Image from http://blackdiamondequipment.com/
Over the years of night fishing and early morning to day fishing I have used many different headlamps. Only one has stood out beyond the rest. The Black Diamond Storm!! The storm was created for outdoor enthusiasts mainly for hiking and camping. I feel being in a marine environment was the ultimate test. There are a few musts within a headlamp needed for kayak fishing.
- Must be waterproof
- Must be bright
- Must be operable with one hand
- Push Button On Off Operation
- Must fit head snugly
- Has to be light and comfortable to wear
- Needs Red light options
- LED is BEST
- Good Battery Life
Previous headlamps were not waterproof. Some died just from being rained on. Others well the salt eventually corroded the insides. I have owned filament light bulb flash light style and LED styles the LED is the best. LED is much brighter than the standard filament light bulbs. The diode also lasts longer. Some were turned on by turning the lens others were push button. The push button is much better for 1 hand operation.
After 5 or six different headlamps I had a coupon for a local Eastern Mountain Sports store. I went in just to use the coupon on someting kayak fishing related but wasn’t sure on what. Once in the store looking around i came upon the Black Diamond headlamp display. Realizing my current headlamp had just died the morning prior I became very interested. Looking at the package it stated the headlamp was indeed waterproof. Now almost sold reading more about the features it has a RED lamp option and 2 bright light options. One being 2 white single power LED’s which give a good general flood of light for doing most tasks and a bright “Quad Power LED” in the center . The Quad Power is very bright and acts like a spot lite. It shines for a range of 70 m or about 230 feet. The brightness is perfect for tieing knots and de-hooking fish. The single power led’s light is a max of about 7 m or 23 feet which is good for general tasks and saves battery life. All lighting modes are switched using a single button. Holding the button down dims the light levels (in older models). Pressing the button quickly will go from on to strobe and pressing slowly will switch the light modes.
New models have a function called power tap technology. Simply by tapping the side of the headlamp the brightness levels will go up or down within preset intervals.
The storm also has a waterproof rating of IPX7 which is water tight 30 meters below water for 30 mins. This was a key feature for myself as a kayak angler. Another great feature is the included power meter which will show green yellow and red for status of battery life when the light is turned on. The weight of the entire headlamp is minimal at 3.9 oz making it comfortable to wear all night long. The MSRP of the headlamp is $50.00 and well worth the price. The current one i have has lasted 3 years so far. If you do not use the headlamp very often do take the batteries out as they may leak over time damaging the inside of the light.
For more information on the Black Diamond Storm Headlamp check out the Black Diamond Website here!