Retro fit a LED into a Dive-Rite or any HID light

Cree MC-E LED fitted inside Dive-Rite HID housing.

Give your old HID a facelift. The information you need to upgrade to LED today.

XM-L LED retro fitted inside Dive-Rite Light.

If you have been using a HID, then odds are that you like a light that is narrow and can pierce over a long distance even in dirty water. We offer narrow beams and also a few other options to turn your old HID light, into different beasts. The following information is to assist you to choose which one suits what you are after. The table below outlines the differences between the different LED and beam angles.

Wreck divers usually like wider beams as they are up close to the wreck in small spaces. A narrow beam washes out the detail on the wreck so beams of 12 to 24 degrees are best.
Cave divers usually like narrow beams since they have unlimited viz one moment and dirty silt the next. Narrow beams <12 degrees are better in dirty water and also allow you to see further.

Optic manufacturers try and trick you by writting -+9 degrees (actually 18 degrees) as they only measure half the angle. More on LED optics and beam angles here as well as lots of technical information. If that is too much to read, then don't worry, just email me with what you are looking for in a light and I can offer some advice.

What LED's are like compared to a HID

This is an example to show how 2 different LED lights differ from a 6 degree, 10 watt HID light that produces 500 lumens (as HID's age they drop back to less than 400 lumen)

The first light is a 18 (+-9) degree light with 3 XM-L LEDs producing a total of 3000 lumens.

The second light is a 9 (+-4.5) degrees from using a single SST-90 LED producing 2250 lumens.

If the HID lights up a 1m by 1m part of the cave wall or wreck. The 18 degree LEDs at the same distance from the wall will light up 3m by 3m. Simple maths show the beam is 3 times wider and also 3 times higher. This works out to be 9 times (3x3=9) the area that the light is spread across. 3000 / 9 = 333 lumens per square mete. Which one do you think is going to look brighter and go further under water? Answer the HID, as 500 lumens is greater than 333. You will be able to see 9 times as much without moving the light, however you will not be able to see as far when compared to the HID with this light.

Now let's look at the 9 degree light. It will illuminate a 1.5m by 1.5m piece of the wall, this is 2.25 times the area of the HID. 2250 / 2.25 = 1000 lumens per square meter. So now we have a light which is not only twice as bright as the HID, it also lights up more than twice the area so we can see more. This light will allow you to see further under water than a 6 degree HID.

Since LED's create a lot more light, we can choose if we want to see more (wider) whilst staying a similar brightness, or have a brighter (narrower) light to see further. You can only use lumens to determin which light will be brighter, if the beam angle is the same for both lights.

Choices for upgrading your HID light to LED.

Full Beam Angle in degrees (how narrow)	Lumens (amount of light)	Burntime (4.5ah battery pack)	Auto Heat Protection (allows use out of water)	Modes	Low battery warning	LED used and notes.	Price AUD$
120	8000	0.5 Hour = HIGH 1 Hour = MED 2 Hours = LOW	Yes	You can request any modes you like.	Yes, will auto dim the light as a warning, and also to extend the remaining light.	Video Light	Email for price
55	3300	1.5 hours on High (can be ordered to default to a lower level to give longer life)	Yes	You can request any modes you like.	Yes, will auto dim the light as a warning, and also to extend the remaining light.	Video Light. 3 Cree XM-L2 LED's.	$199
18	3300	1.5 hours on High (can be ordered to default to a lower level to give longer life)	Yes	You can request any modes you like.	Yes, will auto dim the light as a warning, and also to extend the remaining light.	3 Cree XM-L2 LED's.	$199
6	1100	5 hours	Yes	You can request any modes you like.	Yes, will auto dim the light as a warning, and also to extend the remaining light.	A single Cree XM-L2	$180

Example LED conversions to Dive-Rite HID canister light

Photo of the Dive-Rite HID light head with the new 6 degree LED. Just In front is the LED Driver, followed by the heatsink and optic. The LED is mounted inside the heatsink. This design allows you to turn a single LED into a narrow beam of light. Nothing is modified on the light at all and can be reversed.

HID converted to LED

The LED, optic and heatsink combination we can custom make and sell these separately on request.

LED drop-in for Dive-Rite HID lights.

Front view of a cree MCE assembled.

LED mounted in Dive-Rite HID light head.