Light in left hand or right?

indeep · December 29th, 2005, 12:49 AM

Hey all,

I have a question....

I would like to know which hand you hold your lighthead....left or right?
I am aware of the reasonings for having it on the left hand, and from what I understand that is the GUE/DIR standard.

However, I have noticed in my local area, and on some DIR videos that people have, that I see a number of trained DIR/GUE divers diving with the lighthead on the right hand....

What is the consensus?

What do all of you do?....or does it all depend on who is teaching the course?

Thanks in advance!

Joe G · December 29th, 2005, 12:51 AM

I think the left hand works best. I do most everything with the right, especially hand signals.

maccajim · December 29th, 2005, 02:04 AM

think about donating air you use your right hand to hand out your primary. In a real emergency you have to do this as fast as possible so it is best to have light in left keeping right hand free for ooA.

Joe G · December 29th, 2005, 05:18 AM

Quote: (Originally Posted by maccajim)

think about donating air you use your right hand to hand out your primary. In a real emergency you have to do this as fast as possible so it is best to have light in left keeping right hand free for ooA.

Always thinking, good point.

PfcAJ · December 29th, 2005, 06:34 AM

I do lefty as well, but sometimes I'll put it in my right if I'm doing something, like dumping air from my wing.

Joe Hesketh · December 29th, 2005, 12:28 PM

I think if you're right handed it feels a little weird at first holding the light in your left. It did with me (so much so I used to hold it in the right for the first few months I had a can light). Like anything though, if you force yourself to do it, it becomes natural after a while.

Meng_Tze · December 29th, 2005, 05:37 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by PfcAJ)

I do lefty as well, but sometimes I'll put it in my right if I'm doing something, like dumping air from my wing.

That would be about the only time I would have the light in my right hand. And not even in the goodman, but just holding it by the head itself, beaming steadily ahead so my team knows I am still there.

Any other time the left hand is busy, the light is clipped off by the end of the head, hanging down (for me ballast gland) to keep the right hand free for donating gas or work with left hand (stage deployment or so)

Little Pete · December 29th, 2005, 08:02 PM

I've just got myself on a primary light (10w HID) and it's been a learning curve but a good one.

I've always used left hand as DIR would suggest so I never had the issue of wanting to use the right hand. I do switch hands and hold it in the right when dumping gas or checking the SPG. The passive signalling is really nice to have and I try not to make any suddent movements or flashes with the light (as you might unclipping the SPG with the light in the left hand for example).

Left hand just takes a bit of time to get used to unless you start that way. Passive signalling and the extended 'reach' of the light for signals is really the great thing.

Mark Chase · December 29th, 2005, 09:30 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by PfcAJ)

I do lefty as well, but sometimes I'll put it in my right if I'm doing something, like dumping air from my wing.

I always held it in my right hand until i dived with some DIR divers and noticed they were all holding it in their left. So i swapped. However it interferes greatly with dumping gas from the wing so I was hoping its alright to go back to the right hand.

The OOA drill is the bummer on this.. why cant you guys just grab the thing from my mouth like everybody else :D It would make my life so much easier :D

ATB

Mark Chase

Joe G · December 29th, 2005, 09:53 PM

Wait a minit, if your buddy is a dir diver, he should never run out of air, so it doesn't matter where you hold your light.:D

December 29th, 2005, 12:49 AM	#1 (permalink)
indeep(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Deep Posts: 25	Light in left hand or right? Hey all, I have a question.... I would like to know which hand you hold your lighthead....left or right? I am aware of the reasonings for having it on the left hand, and from what I understand that is the GUE/DIR standard. However, I have noticed in my local area, and on some DIR videos that people have, that I see a number of trained DIR/GUE divers diving with the lighthead on the right hand.... What is the consensus? What do all of you do?....or does it all depend on who is teaching the course? Thanks in advance!

December 29th, 2005, 12:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
Joe G(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North America Posts: 26	I think the left hand works best. I do most everything with the right, especially hand signals. __________________ I've been to Heavens Gate, Nahoch Na Chich.

December 29th, 2005, 02:04 AM	#3 (permalink)
maccajim(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 97	use the left think about donating air you use your right hand to hand out your primary. In a real emergency you have to do this as fast as possible so it is best to have light in left keeping right hand free for ooA.

December 29th, 2005, 05:18 AM	#4 (permalink)
Joe G(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North America Posts: 26	Quote: (Originally Posted by maccajim) think about donating air you use your right hand to hand out your primary. In a real emergency you have to do this as fast as possible so it is best to have light in left keeping right hand free for ooA. Always thinking, good point. __________________ I've been to Heavens Gate, Nahoch Na Chich.

December 29th, 2005, 05:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
Meng_Tze(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK, SG, USA Posts: 91	Quote: (Originally Posted by PfcAJ) I do lefty as well, but sometimes I'll put it in my right if I'm doing something, like dumping air from my wing. That would be about the only time I would have the light in my right hand. And not even in the goodman, but just holding it by the head itself, beaming steadily ahead so my team knows I am still there. Any other time the left hand is busy, the light is clipped off by the end of the head, hanging down (for me ballast gland) to keep the right hand free for donating gas or work with left hand (stage deployment or so) __________________ ____________________ Homo Bonae Voluntatis

December 29th, 2005, 06:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
PfcAJ(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 139	I do lefty as well, but sometimes I'll put it in my right if I'm doing something, like dumping air from my wing.

December 29th, 2005, 12:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
Joe Hesketh(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 657	I think if you're right handed it feels a little weird at first holding the light in your left. It did with me (so much so I used to hold it in the right for the first few months I had a can light). Like anything though, if you force yourself to do it, it becomes natural after a while.

December 29th, 2005, 08:02 PM	#8 (permalink)
Little Pete(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 509	I've just got myself on a primary light (10w HID) and it's been a learning curve but a good one. I've always used left hand as DIR would suggest so I never had the issue of wanting to use the right hand. I do switch hands and hold it in the right when dumping gas or checking the SPG. The passive signalling is really nice to have and I try not to make any suddent movements or flashes with the light (as you might unclipping the SPG with the light in the left hand for example). Left hand just takes a bit of time to get used to unless you start that way. Passive signalling and the extended 'reach' of the light for signals is really the great thing.

December 29th, 2005, 09:30 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mark Chase(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kent England Posts: 905	Quote: (Originally Posted by PfcAJ) I do lefty as well, but sometimes I'll put it in my right if I'm doing something, like dumping air from my wing. I always held it in my right hand until i dived with some DIR divers and noticed they were all holding it in their left. So i swapped. However it interferes greatly with dumping gas from the wing so I was hoping its alright to go back to the right hand. The OOA drill is the bummer on this.. why cant you guys just grab the thing from my mouth like everybody else :D It would make my life so much easier :D ATB Mark Chase

December 29th, 2005, 09:53 PM	#10 (permalink)
Joe G(Offline) New Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: North America Posts: 26	Wait a minit, if your buddy is a dir diver, he should never run out of air, so it doesn't matter where you hold your light.:D __________________ I've been to Heavens Gate, Nahoch Na Chich.