Making an underwater lantern. Choosing a flashlight for spearfishing in troubled waters. How to choose a flashlight for spearfishing in troubled waters

not that cheap. And besides, I like to do something useful with my own hands - it’s very cool. Especially if it turned out good and useful thing, which serves faithfully.

I’ll tell you about an easy-to-make underwater flashlight with a built-in battery for powering. This lantern has the ability to float on its own with the holder up and at the same time shine down, illuminating your ascent from the depths.

To make this flashlight you will spend very little money (about 600 rubles) on the battery, housing, halogen lamp and wires.

First, I buy an uninterruptible battery from a technical store. In my case it is Sven 12V, 7 Ah, dimensions 90x65x150. The manufacturer is not important, we are only interested in the dimensions.

For the body I use a pipe coupling purchased at a plumbing store with a diameter of 110 mm and a length of 150 (standard). Our battery fits tightly here. There I also take a plastic plug for the same pipes and an adapter from 110 to 50 mm.

Since the length of the battery and the coupling are almost the same, I am slightly improving it to accommodate the plug, as well as the adapter.

A halogen soffit (display light) with a diameter of 50 mm fits perfectly into the adapter tube - it immediately serves as protection to enhance the direction of the light flux.

For the holder I used a regular wooden door handle (this is desirable). The wooden handle provides much-needed positive buoyancy, which helps our flashlight float freely, illuminating the bottom. The handle gives it stability and at the same time helps to shine down at the angle we need.

Our spearfishing flashlight sinks a little, and to eliminate this by making the correct balancing, we glue a 2.5 cm thick foam plastic circle onto the plug (the size was determined experimentally).

Next, I glued the parts of the lantern together silicone sealant and covered the outside of the cracks along the lamp. I bend the handle of the flashlight to create a small angle.
Now it is comfortable to hold, the handle is in a strictly horizontal position and the flashlight “looks” a little down. This prevents the observer from “spotting” me from the shore + it’s convenient to work with (I float up along the flashlight’s beam). I attached the handle with electrical tape (you can think of it differently).

I didn’t try to be clever when I came up with a switching system, but simply bridged the two wires that come out of the case with the wire for charging the battery.

The weight of the small invention is almost not noticeable under water, so the hand does not get tired during many hours of hunting.

In the end, it turned out very not bad homemade flashlight for spearfishing, although the switching system will still need to be modified. =)

Good luck with your underwater voyages!

Visibility is very important when spearfishing. At depth there is not a single light source, and the sun's rays penetrate poorly. Of course, you can try to make shots at random, but it is much better to prepare properly and purchase all the necessary equipment.

In particular, this could be a flashlight for spearfishing. It may also be needed for diving or simply for vacationers to explore the underwater world. With light it is much more interesting to swim and enjoy beautiful views.

Main Features

Before you buy a flashlight for spearfishing, you must understand how it differs from a conventional light source and how exactly it should function in such conditions. unusual conditions. It is best to buy quality equipment right away. Otherwise, it will stop working at the most inopportune moment. There are a few details to pay attention to:

  • Waterproof. This means that the device can not only be wet, but also completely immersed in water. Many travel models have this property, but in reality it is moisture resistance. It is important to separate these two concepts.
  • An underwater flashlight for diving and hunting must be durable. An accidental mechanical shock should not damage the housing.
  • Easy to use. It is worth noting that the professional version should be turned on with just one simple button and can also be easily adjusted if necessary. These actions will have to be done underwater, sometimes wearing heavy and uncomfortable gloves, this is important to take into account.
  • Long work. Sometimes being underwater takes for a long time. During this period, the spearfishing flashlight in muddy water must be uninterrupted.
  • Powerful light source. The rays shine much worse in water than in air; this point must be taken into account.
  • Setting up different operating modes. Depending on the reservoir and purpose, this may be used differently
  • In addition, the best flashlight for spearfishing has a lot of nice little advantages. In particular, this is the presence of a fastening so that the device does not get lost under water.

