LIGHTS
Ikelite PC Lite

Ikelite PCa Lite

IKELITE PC
Longer than its similarly named sibling, this lamp gave a bright but patchy beam from its 6V battery-pack, though less wide and not as bright as the PCa. It had good leak-protection as a result of being assembled by a push-fit and lock-in-place design that avoids crimping its O-ring, and a well thought-out switch with a good lock to prevent accidental switching. This is a viable light that will see you through any dive.
John Bantin - Diver Magazine

IKELITE PCa
Small enough to stow as emergency lighting, this little lamp gave a powerful beam with a hotspot, although patchy, as bright as some of the best. It uses a 9V AA battery-pack. Its peripheral halo was wide and useful too, so we thought this good enough to use as a primary diving light. It assembles by pushing together precisely, so there is little danger of screwing up the sealing O-ring, and it has an easy-to-use switch with a good lock to prevent accidental switching. A favourite. The example sent was of clear plastic for efficient leak inspection.
John Bantin - Diver Magazine
Ikelite C-Lite

 Ikelite PCm

IKELITE C-LITE 8
One of the best-made of this type of compact lantern, with a rubber shroud to its reflector and a well thought-out cam-lock that avoids crimping the captive sealing O-ring and should avoid flooding by careless assembly. This is a two-part-action device that allows access to the well-made battery chassis. Although plastic, the lockable switch has a precise feel to it and the rubber-covered handle made it well-balanced and comfortable to use. A smaller than expected hotspot was less bright than some but this was compensated for by an extremely wide and even peripheral halo. We liked this unit and so will you

 IKELITE PCm
I'm a really bad person. I admit it. If a piece of kit comes into my hands that I really like, I occasionally hold on to it for a bit longer than is strictly necessary. Years ago, I was sent the little but extremely effective Ikelite PC and PCa underwater torches to try, and I am ashamed to say that I held on to them for so long that eventually I lent them to a friend who never returned them to me.
     They were, in effect, a victim of their own success.
     If you really need a light under water, there's a good chance that you will need a back-up in case of failure of the main light.
     A back-up should be unobtrusive when you don't need it, but effective when you do. It needs to be conveniently stowed away until the moment you need it.
     The great thing about the smaller PCa was that, although it fitted in the palm of the hand, its six AA batteries were able to provide a light that was probably as effective as that of any back-up light then available.
     The other advantage was that we all use AA batteries in lots of other kit, such as cameras and flashguns, which makes battery purchase or the business of recharging AA-size ni-mh cells simple.
     That was then. Now all sorts of options are available, including little lamps with single or clustered high-intensity LEDs that will fit in a pocket just as well as the Ikelites.
     They cost a lot more, but what's money when you're talking about your first love - diving equipment?
     Trouble is, we're not all flush with cash. Ikelite has looked at the challenge and simply reworked the original idea in a smaller, more compact, format.
     Its Ikelite PCm looks very similar to its longer siblings but uses only four AA batteries, which makes it that much smaller. As a result it is only 11cm long, so should fit in any BC pocket. Like the PCa, it's a little marvel.
     Beside the fact that it produces a tight but brilliant beam, the Ikelite PCm is likely to last a long time. Like the test PC and PCa, which are both still in active service, the PCm is unlikely to suffer from flooding.
     That's because it is not sealed with an O-ring which has a surface screwed down on it, with the consequent risk of distorting or damaging it.
     After inserting the batteries, you simply use hand pressure to close the two main parts together, squeezing the O-ring in the process, but in a very even-handed way. You close a clamping-ring to secure it shut.
     Another good feature is its on/off switch. Many lights in this category rely on switching by tightening the front part down onto the battery section, bearing down on that sealing O-ring. This has the advantage that there are no through-body connections to leak, and is fine if you turn your lamp on before entering the water.
     However, a back-up light spends most of its time turned off, waiting in the wings. To turn such a lamp off means backing off the pressure on the sealing O-ring, and only too often a back-up light is found to be flooded just when you wished it wasn't. The PCm has a proper switch.
     Taking the bulb out to replace it when the time comes is also a satisfying procedure. The bulb-holder snaps apart and reveals an unusually thoughtful construction.
     Back in 1998, when I wrote about the PCa, I said that it was the best torch I have found for the specific need of a back-up light, but I added the rider that I was always waiting for someone to show me something better. The Ikelite PCm is it.