Ask any diver what matters most on a night dive or inside a shipwreck, and they’ll probably say the same thing - a good light. But what does "good" actually mean? Is more brightness always better? Or can too much of it actually be a problem?

Let’s break it down.

First Things First: What Are Lumens?

Lumens measure how much light a torch gives off. Simple enough. The higher the lumens, the brighter the light. But underwater, things get interesting. Light behaves differently below the surface - it scatters, it reflects, it disappears faster the deeper you go.

That’s why choosing the right amount of brightness is more important than just picking the most powerful torch on the shelf.

Night Diving? 

For most recreational and night dives, a torch in the 1,000–3,000 lumen range is perfect. Something like the Beacon 2000 gives you plenty of punch to see where you’re going, spot fish in the distance, or scan a reef wall - without turning the ocean into daylight. It also have a tight beam angle with limited halo, meaning a limited cloud of backscatter. 

Chasing Crays? 

Crayfish don’t like floodlights. If you’re sneaking under ledges or scouring crevices, a narrower, dimmer light is your friend. The Nano, with its red and white light options, lets you peek in without spooking the crays.

Red light, in particular, keeps your night vision intact and helps you get closer to marine life that might be spooked under a white beam.

 

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🕳️ Going Deep or Into Wrecks? Brightness and Beam Angle Matter

When you’re inside a wreck, navigating swim throughs, or exploring a dark drop-off at 30 metres, you want serious lighting. This is where something like the Focus 3000 shines - literally. Its variable beam lets you switch between wide coverage and a tight spotlight, depending on what you're dealing with.

That said, even here, too much light can backfire. Reflective surfaces or stirred-up silt can turn high lumens into a glare-fest. That’s why the ability to adjust brightness and beam angle is key.

🎥 Shooting Video? It's a Whole Different Game

Filming underwater? Then you're looking at wide beams, soft light, and high colour accuracy. A torch like the V7000 or Harlequin 2500 delivers high lumens (up to 7,000!) with a 120° beam that stops lines appearing on camera

But again - context matters. If you're filming macro subjects up close, too much light just floods the frame. For that, the Harlequin 2500 is a better fit. More control, less blowout.

When More Light = More Problems

It sounds backwards, but here are a few times when brighter isn’t better:

• Filming close-up in murky water: You’ll just light up every floating speck.
  

• Hunting Crayfish: A torch that’s too bright scares them off before you even see them.
  

• Wreck diving: High-power beams can reflect off metal walls and too wide a beam angle can lose the light in silt.
  

• Diving with buddies: Blast your groups eyes with 7,000 lumens and you’ll make no friends.
  
  

 

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📊 Quick Lumen Guide

There’s no one-size-fits-all number. The best dive torch for you depends on how and where you dive. The trick is to match the beam, brightness, and build to your environment.

At Dive Lantern, we test every torch in real Aussie waters from The Great Southern reef to the Great Barrier Reef. Because when you’re underwater and relying on your light, guesswork isn’t an option.

 

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