I actively use them both, and both have spent their fair time underwater.
In terms of bang for the buck...Whoa! I cannot be happier. I do not rinse them
or clean them, They just work. Cheap and low maintenance.
I use the e+lite as a backup...as you can see its tiny and I stuff it
into a small bag I carry on my belt that holds leaders and terminal tackle.
Because it is on my belt, it is nearly always underwater. The thing rocks
and has saved me on more than one occasion.
Have you ever fished at dusk and gotten into a bite and realized you didn't
think to bring a lamp. Well, this thing is so small that sometimes I forget
I have it...It is always in with my leaders. Its been super dependable. On
more than one occasion it has saved me from a long walk back to the truck.
Last year Petzl decided to re-design the e-lite. The old one had an
elastic strap and an emergency whistle. The new has a retractable head string.
The motivation was to make it even smaller and more compact. Good Idea, so
I started using it in the surf and after a couple of months the retracter bit
the dust. My guess... rust. The cord would pull out but not go back in. I went
back to carrying my older one with the elastic strap.
Today I decided I would surf proof my lamp with the busted retractor. I replaced
it with a small piece of shock cord. The cord I had left over from my kayaking days. You can
buy it at any sports center that sells cord by the foot. Its the stuff with elastic inside.
At first glance I thought I could just pop off the back and fix the
mechanism. I tried but feared that the back panel was glued...so I
decided to try to drill out the cord and retractor mechanism.
Put the thing in a vice.
I thought I could drill all the way through but I busted the bits on the
steel spring of the retractor. I kind of made a mess. As it turns out, I
then could just pop the back off. If you ever get one of these, only
drill out enough to get an nail into the hole to pop the red cover off.
I got a small length of shock cord and snapped the back...back on.
Didn't need glue! Now that lamp is back in business...ready for spring!
I know some guys have elaborate setups for their lighting. I have
seen some that have beams so powerful that they light up an area
like its daytime. In comparison, my setup is simple and on a budget,
but I have found it to be perfect for my needs.