Using your Dive light above waterUpdated a year ago
Using Your Dive Light Topside
One of the main questions we get here is whether or not our Dive Lights can be used above water.
Sola
In the case of the Sola Family the answer is "not really". Due to the high output of the Sola lights, the heat generated by the LEDs must get dissipated into the medium the light is being used in (and away from the sensitive electronics!). Water is more efficient when it comes to heat transfer and thus our lights are designed to dissipate the heat below the surface.
That being said if you need to use a Sola top-side briefly after a dive to locate or put away gear we recommend only using the lowest setting and not leaving the light on for more than 1-2 minutes. The Sola Video 9600, Pro Video 12,000 and the Pro Video 15,000 should never be used out of the water; they should be turned on once you enter the water to prevent damage to the lights.
Should your light accidentally turn on or if you absolutely need to use the light topside for an extended period of time your Sola has circuitry designed into it that will prevent it from overheating and damaging itself. This feature is called "Thermal Rollback" and will either drop the light into a lower setting or turn the light off should it start to get too hot.
To avoid this from happening, always use the Travel Lockout feature on your lights: hold the slider back for 4 seconds, and the indicator lights on top will blink red. Once locked, make sure to turn the switch on top 90 degrees to lock the slider in place to ensure it is not accidentally turned on in your gear bag. To unlock, turn the switch 90 degrees to unlock the slider and hold it forward for 4 seconds. Learn more here.
GoBe
GoBe was designed to be the all-purpose light and can absolutely be used both above and below the surface. The unique design of light-head allows for the heat to dissipate efficiently in both air and water.