LED Lenser

As any experienced diver knows, flashlights are essential tool for any dive.  They can be used for safety purposes, for photography and videography lighting, and, of course, for helping you find your way.  We here at Flashlight University have compiled a list of our top 5 favorite dive lights.

The Underwater Kinetics Light Cannon eLED

The best all around dive light, in our opinion, is the Underwater Kinetics Light Cannon eLED.  This bad boy produces an incredible 825 lumens with a 9 hour run time in high.  This light is even more powerful underwater than it is in the air because of its unique water-cooled, high intensity LEDs.  It runs on 8 C cell batteries, and comes with either a lantern grip or a pistol grip, based on your personal preference.  As your primary dive light – the Light Cannon will not let you down.

The Stats:

Output: 825 lumens high, 530 lumens low
Runtime: 9 hours high, 14 hours low
Battery: 8 C-cell alkaline
Length: 7.3″ long
MSRP: $205.99
Defining Feature: 825 lumen output with 520 ft. beam distance.

The LED Lenser D14 Flashlight

The LED Lenser D14 runs on 4 AA batteries and measures just 6.2″ long, making it one of the more compact dive lights in this list.  It has a magnetic toggle switch, making just one less place where water can get into your flashlight.  It’s also one of the only dive lights that has a stainless steel head for added durability.  It has a single output of 135 lumens with a 4 hour run time.

The Stats:

Output: 135 lumens
Runtime: 4 hours
Battery: 4 AA alkaline
Length: 6.2″ long
MSRP: $70.00
Defining feature: Magnetic toggle switch for extra water tight protection.

Underwater Kinetics Aqualite Video

This brand new dive light from Underwater Kinetics is designed specially for underwater videography and photography.  You have a choice of two models – the Aqualite Video 65 or the Aqualite Video 90.  The 65 has a narrower, 65 degree beam angle vs. the 90 which has a wide 90 degree beam angle.  Both produce an amazing 600 lumens in high, and have 4 brightness levels so you can have just the right amount of light in any situation.  The very smooth, 5000k color temperature beam replicates sunlight, so it helps bring your underwater videos to life.

The Stats:

Output: 600 lumens high, 100 lumens low
Runtime: 1.3 hours high, 8.8 hours low
Battery: Lithium-ion rechargeable
Length: 5.1″ long
MSRP: $249.99
Defining feature: Wide, smooth beam designed for underwater videography.

Princeton Tec Shockwave LED Flashlight

The Princeton Tec Shockwave LED has been updated to 400 lumens – a big improvement over the previous output.  Like most Princeton Tec products, it’s made in the USA and carries a limited lifetime warranty.  It has two output modes, meaning you can choose whether you want to maximize brightness or runtime.  An interesting thing about this light is that it is also safety-rated for use in hazardous environments – Class I, Division 2.

The Stats:

Output: 400 lumens in high
Runtime: 12 hours high, 20 hours low
Battery: 8 C-cell alkaline
Length: 6.5″ long
MSRP: $134.99
Defining feature: 400 lumen output with 12 hour run time.

Underwater Kinetics SL4 eLED L1

The SL4 eLED L1 flashlight from Underwater Kinetics rounds out our list of the top five best dive lights.  We chose to include it because of it’s breathtaking brightness – 400 lumens – and slimmed down shape, so it easily fits into your hand on a dive.  One nice thing about this light is that you can operate the toggle on/off switch with the same hand that you hold the flashlight.  This gives you the ability to control your flashlight while doing other tasks like taking a photograph.

The Stats:

Output: 400 lumens
Runtime: 10 hours
Battery: 4 C-cell alkaline
Length: 6.2″ long
MSRP: $100.99
Defining feature: Compact body design with easy to use toggle switch.