to leave it on anyways, so the extended battery life comes in handy. The mini Q40 cost about $17-$23, and the mini Q40 eLed cost about $25-$30.
Your next options are canister lights.
Nite-Rider makes several compact lights that range from $200-$700. You can get them in Halogen (5 watt-32 watt) or HID (10 watt) models. These lights have a very small battery pack that clips to your weight belt and a cord connecting to the light head. The light has a hand mount with optional head mount.
Dive Rite also makes a slim-line HID canister light for about $450-$700. The battery pack for this light is less than 2" in diamiter, and can be mounted to your weight belt.
There is another company that makes really slim line HID canister light that range from 10 watt - 100 watt, but they also cost about $1500 and up.
Remimber, a 10 watt HID is equivlant to 40-50 watts halogen.
The light listed by everyone else are all good lights. These are just to give you some hands free options, which I find to be a very helpfull feature. In the end, it comes down to use, enviroment, and preference. I hope this helps.
Brian
First off, your light selection will be determined by type of diving and preference. The majority of my freediving is into spring, caves, and caverns. Mostly daytime, but some night dives. I like to have my hands free for equalizing and pulling along ledges when needed. This is a primary factor for me. It also lead to creating my current set up.
My primary freediveing light is actualy a secondary light for scuba. I typicaly use a Princeton Tec, Tec-40. It is compact and only uses 4 AA batteries. It is a twist on design, which has a unique side effect which makes it so great. And it only cost $15-$20. Cheap, but very good. This is not the brightest light, but its bright enough. During the day, in caverns, it will light up a 20ft. wall 40ft. away, and everything between. At night, it seam even brighter and will project over 100ft. in clear water.
This is how I use it. I take two rubber snorkle loops, pinch the holes together and slide them over the body of the light. This creates two loops on the light. I then slide a velcro strap threw each loop. This allows me to strap it to my arm. With the twist on design, I twist the cap until the light turns on, then back it off until it just turn off. Now if you push on the cap, the light turn on. And when you release it, it turns off. What makes this nice is that as you descend, the water pressure will automaticaly turn it on at about 20 ft. And on your ascent, it turns off at about 10 ft. This feature turns it on right when I neen it, and saves my batteries. By placeing it right behind my wrist. If I need it to turn on sooner, all it takes is a flick of the wrist, bumping the light.
Underwater Kinetics makes two similar lights. The mini Q40 and the mini Q40 eLed (LED). The mini Q40 acts the same as the Prinston Tec, Tec-40. The mini Q40 eLed has more of a white light than the others and the batteries last longer. It does not turn on as easalt with water pressure as the others. But at night you want to leave it on anyways, so the extended battery life comes in handy. The mini Q40 cost about $17-$23, and the mini Q40 eLed cost about $25-$30.
Your next options are canister lights.
Nite-Rider makes several compact lights that range from $200-$700. You can get them in Halogen (5 watt-32 watt) or HID (10 watt) models. These lights have a very small battery pack that clips to your weight belt and a cord connecting to the light head. The light has a hand mount with optional head mount.
Dive Rite also makes a slim-line HID canister light for about $450-$700. The battery pack for this light is less than 2" in diamiter, and can be mounted to your weight belt.
There is another company that makes really slim line HID canister light that range from 10 watt - 100 watt, but they also cost about $1500 and up.
Remimber, a 10 watt HID is equivlant to 40-50 watts halogen.
The light listed by everyone else are all good lights. These are just to give you some hands free options, which I find to be a very helpfull feature. In the end, it comes down to use, enviroment, and preference. I hope this helps.
Brian
Thanks! FYI - I ended up getting the Brightstar Darkbuster Jr. The price direct was $199 it has a 3.5 hour burntime and a recharchable lithium ion battery pack. It is more compact than the light cannon, can be arm mounted and in side by side tests at a local dive shop - WAY brighter even with the wide angle (12 degree) reflector.
Where can a see a pic of the Brightstar? What kind of bulb does it use?
I looked at the light cannon at the local dive shop and had real reservations about drag; the thing is big. Also, while its real bright over a big area, the beam is not sharply focused. My Underwater Kinetics SL4 is actually brighter in the very small center of the beam.
Connor
I looked at the light cannon at the local dive shop and had real reservations about drag; the thing is big. Also, while its real bright over a big area, the beam is not sharply focused. My Underwater Kinetics SL4 is actually brighter in the very small center of the beam.
Connor
Brightstar inc.
They manufacture HID bulbs. The dist in the usa is Kalex USA
I emailed them for quotes. Replacement bulbs are $75 which is pretty good for HID. The quotes they sent me were all cheaper than leasurepro - by 80 and 100 dollars respectively. They said they were on sale. The JR is much brighter than the light canon - both center and periphery - it pretty much lights up the back yard like a street light. They make a sleeve to go around the lense part - which is a good idea to cut down on glare. You can get spot are wide angle - I went for wide and I think it will be just fine. Too narrow a beam is disorienting.
I also have a princeton Tech shockwave LED - which is really bright! I expect to see quite a bit more led stuff coming out - there are 8 watt bulbs available - the shockwave uses 3 3 watters. e 8s would be impressive.
