I tested one of these lamps over the weekend, and I surfaced impressed. The C Lite 8 is a good value for money lamp - here in Europe it's priced at €99 and most US sites seem to sell it for around $100. That's the price of the lamp itself, although you can buy it with a nifty little backup lamp, which is much smaller, for another €30.

This is the budget end of dives lamps, so the unit requires batteries, and they cannot be charged in situ. I considered this a big drawback, until I tried the unlocking mechanism, which couldn't be easier, so you won't be pulling muscles trying to get the batteries out for a charge!

The C Lite 8 uses a 14 Watt halogen bulb and 8 "C" type batteries, which give around a 6 hour burn time. You can use disposables, although it makes sense to invest in some rechargeables and an appropriate charger.

The lamp gives a good, bright and wide beam at depth, with a natural light and coloration. It's also neutrally buoyant, which is unusual for battery operated lamps, which always seem to be positive and end up floating off their leashes above your head.

The lamp is depth rated to 90 meters, so our 42 meter dive was well within it's capabilities.

I like the C Lite 8, despite it's budget price, it's a good piece of kit with well thought out design and feels as though it will last years.