So last week I got obsessed with finding glow in the dark toys for night dives. Sounds simple, right? Haha, boy was I wrong. It actually started because my buddy Dave lost his favorite little glow squid during a night dive off Oahu last month. Total bummer. Figured I’d get him a replacement, plus maybe one for myself. How hard could it be? Turns out, harder than untangling a fishing net in pitch black water.
The Frustrating Search Begins
First thing I did was hit up every dive shop near me. Went to three different places. Lots of regular dive toys, fancy knives, expensive regulators… but actual glow stuff? Zilch. Nada. Got some blank stares too. One shop guy actually suggested I try a kid’s toy store. Seriously. So I ended up crawling through Amazon and random dive forums late at night.
Found a TON of brands claiming to be “super bright underwater glow”. Pictures looked amazing online, all lit up like underwater fireworks. But comments? Mixed reviews everywhere. Some people swore by them, others called them total junk. Needed to test for myself. Bought like ten different kinds. Wallet definitely felt lighter.
My Very Unofficial, Semi-Scientific Testing
Okay, real science lab it was not. My testing “facility” was just my backyard pool and bathroom sink. But hey, you gotta work with what you’ve got. First night, I charged them all up real good with a powerful flashlight. Waited till it got properly dark outside – around 10 PM. Carried them out to the pool carefully like they were ancient treasures.
And… underwhelming. Big time. Most were just faint little blurs underwater. Some barely glowed at all. Seriously? Like, what was the point? Felt like I’d been conned. One cheap plastic fish looked kinda bright when I first dropped it in, but ten seconds later? It was practically invisible. Total dud. Another one, more expensive, had this weird uneven glow – bright spots and dark patches. Super annoying.
Had to improvise a “dark box” to really see them without pool light interference. Used a big black plastic storage bin filled with pool water. Let me tell you, leaning over that thing at 11 PM charging toys with a headlamp, my neighbors probably thought I was running a meth lab back there.
After Sorting Through the Junk: The Three Standouts
After all that charging, dunking, swearing, and recharging, three brands actually didn’t totally suck. Here’s the lowdown:
- The Blue Sphere (Brand X-ish): Little squishy ball thing. Not crazy bright at first, but here’s the thing: it lasted WAY longer than the others. After 15 minutes in the dark box, this guy was still putting out a decent, steady blue glow. It wasn’t blinding, but you’d absolutely see it on a night dive. Felt solid, good rubber. Downside? Kinda pricey for what is basically a bouncy ball.
- Green Glow Worm (Brand Y-ish): Looks exactly like a little green worm. This one had the brightest initial pop of green light out of everything I tested. Like, “Whoa!” bright for the first five minutes underwater. Really stood out clearly in the test bin. Charge faded faster than the blue ball though. Felt kinda cheap and plasticky. Fine for shallower dives or occasional use.
- The Purple Flasher (Brand Z-ish): Small purple squid-looking thing. This one was sneaky. Its straight glow was weaker than the green worm and faded noticeably faster too. BUT! It had this hidden feature – a slow pulsing flash mode. Found it by accident banging the thing on my sink. In pitch dark, that pulsing was super visible and eye-catching, even after the glow dimmed. Useful! Pretty durable feeling, good rubber.
The Wrap-Up (My Soggy Conclusion)
So after all that effort and dunking toys in my pool at midnight?
- Need long-lasting glow? Grab that Blue Sphere ball. It’s like the trusty truck of glow toys. Not flashy, but gets the job done, reliably.
- Want maximum “Hey look at me now!” brightness? The Green Worm wins… for a short burst. Don’t expect a marathon.
- Want something super visible even when the glow fades? That Purple Squid’s pulsing is seriously clever. It keeps attracting attention.
Honestly, I ended up getting Dave the squid (that pulsing really is effective!) and I kept the sturdy blue ball for myself. Learned one big lesson: most glow dive toys are total CRAP. You gotta dig deep to find the ones that actually kinda work. Still cheaper than losing your dive buddy in the dark though!