They manufacture HID bulbs. The dist in the usa is Kalex USA
I emailed them for quotes. Replacement bulbs are $75 which is pretty good for HID. The quotes they sent me were all cheaper than leasurepro - by 80 and 100 dollars respectively. They said they were on sale. The JR is much brighter than the light canon - both center and periphery - it pretty much lights up the back yard like a street light. They make a sleeve to go around the lense part - which is a good idea to cut down on glare. You can get spot are wide angle - I went for wide and I think it will be just fine. Too narrow a beam is disorienting.
I also have a princeton Tech shockwave LED - which is really bright! I expect to see quite a bit more led stuff coming out - there are 8 watt bulbs available - the shockwave uses 3 3 watters. e 8s would be impressive.
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Thanks, since I moved to the west coast of Oregon the spring is coming 2 months sooner than I am used to (and the winter is really nothing to write home about). I will just check this randomly for your update until you get the time and conditions to hop in the water.
Re: Good light for freediving -Review
Finally last night we dove with our lights. I had the Darkbuster jr. HID and my dive buddy had a princeton tek shockwave led. In air the Shockwave actually seemed brighter - possibly due to a more tightly focused beam. (the HID light has the wide reflector option - 12 degrees vs 6- you can get it either way)
Underwater - No contest. The Darkbuster penetrated much better as well as illuminating a larger area. We both observed that we could often see better - at least over longish distances, if the other guy was lighting an area for us - so I practiced using the light out away from my eyes.
It was a beautiful night with a sliver moon and clear skies. The water was mirror still and the view looking up from below was awesome. We saw sleeping bass, a few suckers, a walleye and a burbot that let me pick it up.
The Darkbuster Jr. is definitely an awesome dive light. Very easy to carry, extremely bright and penetrating and a very good value for the money.
I can also recommend the Princeton Tek Shockwave LED. For this area - where we have a lot of light sand bottom - it is an excellent primary light for freediving. I got mine for about $79US - though I see the price is back up to $109 on Leisurepro. At the low price is probably wins the bang for the buck contest - with it's 10 hour burn time and immortal bulbs. Visibility in our dive ranged from 40 to 70 or more feet - though, as I mentioned - the lights penetrated better when areas were illuminated from an angle.
I highly recommend both lights
Brightstart Darkbuster jr. $199us
Plus: 3.5 hour battery life - Recharchable Lithium Ion
Extremely bright and penetrating beam - good blue spectrum
Good Ergonomics - easy to carry - can be wrist mounted
Superior to the UK light Canon - and only slightly more $$
Negatives: Bulbs do burn out eventually - $75 to replace (this is a plus actually - very cheap for HID bulbs.)
HID bulbs can be fragile when hot.
Lifespan is affected by how often they are turned on and off
Princeton Tek Shockwave LED $109us
Plus: Very good battery life - 12 hours on high beam
Very Bright with good area coverage and penetration
Fairly inexpensive
Bulbs basically last forever
Reasonably small size - easy to carry
Negatives: Not as bright or penetrating as the HID
I like the lantern style handle on the Darkbuster better than the pistol grip on the shockwave.
Doesnt come with recharchable batteries. (no big deal with a 12 hour life)
Finally last night we dove with our lights. I had the Darkbuster jr. HID and my dive buddy had a princeton tek shockwave led. In air the Shockwave actually seemed brighter - possibly due to a more tightly focused beam. (the HID light has the wide reflector option - 12 degrees vs 6- you can get it either way)
Underwater - No contest. The Darkbuster penetrated much better as well as illuminating a larger area. We both observed that we could often see better - at least over longish distances, if the other guy was lighting an area for us - so I practiced using the light out away from my eyes.
It was a beautiful night with a sliver moon and clear skies. The water was mirror still and the view looking up from below was awesome. We saw sleeping bass, a few suckers, a walleye and a burbot that let me pick it up.
The Darkbuster Jr. is definitely an awesome dive light. Very easy to carry, extremely bright and penetrating and a very good value for the money.
I can also recommend the Princeton Tek Shockwave LED. For this area - where we have a lot of light sand bottom - it is an excellent primary light for freediving. I got mine for about $79US - though I see the price is back up to $109 on Leisurepro. At the low price is probably wins the bang for the buck contest - with it's 10 hour burn time and immortal bulbs. Visibility in our dive ranged from 40 to 70 or more feet - though, as I mentioned - the lights penetrated better when areas were illuminated from an angle.
I highly recommend both lights
Brightstart Darkbuster jr. $199us
Plus: 3.5 hour battery life - Recharchable Lithium Ion
Extremely bright and penetrating beam - good blue spectrum
Good Ergonomics - easy to carry - can be wrist mounted
Superior to the UK light Canon - and only slightly more $$
Negatives: Bulbs do burn out eventually - $75 to replace (this is a plus actually - very cheap for HID bulbs.)
HID bulbs can be fragile when hot.
Lifespan is affected by how often they are turned on and off
Princeton Tek Shockwave LED $109us
Plus: Very good battery life - 12 hours on high beam
Very Bright with good area coverage and penetration
Fairly inexpensive
Bulbs basically last forever
Reasonably small size - easy to carry
Negatives: Not as bright or penetrating as the HID
I like the lantern style handle on the Darkbuster better than the pistol grip on the shockwave.
Doesnt come with recharchable batteries. (no big deal with a 12 hour life)
The princetontech has a life time warranty, with no questions asked, I've broke mine, call them, told them what I did and they still replace my light !