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#30
Is it worth buying an expensive light?
TomH - 5/12/2010 8:56 AM
Category: Equipment
Replies: 4

Is it really worth buying an expensive LED torch for diving such as the Green-force or Barbolights? I am living in the UK where waters are murky and am not sure if a bright light would just rebound such as bright car lights in fog. I know that I will want to progress in to night diving but is it worth buying an expensive torch now to use as my back up? If anyone has any help full suggestions on products or ideas on what type of light to buy I would really appreciate it.

Thanks to all.
#703
hopeinvalor - 5/12/2010 9:38 PM
The short answer is ABSOLUTELY! ! ! A good canister light not only illuminates, but is used for communication with your dive team. We dive with lights even during day dives. Our light heads are HID which allow us to focus the beam accordingly to compensate for scattered particles or from spot to flood when entering a shipwreck.
#3091
divemaiden - 5/13/2010 4:36 PM
If you’re really not sure, see if you can rent different types of lights from low to high-end. That way you’ll be able to see if you like it before you buy it.
#8046
Subscribed
Rich-D-Fish - 5/13/2010 5:22 PM
Yes, yes, yes. As soon as you start diving with more and more different people you will develop "divelight envy." I spent $80 on my first dive light and loved it. That is until I saw one brighter.... I upgraded to a $150 light, and then again to a $250 light. To be honest you don’t need the biggest and brightest light at night, but it sure helps during the day. You need a light to peek into all of those holes and cracks that most divers just swim by. I have two arms on my camera, strobe on one and my Super Intova dive light on the other. The other reason you want a dive light during the day is you will pick up on all the little colorful critters that get lost due to the loss of color underwater. I can’t tell you how many times my friends will see my pictures and say "Where was that? Are you sure we are on the same dive?" Love it! I’m not about to spend $1,000+ on a canister light...not just yet ;-)
#22
pedrodiver - 5/17/2010 5:08 PM


Hi Tom .


been diving for one season in uk waters now looking forward to my second year of the east coast north sea . i have a reletivly inexpensive TEC LITE about a £100 very good for my needs , looking into holes and stuff around wrecks during the day its fine and at nite more than ok .One of the guys in our club i dived with a week or 2 ago in a lake in about 4m vis ;his torch is high maint cost him about £800 ish and is not that much better . Good luck . i am told the northern diver is red torch is good too. i can only say the best thing is to ask as you are and read lots and lots of reviews.