Buying a cheap plastic backup or spotting torch is a false economy, as they simply don't go the distance.
£59.95
Buying a cheap plastic backup or spotting torch is a false economy, as they simply don't go the distance. We've wrecked most of the popular inexpensive torches sent to the Test Centre over the past five years. We probably give them ten years' worth of normal use in one year, and not one has survived longer than 12 months without going wrong. Usually they leak. Sometimes switches fall off or jam, and a few have cracked and fallen apart. So when we took delivery of a new torch from Intova,
we were sceptical about whether it would buck the trend.
Nine months later, I can report that it has survived the whole summer season in the RIB, while also going on two trips to the Red Sea and a trip to the Canaries, and is almost as good as new. The anodised aluminium casing has a couple of small dinks, but other than that is perfect - and that's after more than 100 dives. The switch still works, and the only thing we've replaced are the batteries.
Underwater, the 4.7-watt Luxeon LED bulb produces a punchy 130 lumens, with the light superbly focused into a narrow beam for extra penetration in murkier waters. With alkaline batteries, it burns at maximum brightness for about two hours, then slowly gets dimmer over the best part of the rest of the day. When using rechargeable batteries, this burn time is approximately halved, so it's a good idea to have two sets of batteries if you are using the torch for a full day's diving. The manufacturer claims it is waterproof to 120m, and that's good enough for me. At 60 quid, it's a touch more pricey than some of its rivals, but is worth every penny.
DIVE SAYS…
Robust and gives a bright light
Value 9 Performance 9
Whether your looking for a new back-up torch or your first torch, trust your instinct and purchase an Intova Luxeon. I now have 2 one as my main the other as a back-up. I dive with a buddy who purchased a new torch in March, £369 he paid for his. Guess he could have purchased half a dozen of the Intova units and still had the same light out put that I have. To say he was miffed is an understatement.
Recently went to the Red Sea and was pleased to see that the 2 guides on our boat used these torches at their main and back-up . That in itself says a lot.
Most of the guys at the club are retiring their Frogmans and replacing them with these units.
Of all the money we spend on our dive gear , pound for pound this ...
