10 Best Underwater Flashlights [2024] Scuba Diving Lights (2024)

Last Updated on February, 2024

Flashlights that work underwater are amazing! Dive lights and scuba diving lights not only allow you to see in the dark terrain when underwater, but they will also enable you to spot exotic sea life and explore the waters by ensuring you have the RIGHT flashlight with you that will illuminate your dive.

A flashlight is a diver’s companion. The right flashlight will allow it to be used to a good depth of water, ensuring brilliant illumination on your dive.

Dive lights come with varying sets of features, which makes each one unique to their traits.

I have for you a list of the 10 BEST flashlights (dive lights), perfect for exploring underwater. The selection of the BEST 10 was made after carefully hand-testing dozens of flashlights. The 10 on this list have the best depth rating and features, which is why they are considered the best.

Hence, without further ado, let’s dive into the list of the best dive lights (flashlights for divers).

Top 10 Best Flashlights for Diving

A dive light needs to be submersible in water to a good depth. This is the primary parameter upon which this list is formulated. Apart from the depth rating, the various features of each flashlight are considered and highlighted, elaborating as to why these 10 are considered the BEST!

1. Acebeam D20 (200 Meters Depth Rating)

Coming back to the battery life, this flashlight can work for up to 2 HOURS on high mode at 2700 lumens. In low mode, this flashlight will work with a brightness of 375 lumens for 7 HOURS and 30 minutes!

It even has an SOS feature that can be a great tactical asset. When diving, the SOS feature could be useful when signaling your team or flagging down the boat.

This is a rechargeable scuba diving light, which comes with a micro USB cable that allows you to recharge this dive light. The battery of this flashlight can also be used as a power bank, allowing you to use this flashlight to charge your phone and other devices.

The user interface of this flashlight is simple. It has two primary modes, high and low, and an added SOS mode, which can be of great tactical use.

It has a battery level indicator that will indicate how much battery life remains in this diving light, allowing you to promptly recharge this flashlight when necessary.

With 2700 lumens of brightness, 200 meters of depth rating and 296 meters of beam distance, this bright light works great as a primary light when diving. This scuba light is perfect for night diving and has some AMAZING features, which is why it is considered one of the best!

Made of aircraft-grade aluminum, this is a strong scuba light that is very durable and is impact resistant at 1.2 meters.

All in all, the light beam and features of the Acebeam D20 make this scuba light a perfect pick. You won’t need a backup light, not when this flashlight’s battery life is so good.

When it comes to picking diving lights, you need to consider the depth rating. At 200 meters of depth, this flashlight is a great technical diving light with great light intensity. A great pick for divers!

2. Astrolux® DL01 (100 Meters Depth Rating)

There are three light modes, low, medium and high. In low mode, this dive light will work for 4.5 hours with a lumen output of 360 lumens. In high mode, this dive light works for 1 HOUR with a lumen output of 2230 lumens!

With battery life as good as this dive light, you won’t really need a backup light. The light beam produced by this dive light is brilliant and when it comes to picking a scuba diving flashlight, the Astrolux DL01 is a sure and reliable choice.

It has a beam distance of 200 meters! It also comes with a magnetic switch, which is handy for any scuba diver and is perfect for any night dive.

Built with strong aluminum, this flashlight has been drop tested at 1 meter. This is a durable and HARDY dive light with an extended light head shroud.

Primary dive lights need good battery life and a depth rating, both of which this flashlight has. It also proves to be a great pick when choosing dive lights for your dive.

Rated IPX8 waterproof, this flashlight can be submerged in 100 meters of water, making this a valuable and impressive dive light.

From the online reviews of this flashlight, scuba divers love this flashlight, which has been described as the perfect companion for night dives.

3. NlightD L1 (100 Meters Depth Rating)

The wide beam produced by this flashlight is perfect for diving. You need a wide beam capable of capturing the whole area before you. The wide beam of light produced by this dive light will work to illuminate not only great distances but also the immediate area before you.

The NlightD L1 is a wide beam monster capable of being used to explore depths up to 100 meters. It has a long battery life and is lightweight for a dive light (8.7 ounce).

It comes with a pistol grip, allowing you to firmly hold this flashlight as you operate underwater.

