Posted: 4/29/2025 9:41:59 AM EDT
[Last Edit: 3one5][Edited]
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I didn't want to piggyback on @OutThere 's thread and derail it. I'd like to pick up a couple lights for the wife and I and have no idea where to start. I've always been a Surefire guy, but they don't make dive lights. I'd like to get something quality but the wife will kill me if I run out and spend $600 on a couple lights. Though, if that's what needs to happen, I'll go that direction. What do you recommend for something that's quality but not crazy expensive. |
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These are great...I have a few of them and are great for recreational night diving, poking around and under reefs, etc. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By SpanishInquisition: How much light do you need? Underwater Kinetics C4, C8, or Light Cannon has you covered. Those models are 575,900, or 1100 lumens Darn good question, I would have preferred to do a few dives and then pick up lights. I've been doing a bunch of research this morning and am looking at the Orcatorch DC710 and Dive Rite CX3. I'm kind of leaning towards spending a bit more money on the Dive Rite CX3. |
Colorado - Stay and fight!
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Dive Rite makes damn fine products. Their president was my cavern instructor! One of their early lighting products, the Neutra-Light, got a checkered reputation in the early revisions, but that quickly changed. Look at beam width in addition to lumens. Spot vs flood. |
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Originally Posted By OutThere: Can't go wrong with that! DR makes good stuff. I spend way too much of my money with them. We’re going to get a bunch of dives under our belts and then look at regulators and BCDs next. I really like the looks of Dive Rites BCDs. |
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Originally Posted By 3one5: We’re going to get a bunch of dives under our belts and then look at regulators and BCDs next. I really like the looks of Dive Rites BCDs. Originally Posted By 3one5: Originally Posted By OutThere: Can't go wrong with that! DR makes good stuff. I spend way too much of my money with them. We’re going to get a bunch of dives under our belts and then look at regulators and BCDs next. I really like the looks of Dive Rites BCDs. They're very good. My kids dive the voyager wings with Transplate harnesses and XT2 regulators. They practically grew up in those BCs. I dive an Oxycheq 30# Mach V BP/W setup (also made in the USA) with a Hogarthian harness. It's a little more trim and compact, but is not as easily adjustable as the DR setup. Here's my daughter at 14 years old in her DR BP/W...you can see how nicely the wing is tucked out of the way. I don't know why she has that humungous steel D-ring hanging from her belt. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By OutThere: They're very good. My kids dive the voyager wings with Transplate harnesses and XT2 regulators. They practically grew up in those BCs. I dive an Oxycheq 30# Mach V BP/W setup (also made in the USA) with a Hogarthian harness. It's a little more trim and compact, but is not as easily adjustable as the DR setup. Here's my daughter at 14 years old in her DR BP/W...you can see how nicely the wing is tucked out of the way. I don't know why she has that humungous steel D-ring hanging from her belt. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171820/Seabase_png-3529026.JPG Thanks for the feedback. I've heard mixed feedback on how they behave on the surface with some people saying they tip you onto your face. I wore a jacket style in training that seemed to do a bit of that too, I just laid onto my back to compensate. |
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Originally Posted By 3one5: Thanks for the feedback. I've heard mixed feedback on how they behave on the surface with some people saying they tip you onto your face. I wore a jacket style in training that seemed to do a bit of that too, I just laid onto my back to compensate. Originally Posted By 3one5: Originally Posted By OutThere: They're very good. My kids dive the voyager wings with Transplate harnesses and XT2 regulators. They practically grew up in those BCs. I dive an Oxycheq 30# Mach V BP/W setup (also made in the USA) with a Hogarthian harness. It's a little more trim and compact, but is not as easily adjustable as the DR setup. Here's my daughter at 14 years old in her DR BP/W...you can see how nicely the wing is tucked out of the way. I don't know why she has that humungous steel D-ring hanging from her belt. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171820/Seabase_png-3529026.JPG Thanks for the feedback. I've heard mixed feedback on how they behave on the surface with some people saying they tip you onto your face. I wore a jacket style in training that seemed to do a bit of that too, I just laid onto my back to compensate. 1) BP/Ws tend to do that. You want your BP/W to do that, so your trim underwater is more natural. (Jacket BCs have buoyancy all around the body, so you tend to roll more. Plus, they can squeeze the crap out of you, which can lead to struggling to get breath or remain relaxed.) 