Dive lights, also known as diving torches are a piece of equipment that every diver must own. For night and deep dives, where the sun cannot assist you in lighting your way in the water, a diving torch offers saving grace. So make sure you have one packed on your next dive so that you can explore the depths of the seas, find exotic fish and underwater treasures. You can also use diving torches as signal lights with your diving partners, so they don’t miss a thing.
When you’re out shopping for diving torches, avoid the “waterproof” marked lights as they might resist water. You don’t just want them to resist the water, you want them to withstand the pressure of deep dives. The last thing you want is for the light to go out because it couldn’t take the pressure.
There is a wide variety of diving torch styles, so if you are looking for a primary light so that you can dive in cold water, then a meatier style will most likely satisfy your needs. However, if you are diving in tropical waters or want a backup light, then a less powerful, smaller light will do. There are also lights that you can fixate to your tank, making you easy to spot by fellow divers while underwater, even in murky waters.
When it comes to the type of batteries for your dive light, there isn’t really a wrong choice. The torch manufacturers decide if their products use alkaline, or lithium-ion. The main thing you need to remember is to take an extra set of water resistant batteries in your dive bag and test your light in order to see whether or not the batteries can endure the entire dive.
You can choose between rechargeable and non-rechargeable ones. The downside to rechargeable is their price only, but they will eventually pay off in the long run and turn out to be more cost-efficient than the non-rechargeable ones. However, with time, their longevity will shorten and you might need to replace them eventually.
Diving torches usually produce a large amount of lumens, which means they are capable of illuminating at least a dozen meters in front of you, giving you a clean sight of where you are swimming. This, combined with the waterproof and pressure proof resistance features is what separates diving torches from regular ones, so don’t fool yourself thinking that your every day torch will perform as good underwater as it does outside of it.