The fact that this flashlight on max power will reach almost 2 miles in the distance makes this flashlight different from those you may find in a dive shop in the underwater world.

The NlightD L1 is a great scuba torch, a perfect addition to dive gear and is great for wreck diving and almost any underwater activity.

Dive torches such as this flashlight are considered one of the best dive lights because it has features that make them the best dive light. The ultra-narrow spot beam, combined with the wide beam produced by this dive light, makes this flashlight such an AMAZING pick!

4. Scubapro Nova 850R (150 Meters Depth Rating)

With 150 meters of depth, this dive light is a brilliant flashlight. This right dive light has multiple light modes.

It has a 100% full power mode and a 50% power mode (half power) which allows you to toggle over the battery power.

You can increase the longevity of the light by simply switching modes. (Switching to half power mode.)

On full power, this flashlight will work for 2 HOURS with a brightness of 850 lumens. This flashlight is great for underwater photography.

Underwater flashlights such as the Scubapro Nova 850R that have brilliant brightness on full power mode can be very useful when exploring the waters. Underwater photography enthusiasts will love the light that is produced by this flashlight.

The light head of this flashlight allows for an 8-degree narrow angle, which is perfect for underwater photography.

It has a special safety lock function which will prevent you from accidentally activating this flashlight.

Sure to provide you with hassle-free lighting for your dives, dive torches such as this with toughened glass lenses are both durable and reliable.

Powered by a 18650 lithium ion battery, the Scubapro Nova 850R is a great underwater light perfect for the aquatic environment.

The beam angle of this flashlight is what makes it great. When it comes to photography, you need a light source with a good beam angle. The beam angle of this flashlight is perfectly designed to allow you to make invisible waters visible!

Scuba divers love this dive light, and it is appraised as a perfect addition to night dives. At only 9.5 ounces, this is a lightweight dive light.

This is a great dive light for scuba divers and general explorers of the waters beneath. Not only doesn’t it have a brilliant light, but it is also a durable and reliable product.

5. OrcaTorch D630 (150 Meters Depth Rating)

With 4000 lumens of exceptional brightness, this flashlight has an adjustable beam with three brightness levels.

The adjustable beam will produce light on maximum output mode with a lumen output of 4000 lumens. This dive light has 5 HOURS of burn time on the highest mode.

On the lowest mode, this dive light has one of the best battery life for diving lights. 23 HOURS and 50 minutes of burn time on the lowest mode, with a brightness of 460 lumens!

Compared to other dive lights, the battery life of this specific dive light is superb.

When it comes to picking a good scuba diving light, you need to consider the battery life, aka, how long is the diving light going to work for.

The best dive torch will work for hours at a stretch, making it less likely you would need another light source.

This is one of the best dive lights on the market, perfect for night diving. The OrcaTorch D630 is a bright light that is submersible in up to 150 meters of water, which is an excellent depth for a dive torch.

When picking a dive light, you also want to ensure that you pick a bright light. With 4000 lumens of output, this dive light is brilliantly bright, perfect for night diving.

The light beam of this dive torch is BRILLIANT, to state the least. The best scuba diving light will have a good beam profile, and the OcroTorch most certainly does!

It has a safety lock mode which will prevent you from accidentally activating the light modes.

This is a rechargeable scuba diving torch, which comes with a USB cable which is used to charge this dive light.

All in all, this is a superb little monster of a flashlight with so much juice and power that it makes other dive lights look silly. When picking the best scuba diving light, you should most certainly compare it to the features and perks of the OrcaTorch D360.

6. Kraken NR-2000 (100 Meters Depth Rating)

This dive light can be submerged to a depth of 100 meters. It has a 2000-lumen maximum output, which is bright and powerful!

When it comes to picking a dive torch, you have to consider the tactical features.

This dive light has both SOS and Strobe, which can be of great tactical use when diving at night; if you wander away from the boat, the strobe and SOS features could help the boat locate you.

Dive lights such as the Kraken NR-2000 are considered the best because they offer you complete control over the lighting level.

With six modes of lighting to choose from, this dive torch comes with adjustable brightness.

In 100% mode, this flashlight will still work with a brightness of 2000 lumens for 90 minutes! This is impressive battery life!

