New Salvo LED Lights

[WaterRat]

Well after much research and debating I was just about ready to pull the trigger on a Salvo 10 Watt Adjustable Focus can light.

Then today Salvo discontinues the 10 Watt HID and replaces it with a 12 Watt LED for the same price. See the new lights here Scuba Gear and Scuba Diving Equipment - Discount dive gear (Cheap online!).

LED is still in its infancy with dive lights but this looks really appealing. So if I want a "new" light I either have to jump on the 10 Watt HID now while there is still stock or go with the new technology.

Just looking to see everyones thought on the subject. Maybe someone has seen a prototype of this light in the water and can comment on the performance.

Thanks,
Ron

[DevilDiver]

What kind of set-up will you be using the focus light with?

I like the LED for focus lights. It has a nice soft even beam. What have you compaired it with?

[rox@ucf11]

what kind of diving are you using it for? the only reservation I might have is sometimes the LED's are too difuse and are not the greatest for signaling like in a cave. now I have seen some pretty focused beams from the new LED's coming out but just something to keep in mind.

[WaterRat]

Well this will mainly be used for reef and recreational wreck diving right now. My wife still has a ways to go before we get her into doubles and anything overhead but she wants to head that direction. Also doing a GUE Fundies course this fall most likely. No caves in the near future.

I did ask a Salvo dealer about the new light and this was his comments.

"If you would have asked me this last week I would have told you to go with
the 10 watt HID no questions asked. I have a Dive Rite handheld HID that is
very bright up close but does not have much penetrating power.

With the introduction of the new Salvo Led things have changed. The salvo
led is much better than any LED on the market. It is tightly focused due to
have a single "bulb" instead of the array of bulbs that everyone else is
trying.

In the 10 watt price range I would definitely go with the Led. The test divers using these say they are superior to the 10 watt HID version across the
board. The 21 watt HID is still brighter, but not by much. The durability,
battery life, and brightness of the 10 watt size light put it ahead of every
other light at this price range on the market. You won't be disappointed
with an LED. At least a salvo LED that is."

Thanks,
Ron

[rox@ucf11]

sounds like its a winner tho is there any way you could try it out and I have noticed the preformance on land does not neccessarily equal it under water or in a cave/cavern so idealy in those different conditions...if taking fundies you may ask what GUE prefers they have a pretty strict gear standard (tho for fundies I donbt think its as big of a deal) of course dont take what they say as bible

[terrillja]

Kind of funny since there was a huge fight on TDS between Patrick at Oxycheq and Barry at Salvo over LED vs HID.

Check it out:
Scuba Gear and Scuba Diving Equipment - Discount dive gear (Cheap online!)

[fireflock]

Read what Salvo says on their webpage about the new LED's and they explain why they think that the technology in this bulb is different that what was around during the 'spat' with Oxy.

I think the handheld looks really interesting.

[rox@ucf11]

omg these guys on tds really go at it 10 pages lol guess I will be reading for awhile

[cummings66]

Patrick really gets into it, that's the nice way to put it. He really likes a good scrap as far as I can tell. Him and Tobin both are popular fighters, people take ringside seats when they get together...

That's why I like this board, you don't see that much venom.

[BSea]

I'm glad I put off buying a can light. And I think I'll wait another year or so to see if there are any issues with these lights. (Plus maybe the price will drop some). I'm sold on led lights since I got my Salvo Rat light. It's called a backup, but I'll put it against almost any non-hid light out there.

About the only thing I don't really like about the 12 watt version is having to twist the bezel to turn it on & off. But I'm wondering what a flood in the light head would do to a led.

BTW, the "Pepsi Challenge" thread makes for interesting reading. I haven't looked at it in awhile, but maybe these lights will spark a new round.