Some people hope to make their own spearfishing flashlight. In fact, this is almost impossible to do; it is best to choose proven accessories from good manufacturer with an excellent reputation.

What should the light be like?

In fact, there is a choice of xenon and LED options. An underwater flashlight, depending on the operating conditions, should be one of these two options. First of all, you should look at the duration of work.

Xenon ones are reliable models. They can work for about 20-30 hours and still provide enough bright light.
LEDs are more reliable models. Some American builds are long-lived, lasting over 40 years even with regular use.

A distinctive feature of LEDs is that you can additionally use colored glass. Lantern diving makes diving much more interesting with this camouflage. It is worth paying attention to the fact that fish are usually frightened by bright light, and with a green or other muted shade it will be possible to see more marine life.

An LED underwater light should be able to dive to a depth of 30 meters, but there are models that can increase this figure to 120 or even 300 m. This opens up great opportunities for every lover of this sport.

Selection rules

When choosing this accessory, the main criterion is the price of the underwater flashlight. Everyone's financial capabilities are different. Currently, options are offered from 4,000 rubles to infinity. It is important to understand what exactly you should overpay for. Several details are considered specifically for this:

  1. Immersion depth.
  2. Firm.
  3. Visibility.
  4. Nice additions.

The first consideration is depth. Some plan only small dives for their own pleasure. For hunting or diving beginners, standard indicators are quite enough. However, sometimes users plan to fully explore the underwater world, dive to great depths and enjoy beautiful view new interesting fish and original vegetation.

The second point is to become the manufacturer. The ferei underwater lantern is popular. The best models are considered a variant from Canada or America.

They already have an excellent reputation. The choice helps in this case to make a lot of reviews. Users who leave pleasant words about a product are the best guarantee of quality.

It is also worth paying attention to exactly how much the flashlight hits, what its brightness is, and whether it is permissible to use additional colored glass to muffle the rays a little. Depending on the body of water, this may be a different lantern.

Many spearfishing enthusiasts already have specific favorite spots. These can be muddy ponds or clear lakes, so it's easy to determine whether it's worth paying extra to improve visibility.

A variety of nice extras include accessories that are sold with the flashlight. These are colored glasses that dim the light. They paint it in different shades and allow you not to scare away the fish. This is also an opportunity to attach the flashlight to the suit using a cord or other convenient connection. Finally, you can pay attention to the design. Here every buyer is given full scope for imagination.

Many beginners completely forget about the need for lighting when purchasing equipment. Even on a bright day it will be quite dark underwater. This will make the pleasant experience much less pleasant. With good visibility around, you can hope for rich prey, a full exploration of the underwater world, as well as joy and pleasant moments during total immersion into this hobby.

For an underwater hunter, it is very important to choose the right equipment: after all, this determines the extent to which his stay in the aquatic environment will be safe and comfortable.

A very important thing to have with you when diving into thick water is a flashlight. Without the right, high-quality flashlight, a hunter may waste all of his efforts to equip himself for underwater hunting.

In order to be able to hunt in muddy water, at night, in thick algae or at a depth of more than a few meters, a hunter needs a good flashlight (for safety reasons, two are better).

Therefore, it is necessary to proceed with the choice of an underwater flashlight with all responsibility.

There are several types of flashlights for underwater hunting, which, when choosing, can make not only a beginner, but also an experienced hunter think twice when moving to a new body of water or when an old flashlight breaks down.

These devices come in the following types:

  • battery;
  • on non-rechargeable batteries (they will last longer than rechargeable batteries, but the light will dim as they discharge);
  • LED;
  • xenon;
  • halogen.

How to choose a flashlight for spearfishing in troubled waters?

High demands are placed on flashlights used during spearfishing, because under water they are, in fact, the eyes of the hunter.