It uses a 26800 lithium ion battery, which is rechargeable. The fact that you can recharge this dive torch only adds to the appeal.

The best dive lights offer more than brightness. The tactical function of this flashlight can be very useful when considering the dangers of night diving. Dive lights such as the Kraken, which comes with both SOS and strobe, can prove to save your life if you ever find yourself drifting too far from the rescue boat.

The rechargeable battery is a great additional feature, and the strobe light is very useful. It was the tactical features of this dive light, which works to a depth of 100 meters, that made it stand out from the rest!

7. Seac SZ 5000 Dive Flashlight (100 Meters Depth Rating)

This Seac dive light is a powerful light source with 4200 lumens of maximum brightness.

Perfect for night diving, this flashlight uses a rechargeable battery and can be submerged in up to 100 meters of water.

Yes, this is a rechargeable dive torch, and it comes with a USB-C cable that is used to charge this light.

Perfect for underwater photographers and night divers, this light’s beam has a width of 12 degrees, making it a beautiful spectrum of light that lights up the waters ahead of you.

It has two primary modes, a high mode and a low mode. In high mode, this dive light will work for 1 HOUR with a brightness of 4200 lumens. On low mode, it will work for 2.5 HOURS with a brightness of 1500 lumens.

It also has an emergency flash mode that can be activated in case of emergency (signaling.)

The Seac SZ 5000 is a great pick for divers. It even comes with a wrist lanyard which can be used to fasten this flashlight onto your wrist. It can be very useful when diving.

Though this isn’t the lightest of flashlights, at 24.5 ounce, it isn’t too heavy and bulky.

All in all, the Seac dive light is a perfect addition to scuba diving gear. Not only is it exceptionally bright, but it is also a durable and reliable light source.

8. Light & Motion Gobe S 500 (120 Meters Depth Rating)

The Light and Motion Gobe S 500 is a beautiful little flashlight.

How little? Only 4.9 inches in length. Don’t let the size fool you; this powerful and handy little flashlight works to a depth of 120 meters!

The Gobe is a 500-lumen maximum output dive light with three operation modes. On the highest mode, offering 500 lumens of light, this flashlight will work for 1.5 HOURS!

On the lowest mode, with 70 lumens of output, this flashlight will work for 12 HOURS! (Talk about great battery life.)

It has an 8-degree spot beam light, which provides an excellent balance of beam distance and beam angle.

It works great as a dive light and offers not only a beautiful spectrum of light but also a lightweight design which is always appealing.

At only 6.0 ounces, this is a lightweight dive light that is not too bulky and oversized.

The lens is made of tempered glass, and the body is of strong aluminum. This hardy and durable little light is only made better by the small design that fits right in your palm.

The reflector is designed for effective and efficient distribution of light. This flashlight is perfect for night divers and underwater photographers.

This is a rechargeable flashlight that comes with a rechargeable battery which has a charge time of 4.5 hours.

All in all, the Gobe is a beautifully designed dive light with a great battery life and durability profile. You cannot go wrong with picking this light, especially if you are as drawn to it as I am due to the small and handy size.

9. Princeton Tec Torrent 500 Dive Light (100 Meters Depth Rating)

The Princeton Tec Torrent 500 dive light is a beautifully designed flashlight specifically designed for divers.

It can be used at a depth of 100 meters and has a maximum lumen output of 500.

It is a small and lightweight dive light that has all the features to allow you to use this as a primary light source or even a backup light source when diving.

It is excellent for daytime wreck diving and is still powerful if used during a night dive.

This is a battery-powered light, which means you can replace the battery, providing for continued usage during a long diving trip. (Maximum burn time of 1.5 HOURS!) [AA batteries.]

It has a simple switching mechanism and a single mode of operation, making it easy and straightforward to use. The user interface is the simplest with a simple on-and-off switch.

This is a simple and elegant dive light which has both power and exceptional performance. During hand testing, I realized that this flashlight works with an excellent beam profile, and the clarity of the underwater light is exceptional.

Though this may sound like a simple 500-lumen flashlight, the Princeton Tec is far from a regular flashlight. The light is specifically designed to restore lost color when diving at depth. Hence, the spectrum of light produced is designed and intended to be beautiful and clear.

