What do you think

[Rod]

Hi guys,

Not made too many posts here but would like to hear what you have to say about an incident that apparently happened in the UK.

Experienced diver buys two new flashlights for the equivalent of 16 dollars each including batteries. On the box it says the flashlights will last for 3 hours. The guy then goes diving in an old flooded slate mine using both fixed to a helmet. 35 minutes into his dive and 300 ft inside both flashlights give up at the same moment. Fortunatly he has a 3rd back-up light and exits the mine with no further mishap. He checks them and one has flooded and the other has flat batteries.

I say he must be insane because
1)using 2 brand new $16 flashlights as primaries.
2)expecting them to last 3 hours.
3)using his tried and trusted one a back up
3)not putting in fresh batteries
4)being surprised that I did not feel sorry for him

I know there is lots of experience on these boards, what do you experts think? Is he completely mad or am I being over cautious when I cave?

[Signal 20]

Experienced diver buys two new flashlights for the equivalent of 16 dollars each including batteries.

When you're buying your dive lights on special at walmart you should know something is just not right with them

[Cindy]

I think sir that most Brits and sump divers are quite mad, that's why we love them all so much! I can quote Tom Morris "he's a tough little man".
That half of them are not dead is a credit to their ingenuity, flexability, toughness, diving ability and their drive to live life to its fullest. They tend to be cheap though and that can be their downfall. LOL, Cindy

[John L.]

For starters, you are not going to get much for $16.00 each. You did not say if they were for underwater use or not. It sound like no. Back in the early eighties, I experimented with waterproofing water resistant flashlights, and mine did the same thing, cut off at a certain depth. The guy should not have gone into an overhead environment with crappy lights as his primary source of light. He sounds like a future statistic.

[Cindy]

My UK LED I use on my helmet has been to 300 plus feet. Works fantastic for the job of lighting up my survey notes and worked when my fancy HID quit on me in bad water. It put enough light on my line for me to follow it out of the cave. It cost me $9.00 and a good set of batteries lasts me a month. The British pound is worth about twice our dollar right now. For 16 pounds I can get a pretty darn good back up. I use two UK 40s for sump diving and my little LED light. Guess I'm a future statistic also. I would think the vis in the quarry in the UK is about 18 inches and cold as H***. Different type of diving than most are used to here. I have dived with a lot of these guys in the US. They can swim our socks off. Don't get too caught up in this. These guys like to slam each other as a point of fun. The more public the better. It keeps them on their toes. A good comeback is expected. No one is silly enough to think that what that diver did is standard or correct. If your nice I'll send you the link to my cheap light store. LOL, Cindy

[crazyduck]

Brits for all of their civility are quite nuts.
I realized this when looking through photos of my family.
Hummm, there’s the family at the beach and they are all in long coats and blankets but where are the swimming attire- too damn cold to get in.
My mum has pictures of me swimming in the Irish Sea wearing a woolen bathing suit. Hummm, it’s not cold you just go bloody numb.

How do you know you are spending time with a Brit- you will be asked at least every 4 to 6 hours if you would like a “cup of tea.”

Yes, I came here at an early age but damn I know were the weird streak came from.

Andrew- Originally from Stoke.

[Caver95]

all you guys area crazy for going in them caves.

[Moonfuzzy]

I say he must be insane because
1)using 2 brand new $16 flashlights as primaries.
2)expecting them to last 3 hours.
3)using his tried and trusted one a back up
3)not putting in fresh batteries
4)being surprised that I did not feel sorry for him

I say he must be insane because

1. I would count the two lights on at the same time as a single source. If he had only one back-up with him then he was a light short on that dive. I assume he was solo, so that is really scary to me.

2. I would have had my regular primary and TWO back-ups with me in addition to the new lights I was testing out. I don't have a problem with people testing out new things, even if they are cheap ; ) - but having a well-known fallback would be a must.

3. Testing and/or replacing the batteries that came with the lights is a pretty good idea too ; )

[Cindy]

It sounds like a Duncan Price story and he is nuts! Cindy :P