The Best Dive Lights of 2023

best dive lights underwater flashlights

The Best Underwater Flashlights of 2023

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Last updated: Feb 9, 2023

Whether you are adventuring on a night dive, or exploring underwater caves and cenotes, having the best dive light you can get your hands on certainly offers a higher level of comfort and piece of mind. Besides a dive knife, this is one piece of scuba gear most divers forget about, even though it can be essential. For standard recreational divers,  a standard depth rated underwater flashlight should do the trick, but those venturing to deeper waters or doing extended night diving might be more inclined to go with a larger pistol grip style torch that can really blast out some wattage to illuminate your surroundings. Below you will find some of our favorite models we have gotten our hands on over the years with a key features breakdown for each. These are some of the best dive lights on the market currently and we attempted to include a good range of performance vs price, in order to suit the budgets of various divers and their needs. So without further ado, we hope you enjoy Scuba Diving Dreams best diving flashlights of 2023 list!

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Find the best dive light for your needs with our handy buyers guide!


ScubaPro Nova 230 Dive Light

Another smash hit from ScubaPro, the Nova is one of the best dive lights on the market at the moment for recreational divers. It combines a slick looking lightweight aluminum body with nice powerful light output that makes it one of our top choices for those looking for a great value. Even with the ScubaPro name attached to it, the price is extremely reasonable and certainly won't break the bank. The Hi-Power 230 lumen LED beam is has quite a nice wide radius and the 3 C batteries should last 14-18 hours. It is depth rated to 120m/390 ft, more than enough for the average scuba diver. A great reliable backup diving flashlight for tec divers as well, thanks to its long burn time and rugged construction. The Nova is one of the best underwater lights we have gotten a chance to test out in a long time!

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Underwater Kinetics SL4 eLED Dive light

Anyone who has gone on a casual night dive with their local scuba shop will have probably used this dive torch or one very similar. That is because this rugged dive light packs a nice even beam that is nice and powerful, while the light itself can take quite a beating and still function. This is the reason many dive shops stock these lights as their rental lights, the sheer durability and light output, with a simple design anyone can use. This SL4 powered by 3 C batteries like many of the others on this dive lights list, and can burn about 10 hours depending on the quality of batteries you use. While not the slickest looking light on the list, it is one of the most durable and reliable, with a great light output of 500 lumens.

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Light & Motion Sola 800 Dive Light 

Anyone on a tight budget look you might want to jump to the other dive lights on this list. The Sola 800 is an extremely high end, multi-function diving light. It has 2 light functions, a massive 800 lumen flood light setting, or a narrow beam that shines at 500 lumens. It's pretty insane given how compact this underwater light is, which makes it perfect for those who like to bring their own scuba gear when they travel. The Sola also comes with a re-chargeable battery which helps cut costs in the long run. For scuba divers who love high end professional grade gear, the Sola 800 is one of the best dive lights on the market at the moment when it comes to performance and value. 

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ESKY Submarine LED Underwater Flashlight

 The Esky Submarine's design is extremely simple, but that is what makes it awesome. Due to the extremely low price point, the Esky submarine is one of the best dive lights for those on a budget, in fact it's steal of a deal for any diver. This underwater flashlight is surprisingly bright for its small size (it fits in almost any pocket), and powered by the included re-chargeable battery, or 3 AA's if you so choose. It features 2 brightness levels and can act as a strobe light, which can come in handy in many situations. Perfect for a backup dive light or for anyone looking to get into night diving and wants the comfort of their own personal light. This is an extremely popular dive light thanks to its bargain price, powerful beam and durability. The Esky Submarine underwater flashlight is one of our personal favorites on this list.

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Phantom Aquatics Impulse LED Dive Light

The Phantom Aquatics Impulse dive light is a fantastic compact option for those looking for a high powered underwater flashlight. The chunky on/off button is easy to use, even for those wearing gloves on their dive. The Impulse dive light features 4 levels of brightness (90-700 lumens) that are toggled by a simple push of the button to cycle through. It also comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery which lasts from 2-20 hours depending on the intensity settings you are using. This is one of the brightest dive lights we have tested, making it extremely impressive for the compact size and price range. Depth rated to 100m/328 ft. 

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Princeton Tec 5 Hi-Power Divers Light

Anyone in need of a bit more power, look no further. The Princeton Tec 5 blasts out some seriously light, a nice wide beam that is cranked out at 500 lumens. This larger pistol grip style light is super comfortable to hold and surprisingly lightweight for a larger hand cannon style diving light. The Tec 5 is powered by 3 C batteries and has a burn time of about 24 hours with fresh batteries. The trigger style power switch is nice and chunky, and easy to operate even if you are diving with gloves. This makes it a great primary dive light for those who want to really light up the reef and bring out a ton of color on their dives. With a price similar to many compact flashlight style lights, this is a great buy for anyone needing a bigger blast of light, providing a great bang for your buck.

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And there you have it! Our current 2023 recommendations. There are so many options when it comes to underwater flashlights out there and finding a high quality choice can sometimes be a challenge, so hopefully you agree with our picks.  Happy travels under the waves!

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