A dive light, also known as a dive torch, is an essential piece of scuba diving gear. The light is a must for night dives, and extremely helpful for exploring cracks and crevices during day dives. There are many different dive lights on the market, so before you make the investment be sure you know what to look for.

Check the label

Look for lights that are labeled water-tight and pressure-proof, and avoid lights labeled waterproof. “Waterproof” lights may resist water, but they will not withstand the pressure of deep submersion on a dive. Lights that aren’t pressure-proof are prone to cracking under pressure, which is the last thing you want to deal with on a dive!

Use rechargeable batteries

Dive lights require a lot of power to maintain a bright shine, which means they burn through batteries quickly. Using rechargeable batteries will help save you money and avoid wasting regular batteries.

Choose the right bulb

Without the bulb, there’s no light, so choosing the right one is essential. There are lots of different bulbs out there, so it comes down to preference and priority. Tungsten and halogen bulbs cost less, but they require more batteries and give off dimmer light. HIDs and LEDs are more expensive, but they are more efficient. For example, a 10-watt HID generates the same light as a 50-watt halogen, but it uses only 20 percent of the power.

To learn more about scuba diving and proper scuba diving equipment, check out SPE Dive School! We train and certify all levels of divers from the Washington, DC metro area, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia.