There are numerous varieties of underwater dive lights available in the market these days, making it often extremely difficult for the consumer to decide what’s best for his/her needs. The Blackwater 3000 light reviewed here today is perhaps one of those rare products that suits a wide range of purposes and becomes an irreplaceable part of your Scuba Diving equipment.
The Blackwater 3000 is a 32-watt dual beam halogen professional dive lighting system powered by a 13.2 volt Ni-MH rechargeable battery pack that provides exceptional illumination and can penetrate water, offering excellent visibility to scuba divers for a wide range of activities, both professional as well as recreational diving. Manufactured by Nite Rider, a San Diego, California-based dive light company, the BW3000 is their workhorse dive light that can be used for just about any application, low-visibility, brown-orange silty water conditions, or deep dark waters.
The BW3000 has three light levels: 12w, 20w, and 32w. It allows for a continuous 3 hr burn at 12w, 2 hrs at 20w, and 1:10 at the maximum 32w. The light is mounted using a heavy-duty belt clip, either on the weight belt or tank strap or also using the wrist mount. It can be worn on the diver’s wrist, offering the best hands-free mobility. This is particularly useful to cave and wreck divers who require a reliable lighting system that keeps their hands free.
The battery life on the BW3000 is approximately 200 to 300 charge cycles (a charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power) and has a shelf life of about 2 to 2.5 years. A replacement battery costs $150.00, including shipping.
The Blackwater 3000 charger is a 2.5-hour International Smart Charger that allows charging anywhere in the world from 100 volts to 240 volts AC. It senses when the batteries are fully charged and cuts to trickle mode, where the batteries are simply topped up as needed. A 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter is provided with the kit so that you can charge the batteries while traveling in a car or on a boat.
The Blackwater 3000 is so rugged in its construction that it has proven reliable over many years and is used by the military, police, and fire dive teams, lifeguards, working divers, and sport divers alike. Most recently, Nite Rider won a contract to supply the Indian Navy with the Blackwater lighting system to aid the Navy‘s Search and Rescue program and special-ops forces.
