2:01 p.m. on March 24, 2010 (EDT)
steven
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I am looking for suggestions on a true waterproof headlight and/or flashlight. Durability and dependability are essential and I would prefer one that took AA batteries so that all my gear would take the same battery.
Any advice?
3:39 p.m. on March 24, 2010 (EDT)
What kind of weight do you want to carry? How many lumens do you require? I have two primary headlamps - both Princeton Tec and are both waterproof to 3M depth. The Eos and the Apex. The Apex is almost 3x heavier than the EOS (9.2oz with batteries) but it has considerably more performance. The Eos has proven to me moderately durable but not in the same league as the Apex. There is also an Apex Pro which is about 3 oz lighter but does not have the burn capacity.
5:03 p.m. on March 24, 2010 (EDT)
Take a look at the BD lamps,Black Diamond.I have had several over the years and have never had one fail.
8:13 p.m. on March 24, 2010 (EDT)
What does BD have that is functionally waterproof?
11:03 a.m. on March 25, 2010 (EDT)
gonzan
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I use a petzl tikka, one of the old ones, as a general use headlamp. Though I have used it under water multiple times I am not sure i would trust it to be submersed in water for extended periods of time. I've used it the pouring rain many times. I have had the same one for about 8 years, and it has never failed. Of course it only delivers around 15 lumens, which is fine for most tasks, but it's not exactly a beacon or searchlight.
If I want more light, I also carry at least one Fenix light. They are tough, completely waterproof, and have multiple digitally regulated output settings for constant brightness. The LD10 model uses only *one* AA and puts out 135 lumens! and at the lowest setting of 9 lumens it has a continuous burn time of 35hrs. The PD20 uses one CR123 battery, and it puts out a max of 190 lumens. anything over 100 lumens is a h*ll of a lot of light. Both of those models are only marginally larger than a tube of chapstick. You can't beat that. Fenix makes a headlight too, but I have never used it, so I can't comment on it.
2:21 p.m. on March 25, 2010 (EDT)
pillowthread
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The Surefire Saint is what you're looking for, Steven. You could use it for short "night snorkling" episodes if you wanted to.
10:57 p.m. on March 26, 2010 (EDT)
steven
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Thanks for the advice guys...