Our choice for gas

I owe Lamar and
Lee Ann a helluva
lot, so they always get a free plug

Backup Lights

Small is good here. The typical backup light is powered by four AA or two C alkaline batteries. (You do not need anything bigger.)

Unlike primary lights, you don’t want rechargeable batteries. Backup lights tend to sit for months at a time, getting little use other than to check for function prior to every dive. Nonrechargeable batteries hold up better under these conditions than rechargeable ones do. (And who can’t afford to replace a few AA batteries every four to six months?)

Back-up lights are an area where LED technology is the way to go. The combination of low power consumption and high reliability is exactly what you want in a backup light. One-watt LEDs are adequate, three-watt are better.

On the low end, you can go with something like the Princeton Tec-40. These won’t last forever, but the price is right.

If you want backup lights that will last longer, get something with a Delrin body or, like the Inova light, machined aluminum. Most backup lights activate by means of a screw-down lens — although some use a magnetic reed switch. Avoid any sort of light with a through-hull switch mechanism. (The screw-down lenses have enough problems as it is; lights with through-hull switch mechanisms have an even greater failure rate.)

Instrumentation »

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Here’s a good story that explains why you need Cave Diver training

Another reason to get
your Cave Diver cert: Going with Connie to Mexico

Our recommendation
for manatee tours