Customer Reviews

Seattle Sports Hydrostar Multistrobe Flashlight

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Red light option, check
Low beam white light, check
High Beam white light, check
Emergency strobe, check
Waterproof, check
Lightweight, check
Magnet mount, suprisingly useful
Suction cup mount, I tossed this but suspect some people really like it

In a pinch this would work as a watercraft 360 light even though the majority of the light projects forward or upward. I consider it a backup light when on my sailboat. Low on the water where kayaks are, it would likely be just fine and far better than using glow sticks.

The white high beam has a poor focus and is not much use past 100 feet or so, but it has a very nice even light spread within it's given range. The rotating switch isn't perfect, but I'm unable to think of a more efficient design myself.

The only thing this lacks is a light sheild to cover the high beam white light spreading out the side of the light forcing the user to cover it with their hands.

After testing one unit, I now plan to buy a half dozen and keep them mounted in my sailboat (on a metal bar using that magnet mount) for the entire crew to use as night lights and safety strobes.

The light works perfectly for me.
I have a simple requirement. In winter I paddle with friends in the dusk and (in the middle of winter) in the dark. By law we're supposed to have an omni-directional white light on the back of the boat.

The light is simple to attach to the deck of the boat (I use strips of duct tape as a safety measure to make sure the sucker doesn't detach).

And it's simple to switch on and the power of the light is perfect for my application.

Works fine - great product.

The white lights are so weak that I can hardly even read my watch by them. The red light is a lot brighter. The switch which turns between all the functions is very hard to position where the light will work. You have to keep turning it back and forth until the light finally stays on, then you put it in the holder and the light goes off. Very frustrating. Not the quality I expected for the price.

From the beginning, I really wanted the Hydrostar SOS lamp to be mine. I liked its design and the functions: a perfect rig for sea kayaking in squall conditions, or poor visibility scenarios. So I shelled out the forty bucks. A good deck lamp is worth it. But I must confide that the first Hydrostar lamp that the manufacturer sent me was defective. It would not turn off, even when placed in the "Off" position. "This will use too many batteries," I thought to myself. "Now I'm screwed." Having endured, at other times and with other unsatisfactory product purchases, the inevitable rigamarole that occurs when you want to return an item purchased on Amazon (downloading the return postage slip, negotiating the red tape, etc), I feared that I was stuck with it. But because I absolutely love their products, I called the manufacturer directly, and they sent me a new lamp well in advance of my expectations. Their customer service was superb, and made me feel even more allegiance to the brand than I did before. The new one works just perfectly, and I am pleased to add it to my emergency kit, where it can keep company with the other necessities that every remote location hunter should have: emergency whistle, first aid kit, cell phone, paddle float, matches, knife, tool kit and other lifesavers. Even though we got off to a rocky start, I would still heartily recommend this product to a friend.

I did not buy this light, but I have opened a couple of them in the store. I can't find any sign that this device has a 360 degree white light. If it did, I would buy one to use with my kayak. It does have a 360 blinking light, but Coast Guard regulations say that blinking white lights are for emergencies only. If you show a blinking white light from a small craft at night, every boat that sees it is supposed to come to your aid. I don't really understand why the advertising for this product says it has this feature. If I'm wrong about this, I like to know.

The advertising for this device seems to say that it includes a 360 degree white non-blinking light. Yet the one I tested in a store did not have this feature. It's good to have a blinking 360 degree strobe for emergency rescue, a white flashlight, and a red flashlight, but a kayak also needs a non-blinking white 360 degree 'running light' for paddling at night. Can someone please tell me if the Hydrostar SOS Deluxe has this feature?

The strobe is weak compared to a true non-led strobe. The switch is somewhat finicky. The combo is nice though with a functional, though not strong led light, led "strobe" function, which is just flashing led lights, and a red light. The base is actually great, with a suction cup, or magnet, and is very stable.

As a kayaker & boater this item really helps in both areas. I can now safely go kayaking pre-dawn and post-dusk and can even go watch the meteor showers that are coming up this month during the night. Also, having a portable multi-function light will help when I go striper fishing this fall during the night. It's always better to have more equipment than you need in case of emergency and this one item has them all together.

Not bright enough, but function as advertised. Suction and bungee are useful to put it on top of kayak when doing night kayaking. The beacon flash keep motorboat away from you.