The Princeton Tec Torrent 500 dive light is a marvelous light source with a simple design. If you want simplicity coupled with high performance, this is the dive light for you!

10. Odepro WD12 (100 Meters Depth Rating)

The Odepro WD12 is a beautiful scuba diving light with a 10-degree narrow beam, which is perfect for night diving and underwater exploring.

With 1050 lumens of maximum brightness, this flashlight has two modes of operation, high and low.

In high mode, with a lumen output of 1050 lumens, this flashlight will work for 2 hours!

This flashlight has a maximum battery life of 5 HOURS on low mode (360 lumens)!

Reaching a depth of 100 meters, this is a marvelous dive light with some beautiful features. Firstly, the design of the light is sleek and handy. It only weighs 3.6 ounces, making it a lightweight but powerful light source.

The user interface is simple to understand and use. It has a simple side switch, which is used to operate this light.

What is great about this light is the fact that it even has a strobe mode. A strobe mode can be very useful for divers. Divers often drift with the water and can find themselves far away from the rescue boat.

A strobe mode will enable you to signal for help if necessary and can prove to be LIFE-SAVING in certain emergency scenarios.

Not only is this light durable and strong, but it is also light. Adding this to the fact that it has a powerful spectrum of light, adjustable and brilliant, makes this dive light one of the best in the market.

The Odepro WD12 is a marvelous pick for any diver, combining simplicity with POWER!

How to Find the Best Flashlight for Diving?

When looking for the best flashlight for diving, you most certainly have to consider the depth rating. You have to consider how deep you need your flashlight to work and determine the best depth rating based on your needs.

Apart from the depth rating, additional tactical features such as SOS and strobe provide greater applicability. In case of an emergency scenario, these features could prove to be greatly USEFUL.

The lighting modes and maximum output of the light are also parameters that you should look for. You need something powerful enough to ensure it meets the lighting demands of the underwater conditions.

Lastly, you need to consider the battery life of the flashlight. Picking a flashlight with good battery life as the primary light source on your dives will ensure that you have a reliable light source.

These are the parameters that are of utmost importance when picking a flashlight for diving. The best flashlight for diving will provide features as discussed in this section of this article.

How Important is Depth Rating?

The depth rating is a very important aspect of picking the right flashlight for diving. You need something guaranteed to work at the depth you aim to dive to.

Hence, picking the right flashlight for the dive is completely based on the depth of the dive. You have to ensure that you have a flashlight that works at a depth of the dive.

Using a flashlight deeper than the prescribed dive depth will result in the light source malfunctioning. Hence to prevent such mishaps, always consider the depth rating of the flashlight and compare that to the expected depth of the dive.

Find a with our article here.

Benefits of a Diving Flashlight

The right diving flashlight will allow you to see underwater. It is an essential part of the gear for a night dive.

The primary benefit of a diving flashlight is the fact that it provides you with a reliable source of lighting underwater. Not only will you be able to explore wrecks and coral life, but you will also be able to shine a light in the direction of exploration and allow your dive light to illuminate the way underwater.

The right diving flashlight with tactical features such as SOS and strobe will provide you with the ability to use your flashlight in various emergency scenarios. For instance, if you have drifted too far from the boat, you can use these features to signal the boat to help them locate where you are in the water.

Night diving can be dangerous, and having the right light can easily mean the difference between a safe and dangerous dive.

Final Thoughts

Picking a flashlight for diving isn’t too difficult. However, finding the best flashlight for your diving excursions is a whole different thing.

This list of the 10 best has been formulated after careful consideration of all parameters. These flashlights were hand tested and compared to 100s of other flashlights.

With a depth rating of 200 meters, the Acebeam D20 with SOS feature and amazing battery life takes TOP pick on our list of the best diving flashlights!

You cannot go wrong with the recommendations made in this article. If you are looking for a diving flashlight that delivers, is reliable, with some amazing features, pick one from this list; they are certainly some of the BEST flashlights in the market, designed for diving.

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Acebeam D20

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Beam distance

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Pros

Good lumen output with 2700 lumens on max output

Great beam profile and levels of brightness

Exceptional build quality. Durable and strong design

Replaceable battery for extended use

200 meters depth

SOS feature

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Cons

Diving flashlights can’t get better than this, the D20 has no downsides