Headlamps

Headlamps

If it gets dark out on the river you will wish you had a waterproof headlamp with you and that you could mount it on your helmet. Using a head lamp leaves your hands free to do other stuff. Regardless of whether it's supporting yourself climbing over uneven terrain or throwing a line to a swimmer in the water.

There are many different headlamps available. However for water rescue one that is waterproof is much more useful than one that short circuits when it gets a bit damp. LED bulbs provide lots of light for little power and have mostly taken over the head lamp field. Their one drawback is focusing the light over a long distance. Some models have a halogen light source to spotlight targets as and when required, others have a boost function that increases the light output for a few seconds.

Size, cost and weight as well as the amount of light output are all considerations to bear in mind when purchasing a new head lamp. We personally like the Petzl range of head lamps. Particularly the Duo LED14 and the e+lite. Although it must be said that Peli also make exceedingly good waterproof headlamps.