Therefore, when choosing this device, it is important to consider the following characteristics:

  1. Waterproof. This is the most important parameter lantern Leading flashlight manufacturers make products based on the American IPX 8 standard (ensures the device is waterproof when submerged up to 30 meters).
  2. Durable design which will be under loads under high pressure conditions. The case must be made of metal (expensive products) or impact-resistant plastic (cheaper products).
  3. Ergonomics.

    The flashlight should not be bulky and heavy, and thereby restrict the swimmer’s movements, because reaction and mobility are important when hunting underwater. The device must have a streamlined shape, convenient control, lie harmoniously in the hand and do not slip out of a wet glove.

    There are both monoblock flashlights - this is a familiar cylinder or box with a handle for holding, and separate ones - you will only have a spotlight in your hand, and a bag with batteries is attached to the hunter’s belt. There are also flashlights that attach to a spear gun or swimmer's mask that are popular.

  4. Reliable fastening. An inconveniently mounted flashlight can become a significant hindrance during an underwater fight with fish. Therefore, it is important that the light can be attached to the swimmer's underwater equipment and has a safety strap to the swimmer's hand. One of best mounts is a “crab” type mechanism.
  5. Power capacity and type of light emitters, which are installed on the flashlight are required to provide a long operating time without charging or changing batteries.
  6. Flashlight luminous flux power, which is selected individually for each hunter and his chosen hunting style. But don't underestimate low-power flashlights. In clear weather, such lanterns are suitable for additional illumination for a long time. A spare flashlight may also have low power.
  7. Availability different modes work. The flashlight must be capable of both continuous operation and pulse action. A plus would be the presence of a radiation power regulator. The flashlight control elements are also important; their design should prevent spontaneous switching on and off.
  8. High-quality optics. Branded lanterns have a regulator that allows you to change the lighting sector. Also a great plus will be the ability to change the filter depending on the situation under water.

Rechargeable underwater light

In terms of popularity, the rechargeable flashlight is far superior to its battery-powered competitor. After all, modern batteries have good capacity and power, which allows you to use the flashlight for a long time.

Good batteries, made of cadmium or nickel, have excellent performance and a large number of charge and discharge cycles.

But such flashlights also have disadvantages:

  1. These flashlights must be fully discharged before charging. If this is not done, then its energy intensity will decrease after each such recharging. The only exception is lithium battery. This is the most modern battery, which has great power and a high price.
  2. If you stay far from civilization for a long time, there may be no source of charging for such flashlights. An adapter for connecting the flashlight to the car's power supply via the cigarette lighter socket will help solve this problem.

LED flashlight

Due to the rare use of halogen flashlights due to their high energy consumption and short service life, the main competition among underwater flashlights in terms of the type of their light emission is between LED and xenon flashlights.

The operation of an LED flashlight does not generate as much heat as its halogen or xenon counterparts. Therefore, these lanterns are not so capricious and have a long service life compared to other types.

LED lights are most often low or medium wattage. The luminous flux power of such flashlights can exceed the power of a conventional incandescent lamp, and at the same time, the flashlight will consume much less electricity.

Xenon underwater light

When hunters need a powerful light source for night hunting or hunting in murky waters, they use xenon spearfishing flashlights.

These devices produce a directed and strong beam of light rays with a power of 50-100 W and higher.

Xenon flashlights also have low power consumption, which allows you to stay under water for a long time, but in terms of their durability they are significantly inferior to LED ones.

Thanks to a more powerful directional beam of light, the flashlight will help you not only find prey, but also blind some types of fish, which deprives them of mobility and simplifies aiming.

Xenon flashlights are convenient when hunting in a pair or a group of people: it will help determine the location of a partner in muddy water or when hunting at night, which is very important. This flashlight also provides safety by allowing you to see things that could cause harm.

Many hunters consider the price of such flashlights to be too high and try to make them themselves.

