by: Sol Chrom

February 12th, 2016

The Kraken NR-1000C is a mini-canister version of the compact and extremely powerful NR-1000. The canister prototype builds on the NR-1000’s strengths and adds the extended battery life. First impressions:

The light head is well-proportioned and easy to handle, about the size of a C battery with a blue illuminated power button that’s easy to operate even with gloves. The tight 15-degree beam is intensely focused with three brightness settings — 800, 400, and 200 lumens — two strobe modes, and an SOS mode. The prototype as supplied came without a Goodman handle, but as the image shows, there is one available.

The original NR-1000 is made of anodized aluminum and depth rated to 100 metres. The canister’s specifications were not available, but it is incredibly light and compact, and designed to complement the light head. Smaller than a soft-drink can, it will fit in a BCD pocket or drysuit pocket, or attach to a belt or mounting point on a backplate, with very little effect on trim, weight, or balance. This is an obvious advantage whenever you want to minimize weight and clutter, for instance when diving in cold water or packing for travel. It’s also something you want when fine-tuning your buoyancy skills.

I don’t have all the manufacturer’s numbers re weight, burn time, or price, but I’ve taken it on several deep cold dives, both day and night, and been very pleased with the results. I’ve used it for minor wreck illumination – shining it into holes, ports, and passages, as well as overall views from a distance – and been rewarded with marked improvements to visibility. Will it work for actual penetration? Remains to be seen, but the compact size has to be a plus.

Since this was a prototype, I didn’t have a chance to test any accessories. I mentioned the Goodman handle above, and a friend helped jury-rig an attachment to my backplate with shock cord, but again, there’s an easy belt attachment available.

Overall, a pleasure to use and test. 4/5.