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Article #298: What You Should Know About Scuba Dive Lights

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Dive lights can be used for night scuba light and offers 4 hours of dive time on
diving, cave diving, or even diving on a one charge, as well as the ability to use
rainy, overcast day. An advanced diver the light outside the water, without
knows that sunlight -- or your artificial melting. These systems can cost as much
scuba dive lights -- will illuminate as $800, but career divers wouldn't have
colors of fish and plant-life, making it any other way.
your trip much more spectacular. You may Typically, people assume that
also encounter cracks or crevices teeming rechargeable batteries are the way to go.
with wildlife that simply can't be seen However, with scuba dive lights,
without a light source. rechargeable batteries can fade very fast
Safety recommendations require that every when they start to go.
cave diver must have three separate light While you'll get a more consistent light
sources available -- one main and two level from rechargeable batteries, a
backups -- and if one of those should regular battery will likely last longer.
fail for any member of the team, all Most divers use rechargeable batteries
divers must call off the rest of the for daytime dives and regular batteries
expedition. for nighttime diving (with the daytime
A wide-beamed primary light will light as backup).
illuminate a large area and is ideal for Also, when choosing scuba dive lights, be
overcoming total darkness, while a sure they will last at least twice as
brighter, smaller secondary light will long as your estimated dive time. Be sure
reveal the ocean's subtleties. to check the depth rating on them as
It's tempting to think that "brighter is well, to be sure it will hold up under
better," but that's not always the case. pressure.
If you're in water that has a lot of Be sure to purchase a cheap lanyard as
suspended particles floating around, then the cheapest form of insurance against
the bright light might illuminate all the losing your light. Specialty mask lights
wrong things and make it actually more are available for divers who want
difficult to see. hands-free functionality.
Underwater photographers won't want Scuba dive lights are great for cave
overly bright scuba dive lights either, diving, wreck exploring, coral
as it will scare off fish and cause illuminating and even day time swimming.
reflective hot spots in the pictures. Lights can be a matter of safety or just
The daytime divers might be happy with a personal preference.
basic $30 LED light and cheap 45-minute You don't want to bombard wildlife with
incandescent bulb. However, underwater unnatural lighting, nor do you want to
photographers, or cave and wreck divers find yourself feeling freaked out and
will want a more intense scuba dive lost underwater in total darkness.
lights, like canister lights. Choosing the right light is important, so
The 10 watt HID torch will give divers as don't overlook the basics!
much power as a 35 watt incandescent






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