The Dive Lights


Ah the scuba diving torch or dive lights. The underwater torch was the least of my priorities since it was my buddies priorities who always had the brightest lights during night dives. I just brought my own little torch and depended on others who gave a #@%^ about it. But as I dove more, I realized that this diving equipment is probably one of the greatest tool you can have when you dive. We all know it is very useful for night dives, but with the advent of ocean photography this equipment can bring out the most of your photos and the best of the ocean, yes even on a day dive.

We have all been there. Photo here, photo there with our beginner cameras and with scuba diving cases for phones we think, yeah, the sun should be enough, and it is not. So rethink the possibilities of even the slightest shade getting the proper illumination and read on about my scuba tips on underwater torch shopping:

Tip 1: Water proof is not Water-tight  and more importantly pressure-proof

Water proof can resist water but to a certain depth and time. It will definitely flood and that means scuba diving in the dark or clinging on to your buddy which can be quite uncomfortable to them. So definitely get yourself a nice diving torch and read the label. Make sure it will withstand the pressure even if you are not planning on deep dives in the dark, a dependable one is a must especially when we are taught to have a safety first mentality.

Tip 2: The 2 Bs Bulb and Batteries

Again either do slight reading or buy from a reliable supplier that clearly knows what to sell. Here is the honest truth, HID and LED bulbs are more expensive than Tungsten and Halogen bulbs but if we are talking about value for your money my tip is to go with HID and LED. They are more useful when we talk about wattage. A 50 watt halogen is equivalent to a 10 watt HID which means it only exhausts 20% of your battery.

Dive torch batteries drains fast so you need a rechargeable one that is also environmental friendly and a real money saver as well.

Tip 3: The Switch

I prefer the push button switch because this manual switch is what I am the most familiar with on land. However toggling can be quite irritating especially if you over toggled with the wrong push. But if you won’t need to shift to another type of beam, this is very easy to operate especially if you are just starting to adjust diving with a torch. Just make sure it has sufficient spring load.

The side switch is also a great switch for beginners as it also won’t scare the fishes. It is either a slider or hinge type of switch. Easy to manipulate like the push button, great secondary light.

Twist caps can sometimes be too much for me to manipulate, but for some it is their preferred switch underwater. But remember too much twisting might damage your o ring and or for some torches leads to flooding.

Tip 5: Decide your preferred style

For your first dive light, you likely will want to buy the flashlight style. These are available in a range of sizes, including compact handheld lights for day dives and lantern-style lights for night dives.

If you are planning a wreck or cave dive, it might be a smart investment to research canister lights. These types of dive lights are much brighter than the flashlight style. Canister lights supply a compact light via a wire to a battery power source in a canister which you’ll connect to your waist.