Torches

[Mark Chase]

Have you looked at:

http://www.pelilites4less.com

They have a 150m underwater hand held tourch about the size of a light cannon for about £40

I was well impressed

PS: I got the link from Dom

ATB

Mark Chase

[gaz]

cam,

i dunno what you're planning to dive in the red sea, but i found when i was out there on a wreck and reef diving trip, my ikelite pca was ideal - and they're only £20.

obviously, diving in the uk is a different story, but there's so much ambient light in the red sea, you just don't need a whacking big torch.

[Conor]

I think I have finally made a decision (can you believe it ?)

I was put off the Light Cannon when I saw the cost of replacement bulbs and heard one to many stories of the bulbs going.

The Peli C8 is equivalent to the UK C8, and there seem to be more or less the same price (around £40).

I have seen a good price for a C8R (£90) and so, if it really exists I reckon that'll be the best buy (as you get the recharge pack and the 20W bulb/reflector as well).

Thanks again for all your help

Cheers

Conor

[Conor]

Gaz, does that go for night dives as well ?

I have had weak toches on night dives in the red sea and it became pointless, although it can be made worse where you have too much light from other divers with brighter torches (you just end up looking in their cone instead). It is also to help me get a torch for the UK on my return. I don't want to be a warm water wimp all my life

[gaz]

Conor,

I found the pca light fine for everything i did in the red sea, that included diving inside the thislegorm in the daytime and doing night dives over it. To be honest, the bigger torch i had (a UK-D4) was way too bright for night diving as even in the dark there seemed to be a fair bit of ambient light.

On the liaboard, i was given the 'advice' of sticking a pringles lid over the D4 to act as a diffuser

Diving in the UK was a completely different story. I found even with the big torch, you just don't get enough light at depth unless you're diving in the middle of the summer.

Ulitmately, it depends on what you want to do, diving wise. Small torches are a waste of space in the UK if you're going to start diving in 30 odd meters of dark water and expect to see anything, unless you're doing it in the height of summer on a bright day. Umbilical torches are great for that, but the price reflects it.

Something like a D4/D8/R or equivilent is probably a relatively good compromise.

I did hear somewhere of a guy using a mini headlamp and a car battery for an underwater light. now, that just may be the way to go

[cthomas]

<font color='#FF0000'>on a night dive why take a torch? the whole point of a night dive is to have a night dive isnt it??

in uk waters, i agree, you need a torch. the small torches are useful, they work in opposite to what you want. a small torch does not light up enough of the area, but it destroys your night vision (white light destroys vision).

for a night dive, take a small torch ( i mean a small torch) with the lens coloured in with red pen (on the inside) and use this for your gauges and enjoy the night dive.

in the uk, use the best torch you can, if you cant get a big one, use your night vision and the red light for your gauges

Chris