2) It's scuba diving...not scuba floating on the surface. Plan your dives so you spend less time at the surface, and you'll have no problems. Talk about and plan your dive on the boat (or on shore), splash, descend, ascend, get out. (If you are planning on a longer surface swim and are concerned about the face-forward pitching tendency of BP/Ws on the surface, bring a pocket snorkel or breathe out of your reg with your face in the water.) There are hybrid BC's that combine the benefits of both (such as the Zeagle Ranger or Stiletto) that may be worth looking at. Just my $0.02. If you can, try as many setups as you can. I find that divers almost invariably end up with BP/W, as these setups engender all the best practices associated with efficient diving. |
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Originally Posted By 3one5: We’re going to get a bunch of dives under our belts and then look at regulators and BCDs next. I really like the looks of Dive Rites BCDs. I loved my DR wings for cavern and calm o/w. If there was much of a wave, I'd switch back to a conventional BC with some bladder under my armpits to keep me upright on the surface with less effort. |
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Originally Posted By OutThere: I dive an Oxycheq 30# Mach V BP/W setup (also made in the USA) with a Hogarthian harness. It's a little more trim and compact, but is not as easily adjustable as the DR setup. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171820/Seabase_png-3529026.JPG Hogarth??? Y'all wrap the extra octopus hose around yer neck??? |
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Originally Posted By OutThere: 1) BP/Ws tend to do that. You want your BP/W to do that, so your trim underwater is more natural. (Jacket BCs have buoyancy all around the body, so you tend to roll more. Plus, they can squeeze the crap out of you, which can lead to struggling to get breath or remain relaxed.) 2) It's scuba diving...not scuba floating on the surface. Plan your dives so you spend less time at the surface, and you'll have no problems. Talk about and plan your dive on the boat (or on shore), splash, descend, ascend, get out. (If you are planning on a longer surface swim and are concerned about the face-forward pitching tendency of BP/Ws on the surface, bring a pocket snorkel or breathe out of your reg with your face in the water.) There are hybrid BC's that combine the benefits of both (such as the Zeagle Ranger or Stiletto) that may be worth looking at. Just my $0.02. If you can, try as many setups as you can. I find that divers almost invariably end up with BP/W, as these setups engender all the best practices associated with efficient diving. I get it, but sometimes after a dive you don’t get to control the boat captain and you spend some time floating around. I did get a chance to dive in one last week and it worked out fine, even though I did spend more time on the surface than I would have liked. As far as lights. We went with a couple from Dive Rite and they worked awesome. |
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Originally Posted By OutThere: I don't know why she has that humungous steel D-ring hanging from her belt. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171820/Seabase_png-3529026.JPG That's where reels and other cave gear, maybe even some side mount tanks get atrached. Dive Right stuff is tailored for use in the overhead environment |
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Originally Posted By SpanishInquisition: That's where reels and other cave gear, maybe even some side mount tanks get atrached. Dive Right stuff is tailored for use in the overhead environment Originally Posted By SpanishInquisition: Originally Posted By OutThere: I don't know why she has that humungous steel D-ring hanging from her belt. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/171820/Seabase_png-3529026.JPG That's where reels and other cave gear, maybe even some side mount tanks get atrached. Dive Right stuff is tailored for use in the overhead environment She's not wearing a sidemount BCD. She's in a TransPlate BP/W set up for backmount singles. |
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Originally Posted By SpanishInquisition: Hogarth??? Y'all wrap the extra octopus hose around yer neck??? That's how I dive single-tank (primary second stage on a 5 foot long hose, necklaced second stage as a backup). Far easier than a traditional "octopus" setup IMO, as it keeps everything consistent between sidemount, backmount doubles, and single-tank rec diving - plus the last thing I want during an out of air emergency with a buddy, is within 3 feet of them all the way back onto the boat 
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Back to the original topic of lights. Are they for daytime use or night dives? Based on your $600 I would suggest Orca, Dive Gear Express and on the higher end Big Blue Lights . Make sure to not make a mistake and get a wide beam video light. You are looking at getting a narrow beam 6-12 degrees angle or adjustable beam. |