BLF Q8 in Underwater

I have searched for reports of the BLF Q8 submerged in water. All I have found so far is that the BLF Q8 is rated IPX-8 for waterproofing. The exact meaning of that depends on what the manufacturer has to say about it, but I have not found anything more specific by searching this forum and Google. I would be pretty bummed if my light got wrecked in water, but if it is safe in water I would love that.

Do you have any information that adds to what I found, summarized below? I would really appreciate anything you can let me know about this. Thank you.

Product name: BLF Q8 4X XP-L 5000LM Professional Super Bright LED Flashlight

Waterproof: IPX-8 waterproof

Wikipedia:
IPX-8 = The equipment is suitable for continuous immersion in water under conditions which shall be specified by the manufacturer. However, with certain types of equipment, it can mean that water can enter but only in such a manner that it produces no harmful effects. The test depth and duration is expected to be greater than the requirements for IPx7, and other environmental effects may be added, such as temperature cycling before immersion.

IPX-7=Ingress of water in harmful quantity shall not be possible when the enclosure is immersed in water under defined conditions of pressure and time (up to 1 m of submersion).

I’d be very careful with any large-diameter light. Even my TK4A, I was gently screwing on the battery-tube, and the O-ring bulged out the side and had I kept screwing it down, I would’ve clipped it. All you have to do is not notice it, and there’d be a gap where water could easily get into the light under pressure.

I’d also recommend thoroughly cleaning the threads and regreasing them. I was pleasantly surprised by this YEZL stuff I got from Fasttech. Thick almost like waxy lip-balm, thinned to almost vaseline-y when smeared on/around the threads, and even my SP10 goes “pop” when I unscrew it, so it’s actually holding airtight!

But let’s face it, these are regular-duty lights and not diving lights. I’d be suspect around the switch, especially. Plus, a thin glass plate up front would risk cracking under pressure, much much much more so if it’s a wider area like on a Q8.

I wouldnt go under 2m or so with any flashlight thats IPX8 rated. Since IPX7 says 1m it cant be much more then that even for IPX8 but either way thats not meant to dive with those lights anyways.

I tested mine in moving and standing water. I did get a small amount of water in the tail cap. Luckily all I had to do was open it up and dry it out with a towel, with so far no I’ll effects. The moving water was 3 feet deep, and the standing water was about 10 in. I’m sure the moving water was the cause for leakage.

I submerged a Q8 prototype (not significantly different from the production model) in a bucket of water at some point, after carefully greasing the threads and o-rings. No water came in after a minute.

As reminded above, the Q8 is NOT a diving light. It can stand some moisture, some splashing and a little bit of submersion but i would not expect it to withstand any sort of prolonged submersion at any significant depth. The switch is likely a weak point.

And the thin wide o-ring between battery tube and head is a weak point too. It endures a lot of wear during use.

The Q8 is pretty rain-proof and that is what we aimed for, which is already way better than the Sky Ray King that was the inspiration and starting point of the Q8.

I am taking my Q8 snorkeling at night when summer return, or should i say kick in gear cuz the 4 really good weeks we just had well summer was not started yet as it was in May.
And now that summer have started, well not much clear skies and sun to be seen now and 10 degrees colder.

BUT ! i need 20 degrees water temperature, otherwise i am not going in the drink.

PS. i will be putting the Q8 inside something, i would just kick myself if i managed to ruin it.

And i will not be diving, no need to try that when all i can do is hold my breath for 15 seconds.

If TRUE waterproof ability is important, why not get a dive light? I’ve gotten a couple that were less than $20 and you CAN dive with them, and I have. They aren’t bad lights. In actual use underwater they don’t give up a whole lot to my $400 canister dive light.

DV-S9. Magnetic slider switch, triple O-rings on the tailcap, really nice indigo color with red trim-ring. Sharp looking, decent output, magnetic slider switch!! :smiley:

Lightbringer has linked to one of them. Decent light, actually dive worthy.

Yep, it’s actually one of my favorite 26650 lights. Runtime’s damned good with a beefy cell, too.

Anyone ever test its output? Everyone’s claiming 1200 lemons, but I never did actual comparisons (ceiling bounce) with other “known quantities”.

I would get a real dive light they can be had much cheaper then the q8. But if your determined. You might be able to use a double zipper plastic bag to seal it in first. The name brand ziplock not off brand. Or whatever premium brand your country has. Maybe even double bag it. And I’d try it in your bathtub or sink first. It shouldn’t get hot enough underwater to melt the plastic but I maybe wrong. I guess let us know how it goes

I wouldn’t trust an ordinary food-storage bag to stay watertight.

If you want a reclosable bag that can stand up to extended submersion, try aLOKSAK. They’re available in lots of sizes. I have one for my phone and one for my tablet.

You’d better figure out a sturdy lanyard attachment, too! :stuck_out_tongue:

If you are going to take a decent light, maybe protect it with zip-loks, you may as well go for the dive light.

“I would get a real dive light they can be had much cheaper then the q8”

I hear ya, but i am not really going diving, more snorkeling at the surface, i can hold my breath for seconds only due to ruined lounges and to swim / float any distance my flippers are a must have.

And its not like it will be a repeating thing, last time i was in the water here for recreation was like 4 years ago, but i was swimming to recover a 7 foot gasoline powered RC boat that stalled out on both 30 CCM engines, but that was 2 years ago.

Water temp must be at least 20 degrees C before i take the plunge, and it better be sunny if its daytime and a nice fire going if its night time.

Even before my lounges went out i always said i can keep myself afloat for a while and i never met anyone that could not out swim me.

Kinda fun i made a living on the high seas for +10 years, and i have even been in the water on Greenland in October way up the west coast, but that was wearing survival suit desperately trying to get 2” rope out of our propellers, and since i was the chief / only engineer, in i went with a knife tied to a broom handle.

if it gets wet you simply wring it out over a glass.
1200 lemons makes a lot of lemonaid though.