fbpx

The Best Lobstering Flashlights (Dive Lights) for SoCal Diving in 2023

Photo of author
Last Updated:

The deeper you go underwater when lobster diving, the darker it gets. This is where the best lobstering flashlights or the best dive lights will come in handy.

best lobstering flashlights
Diving for lobster with my cousin for his first time.

If you’re diving for lobster, especially at night, you’re going to need a diving light that has a longer battery life to make sure you won’t be left diving in the dark.

Some scuba divers even use super bright lights for underwater photography. Here’s a list of the best lights you can use when hunting lobsters.

Top Lobstering Flashlights

1. Genwiss Dive Light

This aluminum alloy light is suitable for extreme conditions. The LED light produces super bright light output. It has multiple brightness modes ranging from high, medium, low, strobe, and SOS.

The magnetic induction rotary switch allows you to adjust your light’s brightness depending on the water environment. It can reach up to 1000 lumens. The anti-abrasive coating makes this shockproof and free-scratch diving light great for lobster diving. 


2. Volador Diving Flashlight

The bright light radiates bright white light underwater up to 1000 lumens. The magnetic tail switch works with four modes: high, medium, low, and strobe. Its continuous run time goes up to 1.5 hours.

This aircraft-grade aluminum has a hard-anodized finish resistant to abrasion and saltwater corrosion. This can go underwater as deep as 150 meters, and the light distance can reach about 80 meters. 


3. BlueFire

The bright Bluefire light is practical for underwater use as it is waterproof IPX-8. You can use it up to 80 feet deep. It works in three modes: 2 levels of brightness and a strobe light.

This light is great to use for lobster diving as it comes with a lanyard and hand strap for easy carry and use underwater. The lithium batteries are rechargeable, but you can opt to use three AAA batteries.


4. Oratorch

Oratorch uses high-quality LED with a maximum output of 1000 lumens. This diving light standard includes a wrist strap that you can fasten to the back of your hand and dive with your hands-free of anything.

Divers consider this one of the best dive lights for lobsters. It allows you to adjust the brightness according to the underwater environment with its three modes. You can have a convenient lobster dive as this product is light and portable that won’t take too much of your gear space.

Plus, it comes with a backup light to serve as your secondary light in case of an emergency. 


5. Underwater Kinetics 

The alkaline performance of Underwater Kinetics is 900 lumens on high and 400 lumens on low. It lasts 5. 8 hours when run on high and 20 hours on low.

The unique optical design unites two high-intensity LEDs into one wide beam with doubled power. You can even use a rechargeable pack or the standard alkaline C-cell batteries when fishing for some lobster.


6. Princeton Tec

Princeton Tec is made from high-quality material with a pistol grip. The switch design is easy to use when using your lobstering gloves. Its c-cell batteries provide 24 hours of burn time, which is good enough for your lobster dive.

Most lobster divers love to use this as it comes with a switch lockout. Thus, preventing accidental illumination and battery drainage when in transit. 


7. Goldengulf Cree XM-L2

This high-power Goldengulf Cree is best for scuba diving and hunting lobsters. Among many things, this dive light is handy, sturdy, and of good quality. It comes with a rechargeable pack of batteries and two spare pieces of O ring. 


Best Lobstering Flashlight Features

Run Time and Battery Life

Your lobster flashlight’s battery pack matters, especially when diving at night or underwater. You want a light with a long battery life, as this affects the run time of your diving light underwater.

Usually, rechargeable battery lights run on lithium batteries, and others come in alkaline batteries. When choosing a dive light, always get the time it gives you underwater. Some lobster diving lights run up to 20 hours on one charge. 

Brightness

The light output of your diving light matters big time. A light that runs for 20 hours won’t matter if it doesn’t give you the best light output to see underwater. The brightness a light gives you varies from one dive light to another.

If you can get a lobster dive light with multiple modes, use that one. The brightness level allows you to pick a level that suits your lobstering situation. 

