Underwater strobes require rechargeable NiMH (nickel metal hydride) or lithium-ion batteries and are designed for either proprietary batteries or common third-party battery sizes. But what do you gain from high-quality batteries?

Faster Recycle Time

Fast strobe recycle time—the time it takes for the strobe to fire again after the first flash—helps in many shooting situations, such as composing sunbursts on full power or shooting rapid-burst sequences on half power. High-capacity batteries recharge much faster than lower-capacity batteries, especially toward the end of a dive with heavy use.

More Flashes

High-capacity batteries last longer, capturing more photos before they must be recharged. This is very useful when diving on a boat for two or three dives where you don’t want to expose O-rings to debris.

Recharge Cycles

One negative aspect to high-capacity batteries is that they’re rated for fewer recharge cycles than lower-capacity batteries. At first this sounds like a real purchase consideration, but once you factor in the cost of each dive trip and your underwater camera gear, the cost of replacing these batteries more frequently—in exchange for their superior performance and your increased enjoyment during the dive is negligible.

Pro Tip:

Old batteries can be used for years in your topside camera or for general use after retiring them from your rig. They may still outperform standard batteries!