OrcaTorch D580 Review: The Backup You Should Already Own
One hundred and twenty eight millimetres and 123 grams, 530 lumens through a six degree beam, a mechanical twist switch and a 150 metre depth rating. Buy it as your backup light, because a primary light failure in a wreck or on a night dive is the failure that turns an inconvenience into an incident. Note that the lithium cell is not included, and that a twist switch means it can be turned on accidentally in a pocket.
One hundred and twenty three grams, a mechanical twist switch and a 150 metre rating, for the price of a boat fee.
OrcaTorch D580 Compact Backup Dive Light, 530 Lumens
~$45
A 128.5 mm, 123 g aluminium backup dive light with a six degree beam, a mechanical head-twist switch and toughened glass on both sides.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Output | 530 lumens |
|---|---|
| Beam | 6 degree, very narrow |
| Beam distance | Up to 179 m |
| Length | 128.5 mm |
| Weight | 123 g |
| Switch | Mechanical head twist, tighten to turn on and loosen to turn off |
| Body | Aluminium alloy, anti-corrosion |
| Lens | Toughened glass on both sides |
| Depth rating | 150 m |
| Battery | Standalone lithium battery not included |
Specifications above come from OrcaTorch's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- A mechanical twist switch has no electronics to fail and no button seal to leak. For a light whose entire job is working when the good one has stopped, that is the right design.
- One hundred and twenty three grams clips to a D-ring and is forgotten about, which is the only way a backup light actually gets carried.
- Five hundred and thirty lumens is plenty of light to exit on. A backup does not need to match a primary; it needs to get you out.
- A 150 metre depth rating is far beyond recreational diving, which means the seals are not being tested by your dives.
- Six degrees is narrow enough to signal with, so it can serve as a communication tool as well as a light.
Where it falls short
- The battery is not included, and it needs a standalone lithium cell. Buy quality cells and check the type the light requires before ordering.
- A twist switch can be turned on in a pocket or a bag, which flattens the cell and defeats the purpose. Store it unscrewed a quarter turn, which is standard practice.
- OrcaTorch's own instruction is to turn it on before entering the water and off after leaving. Operating a twist switch at depth can allow water past the seal if grit is present.
- A six degree beam is a spot, not a flood. It is poor for lighting a scene, which is fine for a backup and disappointing if you bought it as a primary.
- Five hundred and thirty lumens will not replace a primary light for photography, wreck penetration or genuinely dark water.
What owners report
Owner reports on OrcaTorch backup lights are consistently good on reliability and on the twist switch, with the recurring note being exactly the one the manufacturer makes: switch it on at the surface and off after the dive, and store it with the head loosened so it cannot come on in a bag.
The reason to own one is covered in our primary versus backup dive light comparison. A backup is not a spare in a bag on the boat; it is a second light on your person, because the failure you are covering happens underwater. In an overhead environment carrying two lights is standard practice and carrying three is common.
Even for daylight recreational diving a small light is useful for looking into holes and restoring colour at depth. Our gear buying order guide puts it fairly low in the sequence, and at this price it does not need to displace anything. Nothing on this page replaces training. Dive equipment is only as safe as the diver using it, and every item here assumes you hold a current certification appropriate to the diving you are doing.
Who it suits
- Anyone who owns a primary light and dives at night or around wrecks.
- Divers who want a small light for looking into holes and restoring colour at depth.
- Anyone building toward technical training, where redundant lights are expected.
Who should skip it
- Divers looking for a primary light, where 530 lumens and a six degree spot is not enough.
- Anyone who will not source the correct lithium cell.
- Divers who will leave it in a bag rather than clipped to a D-ring, where it does no good.
Alternatives worth considering
SecurityIng 3000 lm Primary Canister Dive Light
~$156
Three thousand lumens through a 12 degree beam with a separated canister and five modes. This is the light a backup is backing up, and it also needs its own cells bought separately.
Check price on AmazonDive Rite Ceramic Line Cutter with Sheath
~$25
The two things you want clipped where you can reach them one-handed are a light and a cutter. A ceramic blade that never dulls or rusts, in a sheath with multiple mounting options.
Check price on AmazonPecihiko 4 ft Surface Marker Buoy, Hi-Visibility Close Bottom Dive Buoy
~$24
A light signals underwater and at night; an SMB signals to a boat in daylight, which is the more common need. Deploying one from depth is a trained skill rather than something to improvise.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Primary vs backup dive light
- Dive knife vs line cutter
- Dive gear buying order
- Technical diving explained
- SecurityIng canister dive light review
- Best dive lights
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a backup dive light?
If you dive at night or anywhere with an overhead, yes. A primary light failure on an open reef in daylight is nothing; the same failure inside a wreck is an emergency. A small backup clipped to a D-ring costs very little and is standard practice in any diving where light matters.
Why a mechanical twist switch?
Because there is nothing electronic to fail and no button seal to leak. The trade is that it can be switched on accidentally in a bag, which flattens the battery. Store it with the head loosened a quarter turn so the circuit is broken and it cannot come on.
What battery does it take?
A standalone lithium cell, which is not included. Check the specific cell type the light requires before ordering and buy from a reputable source, because counterfeit lithium cells are common and a cheap cell in a sealed light is a poor combination.
Can I use it as my main light?
Not for night diving or wrecks. Five hundred and thirty lumens through a six degree spot lights a small area at a distance and does not light a scene. It is enough to exit safely on, which is exactly what a backup is for. A primary light is a different tool.
Should I switch it on and off underwater?
OrcaTorch recommend turning it on before entering the water and off after leaving. Twisting a mechanical switch at depth can draw grit past the seal. In practice a backup light is carried off and turned on only if the primary fails, which is a deliberate action rather than casual switching.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, published training agency standards, and verified owner reviews across retailers. We do not test gear in person, and every depth rating, cylinder capacity and algorithm name quoted here is the manufacturer's published figure unless we say otherwise, so confirm it on the current spec sheet before you buy. Nothing here is dive instruction, and no calculator output on this site is a dive plan. Scuba diving carries a real risk of decompression sickness, oxygen toxicity, barotrauma and drowning. Dive within the limits of your certification, verify every plan with your own computer, and buy the training before the gear that assumes it.
Logging your own SAC rate and gas plans? The Dive Kit & Air Planning Workbook is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.