The Xtreme Lite 1 Watt Diver Light is a polymer bodied Luxeon I LED torch that runs on 4 AA cells. It is rated by the manufacturer to 100' depth and has a rather unique magnetic reed switch which locks out for packing and cannot be activated by water pressure. The selector switch allows the user to choose between 4 separate modes of output that are available from the current regulator/multifunction circuitry inside.

The body of the light is made of polymer and has a rubberized guard around the head of the light and a rubberized pad on one side of the body for grip. The tail of the light has a lanyard attachment point molded into the plastic. The switch rests on the body just below the head.

The head of the light consists of a polycarbonate lens with a rubberized cover for protection. Inside is a Luxeon I side emitter LED and a partially textured plastic reflector which sends out a prefocused smooth beam of light. The reflector, Luxeon, and circuitry is all removed from the head as a single module to access the battery compartment below. The module uses a tongue and groove system so that it can only be inserted one way.

Output is in the form of a bright white beam. As is pretty typical for side emitting Luxeon LEDs, there is a star-ray pattern throughout the beam profile. This pattern is not really noticeable in practical use. The color of the beam is very white with no noticeable tinting. In fact, this particular unit appears to have a "pure white"beam to my eyes. Looking at the Overall Output numbers in the table below, you can see that the high, medium and low output really is 100%, 50% and 25% relative to each other - right on the money! When using the lower output modes there is no flickering of the LED, just smooth steady output.

It should be noted that this light is not "screaming bright". The brighter the output, the more heat is created. Since the body is plastic it will retain any heat produced. As a result, very bright output would cause a lot of heat to build up which could damage the LED. The manufacturer took this into consideration and kept output moderate which reduced waste heat production and also provided very long runtimes. Output is very good and is more than sufficient for most tasks and the risk of excess heat damaging the LED is greatly reduced.

Beam at one meter at target center

Runtime Plot: This unit appears to have either a voltage or current regulated power circuit, so we find a smooth output plateau followed by a fairly rapid drop-off. The light drops out of regulation after about 6 hours, so the runtimes stated by the manufacturer aren't too far off. The light output plateau is surprisingly flat which indicates the use of a rather good regulator system.

Runtime completed with included "Duracell" batteries. More information on runtime plots is available HERE.

The switch is very unique. It does penetrate the body, so it does provide another potential point of water entry. It is not connected directly to the wiring, however. It instead uses magnets to select the various modes of operation. The switch consists of two main parts - the switch housing pivots with your thumb to the right and back to center. When pivoted to the right, the switch is locked out and will not turn on in your luggage. When the housing is centered the toggle rocker switch in the center of the switch housing becomes active. Pressing in on the toggle rocker (it springs back up when released) allows you to select the various modes - high, med, low. Pressing in and holding the rocker for 3 seconds activated the high-blink mode. From high, med or low you will need to cycle through the modes to turn it back off. If you twist the switch housing with your thumb it will remain locked on in that particular mode. The blink mode turns off with the next press of the rocker.

The light is protected from water entry by O-ring seals and is rated by the manufacturer to 100' of water depth. If flooded, disassemble, rinse with fresh water if it was flooded by salt water, and let it dry.

Ergonomics: Fits great in the hand and the switch is very easy to operate with one hand.

Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light

For power the light takes 4 AA alkaline cells. Remove the head and light module and insert according to the polarity stickers inside. The base of the LED module has polarity protection so if the batteries are inserted backwards the light will not work.

A nylon wrist lanyard and batteries are included.

What I Liked: Waterproof, Tough/impact resistant, Regulated/long battery life, Good output, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Stands up

What I Didn't Like: Nothing

Other Things I Noticed: The switch does stand up pretty high on the body. This makes it easy to find but also makes it easy to be struck or twisted accidentally.

Conclusions: The only good reason I can see for not getting this light is that it simply doesn't meet your output or size requirements. If you are looking for a light that has variable output, uses common and easy to find batteries, is watertight, locks out, has a blinking emergency mode, great runtimes, and never needs replacement bulbs, this is it! Fantastic camping/swimming/outdoors/toolbox/automobile/diving light. I'd love to hear from a spelunker who tries this light on a caving trip, so if anyone out there gives it a shot, let me know! I'm willing to bet it will be a great performer in that environment.

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