Tried a new dive light on a night job and got a surprise

I was on a bridge inspection in Mobile last week and decided to test a new 2000 lumen light I bought. About 30 minutes into the dive, the beam started flickering and then cut out completely... left me in the dark with just my backup. Turns out the O-ring on the battery cap was a tiny bit pinched from the factory. I learned to do a full pressure test on every single piece of new gear, even the small stuff, before trusting it on a job. Has anyone else had a brand new light fail like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantf7322h ago

Heard a similar story from a guy who had a brand new canister light flood on its first dive. The leak was from a bad glue job on the cable entry port, something you'd never spot without testing. Did your light's housing have any moisture inside when you opened it up?

jake_torres6819h ago

My buddy's light had condensation inside the housing after just two shallow dives. The glue around the switch was the weak spot.

rowanharris4h ago

Sounds like your new light came with a free pressure test feature, and it decided to test you right back. Nothing like a total blackout to remind you that every piece of gear thinks it's the star of a horror movie. At least it was just a pinched O-ring and not a full flood, though that's still a pretty rude welcome from a brand new tool. Makes you wonder what the factory's quality check even is, just a guy giving it a good shake and saying "feels about right." Glad your backup was solid, but man, that's a heart-stopping way to learn a lesson.