For the Wakulla 2 project, the dive lights will require a considerably longer operating time that typical diving lights. A new light, designed and built by USDCT engineers in conjunction with American Underwater Lighting, uses a new custom light handle and a modified AUL battery pack (our thanks to AUL for so willingly modifying their battery packs for us). The high pressure gas discharge lamps use high frequency, high voltage pulses applied to the lamp.

The new light is extremely white and forms a tightly focused beam;it illuminates about a 60 cm (2 foot) diameter disk on a wall that is 12 m (40 ft) away from the light. This extreme focusing capability, that is far superior to any existing cave diving light, is due to the near point-source nature of the lamp element. The run time on the standard AUL battery pack is over 5 hours with the increased efficiency lamps. Thus, one light may be expected to comfortably exceed the expected bottom time of the longest mission. Each diver will carry 2 of these lights plus traditional lower power back up cave diving lights.