Dive Lights

Primary Light

Model: WD12 Scuba Diving Light 1050 Lumen

Manufacture: Odepro

Website: www.amazon.com

Cost: $49

Secondary Light (Night Dive)

Model: Sola Dive 2500 S/F Dive & Video Light

Manufacture: Light and Motion

Website: www.backscatter.com

Cost: $300 (Used)

Purchase Advice: Don’t spend a lot of money on you primary dive light. You need a simple light that you can carry with you on every dive. The lumens arms race is not worth participating in; the lowest priced dive light you find on Amazon with a good rating will have more than enough power to help you observer wildlife during the day and at night. I use my primary dive light on every dive to search for critters in all those dark cracks and holes on the reef. It is my favorite type of scavenger hunt because you never know what you will find hiding in a hole. From a safety perspective, your dive light is a signaling device for emergencies. Don’t get in the water without it.

Night diving requires you to carry two sources of light. When you are starting out, you can always rent a second light from the dive operator. But remember each diver needs to have two lights. If you get separated from your buddy and dive group, the only way to signal the boat for rescue is your dive light. This is why you need the redundancy of two lights.

I think of the secondary light as being a light that you don’t always take with you on the dive. Depending on your dive plan and the conditions of the dive, this light can be substituted into your dive gear load out to provide lighting for a video or used as the primary light on a night dive. I like a wrist mounted style light, it prevents you from dropping it and you are able to use both hands in an emergency. My 2500 lumen light is more than enough light for all my dive scenarios.