Who can forget Custom Divers TDB wing system - officially "the technical buoyancy wing" - and affectionately called "the dog's bollocks". Custom Divers also made the TCWS Wing - the "technical cordless wing system" - also known as "the cats whiskers". Why do I mention these gems? Light Monkey has aptly named their latest strobe the 'BAF' because they say it is as "bright as...". You get the gist.

Protected Unit

This looks to be a pretty robust unit that should not flood. You do not need to open it to recharge the 28.75wH / 2.6aH Li-Ion battery, so there is no risk of losing or damaging a crucial O ring. The second piece of protection is the on / off switch. The BAF has an external rotary magnetic switch with a handy lockdown screw that prevents accidental activation.

This expedition strobe has an eight-hour or 480-minute burn time, and takes just 90 minutes to charge the battery from flat. As with all Light Monkey lights, it has a depth rating of 150 m (500 ft) because this is the maximum depth that Corey and Joel test their lights to. I therefore suspect that you can take this strobe a bit deeper if you needed to.

The BAF strobe has been designed for the travelling diver. It weights in at a mere 400 g (9 oz) and is 19 cm (7.5 inches) long. It should be reasonably durable. Apparently, the light cover is made from moulded shatterproof, transparent polyamide. This material is used by the hydraulic industry because it is super tough and can withstand a lot of pressure.

Popular with Ice and Wreck Divers

I was briefed on this strobe at DEMA 2018. I therefore spoke to Light Monkey to ask who has been diving this strobe this year. According to one friendly chimp, divers are strapping this strobe to their arm when they are doing low visibility ice diving on DPVs, because it means the other divers can keep track of them. It has also gone down well with the north east American wreck divers too.

Key Features

• Rotary magnetic on / off switch
• Lockdown screw to prevent accidental activation
• 28.75wH / 2.6aH Li-Ion rechargeable battery
• External charging process
• 90 minute recharge time from complete discharge
• UN 38.3 Test Compliant - safe for air travel
• Burn Time: 8 hours / 480 minutes
• Lumen Output: 4,000 at 6500 Kelvin
• Length: 19 cm / 7.5"
• Diameter: 4.5 cm / 1.8"
• Weight: 400 g / 9 oz
• Depth Rating: 150 m / 500 ft
• Flash Pattern: 3 flashes then pause
• Expedition grade unit