If there is one dive light that will accompany me on every single dive it’s the OrcaTorch D700 dive light! Robust and fail safe; just these two terms provide an excellent description of this dive light. No buttons, just a simple slight turn of the light head and it switches on at the start of the dive.
Dive lights for me have different purposes. Obviously, they are sometimes essential when diving in dark or murky water. Under these conditions, you’ll be happy to be accompanied by a dive light that provides a focused and bright light beam. A dive light that provides you with what you’ll need: a focus point where you want to look at, a point where colors come to life.
Fortunately, not all waters are dark or murky. Still, even under what we call ‘good conditions’ in the Netherlands, if visibility exceeds 5 meter, we’re very happy. With shallow dives under such conditions there is perhaps not a direct reason to use a dive light. However, having the D700 hanging with its lanyard under your BCD, provides a continues well lighted spot on the bottom beneath you. Just as a reference to your buddy where you are. And is there something you want to get a good look at, or if you want to signal to your buddy, you only have to grab the OrcaTorch D700 and point it in the right direction.
Switching the D700 on at the start of the dive by a quarter or half a turn of the light head is easy, even with thick gloves. A small switch might provide its challenges in cold water with thick wet or drysuit gloves. Not so for the OrcaTorch D700. Just take the light in both hands and turn the light head a quarter of a turn; that’s all. And yes, a quarter of a turn is all it needs. After charging the light, I put the light head on again and keep on turning the light head until it switches on. A good check, so you’re sure that the light will work once under water. Then just a quarter of a turn counter clockwise and the light switches off and can be stored for the next dive.
As the dive light head is secured with three O-rings and just a slight turn is sufficient to put it on and off, there is no risk at all of accidental flooding the light. If it does not turn on with a small turn, you’re obviously turn the light head in the opposite direction. Half a clockwise turn will then correct that.
Ok, after a couple of hundred dives, on the outside it does show some ‘wear and tear’; but the somewhat deeper laying glass is well protected, so the small scratches and bruises are limited to the sturdy metal outside of the dive light. And hey, does that not just provide you evidence of an intensive dive life?
Author: Frank Lamé is in his free time a Master Instructor and part of his dives are educational dives. When overseas, Frank always dives together with his video camera, capturing the marine life (www.youtube.com/user/franklame). A number of his videos have been broadcasted, among which by the BBC.