Best flashlight for muddy water

Of course, it is impossible to say specifically which flashlight is the best when hunting in troubled water. Xenon flashlights have certain advantages, but they are not suitable for all styles of spearfishing.

Most often, the lantern is selected individually, perhaps experimentally.

A high-quality flashlight is a rather expensive device, and when purchasing you need to take into account your capabilities and needs.

You should not buy very cheap flashlights from unknown companies - they will not last long and can ruin your vacation.

  • Mares;
  • Omer;
  • Light
  • Technisub;
  • INTOVA.

DIY underwater lantern

Despite the fact that stores present wide range There were always enough flashlights for spearfishing craftsmen who want to make it themselves.

There are two options for creating an underwater lantern:

  1. Take a regular lantern and create a shell for it, impermeable to water, or seal its body yourself.
  2. Make a lantern from scratch. To do this you will need: a housing (plumbing fittings are often used plastic pipes with a diameter of 110 mm), battery, light source (reflector with LEDs, xenon or halogen lamp), wires for connecting the lamp to the battery and devices for conveniently holding a homemade flashlight.

Based on the characteristics, features and requirements described above, we can highlight specific individual requirements to the characteristics of a flashlight for spearfishing in troubled waters.

After studying specific models and relying on your own preferences, you need to carefully choose exactly the flashlight that will satisfy all the requirements and wishes, and will also provide not only pleasure from the process of spearfishing, but also a reward in the form of a catch.

Nowadays, it is an expensive pleasure to buy a branded underwater flashlight. Therefore, I will tell you how do homemade lantern divider.

We will need: 12V – 7A battery, a simple flashlight, 20W halogen and thermal glue. A 20W halogen consumes 2A per hour. This means the battery will last for 3.5 hours, but in practice you will see the opposite is 2 – 2.5 hours.

Depending on the power and energy consumption, a diode of 600 - 700 lumens is suitable for us - also here the price is within the normal range. In practice, 600 lumens are equivalent to 35W.

But even here, not everything is so smooth. There are problems in using diode light:

1) All light diodes need a lens - a calimator. Their glow angle is 120 degrees. Need a hub.

2) The diode needs a special circuit - a driver. There are two types:

Simple - maintains a constant current on the diode, regardless of the voltage supply.

Pulsed – powers the diode with pulsed current. The flickering of light occurs at a high frequency, invisible to the eye.

3) The light diode heats up like crazy. Temperatures above 120 degrees for an LED are certain death. The LED requires a heatsink.

And here is our happiness. True, the dimensions are large)))

We connect the light diode and check its functionality.

And we get that when the voltage on the battery drops, the brightness drops.

For comparison, I found pictures on the Internet:

Usually the diode crystals are filled with something transparent. Therefore, the diode does not need to be sealed. The diode crystals are filled with something transparent. Therefore, as usual, I decided not to seal the lantern. But you still need a radiator. I would recommend buying a cooler for computer power supplies.

Here is a radiator for a personal computer power supply cooler:


Here's a cheap flashlight bought in a store:

To be honest, when choosing between a lens and a reflector on a flashlight, I didn’t feel the difference. Both of these collectors are equal and do not differ much.

And so. As a result, we got a flashlight with a power of 700 lumes. Comparing with flashlights for underwater hunting, we get 1100 rubles. versus branded 5000 rub. -8000 rub.

Those. It's not all that complicated.

To use our flashlight underwater, you will have to sort out: rear, rubber protection (it is advisable to fill super glue), then fill all free electrical contacts with hot glue. It’s even better to seal all threads with rubber pads.

I go diving. I decided to take this (homemade) one instead of the club flashlight. At a depth of more than 3 m (5 -6) the flashlight worked perfectly.

Now all you have to do is use your imagination and come up with a mount for the Underwater Gun. And in the end we got a good device for observing the underwater world in dark time And deep places, make a flashlight for spearfishing I could have the desire and time.