Scubapro Nova Flashlight – strike two
We loved the Scubapro Nova Flashlight compact light for exactly two dives. For those dives the super bright Luxeon Star LED bulb was as bright as many larger primary lights. The ball point pen style switch and design made it simple to use for those first two dives out of the box. After that, no more bright light!
While preparing for the third dive, we noticed that entire lens assembly had fallen out during the second dive. The innards were flooded and dead. There was not a scratch on the light. It has just fallen apart at depth.
Assuming that all products have some failure rate and that we had just received the bad one of the bunch, we had the light replaced at the dive shop of original purchase. This replacement light from the local shop lasted only one dive before the switch malfunctioned. We noticed that it had come on in the car after the dive and turned it off. It shortly came back on. We tried many times before we could get the switch to respond normally. On the next two dives we encountered more and simimlar switch problems.
Is it a pattern? We first did a Google search and found that Diver Magazine reported the following in April of 2007:
———– quote from Dive Magazine web site ————–
The Nova produces a good beam, as expected, but I found that it would either come on when I didn’t want it to at depth, or failed to come on when I wanted it to. That’s all to do with the push-button on/off switch, the type you get on a ballpoint pen, positioned at one end. Well, I guess it works perfectly in the dive shop. I hear that one enterprising shop proprietor has taken to calling the control a “safety switch”. It comes on automatically once you reach a certain depth!
———– end Dive Magazine quote —————–
We contacted Eric Schulte at ScubaPro who confirmed that they have had other incidents involving both loss of the lens assembly and malfunctions with the button switch. He promised to replace the light with a newer upgraded model.
We tried to contact the product manager at ScubaPro to ask, given that this is know issue, if a product a replacement program was in the works. Gabe Gilman, a sales analyst replied and said he could only quote their policy that customers with product problems may return the item to the store where it was purchased.
Replacement programs? Sounds good, its time to trade in some old technology and make way to more conservative products like LED Lighting. Imagine everyone in the world only using led at home, office, etc. I think the environmental issues would be solved!