Beam Angle

The beam angle of your light serves different purposes. A wide beam will help you with visibility by illuminating a larger area underwater. In contrast, the narrow beam is best for cloudy water visibility, especially when diving in caves and wrecks.

Choosing the right beam angle for your water conditions ensures a productive experience, whether for lobster diving or underwater photography. 

Depth Rating

Your lobster flashlight’s capability to operate underwater is measured through its depth ratings. It is valuable when lobster diving so you will know the safety of your flashlight in different underwater kinetics, currents, and pressure conditions.

You want a dive light with the best features that give you high-quality performance underwater when diving for some lobsters.

If you want to know how to catch California Spiny, check out our guide: How to Pacific Lobster (California Spiny)

Insider Advice

When hunting or fishing for lobsters, there are one or two things you need to remember. Make sure that you always have complete gear when diving, especially at night. And don’t forget to bring emergency backup, like extra batteries and a secondary light to use in case your primary dive light runs out or its switch won’t work.

Using this guide’s information, choosing the best dive light should take less time than usual, as you already know what you need to use underwater.

Among the things you need to consider is the convenience, ease of use, weight, and power levels of your dive light, especially for night diving. You have to decide if you want a wide beam light or a narrow beam light, or one with a C-cell battery or rechargeables. 

Jon Stenstrom
Founder & Angler
Jon Stenstrom is a fishing enthusiast. He has over 25 years of fishing experience, and 6 years of spearfishing experience, and is currently learning how to boat. Jon has his Open Water PADI Certification and FII Freediver Level 1 Certification. Jon has traveled the world to fish and dive, most notably in the Great Barrier Reef, Baja Mexico, Thailand, and Malaysia. More Articles
× How can we improve it?
× Thanks for your feedback!

We're always looking to improve our articles to help you become an even better fisherman.

While you're here, why not follow us on Facebook and YouTube? Facebook YouTube

Person Drowning Underwater

Shallow Water Blackout (How and Why It Happens)

Shallow water blackout happen when your brain is starved of oxygen. It’s a defense mechanism of the body. Similar to when a person faints on land, this could happen while you’re underwater. Typically due to your mammalian dive reflex, you have a certain amount of time before brain damage can occur. If no one is
How To Spear Lionfish

How to Spear Fish — Understanding the Equipment, Locations, and Safety

Are you ready to learn how to spear fish? If so, you’ve found the right place to wrap your head around the basics. This article will cover the high-level basics of spearfishing to get you started. Each part of this article will be linked to more in-depth guides so you can go deeper on a
Spearfishing Gear

17 Spearfishing Gear Essentials For Catching More Fish

Not having the right spearfishing gear when entering the ocean is dangerous. Too many spearos have become frustrated or worse been put in situations that can lead to disastrous consequences due to bad gear selection. Take for example a bad dive knife. Spearfishing Gear for Beginners You’re in the water and get caught in a
tuna tail

How To Make Fish Taste Better

Are you curious about how to make fish taste better? It’s one thing to know how to catch a fish, yet entirely different to know how to make it taste restaurant quality. In this guide, I share what I’ve figured out after years of trial and error in the kitchen. Having access to wild food
marlin taken for dinner

How To Kill A Big Fish (And Be Mentally Ready For It)

I was 30 when I put a knife through a big fish’s brain. I was 15 hours south of the US border, floating by myself in the Pacific Ocean. I had just finished a seven-minute rodeo with my largest yellowtail trying my best not to get tangled in my reel line. Adrenaline was coursing through

4 Ways To Immortalize Your Catch So You Can Relive The Moment Long After You Stop Diving

Certain fish demand immortalization. Memories are nice, but memories fade. With the uncertainties of life, you never know when you’ll need to hang up your fins. Not to get sentimental, but when you’re older you’ll want to relive parts of your youth. I want to share a few time capsules you can use to document