Underwater lights

Who has experience with underwater lights not so expensive ?
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Norbert

I love the look of them but the ones I looked at during the recent boat show required holes below the water line and I am just reluctant to make wholes below the water line for unnecessary "stuff", but they do look great!! Look forward to other responses.

LaBomba said:

I love the look of them but the ones I looked at during the recent boat show required holes below the water line and I am just reluctant to make wholes below the water line for unnecessary "stuff", but they do look great!! Look forward to other responses.

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+1

LaBomba said:

I love the look of them but the ones I looked at during the recent boat show required holes below the water line and I am just reluctant to make wholes below the water line for unnecessary "stuff", but they do look great!! Look forward to other responses.

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But the Lights needs only a little whole for the cable .
One example:
http://www.oceanled.com/underwater/amphibians/a12-pro-series.html
_________________________
Norbert

supertramp said:

But the Lights needs only a little whole for the cable .
_________________________
Norbert

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A little hole can still leak.

If manufactured and installed correctly, there's no more chance of a leak than with any other underwater penetrations.

For me, the real problem is cost vs. function. The good ones are several hundred dollars and up and for me, the "function" value is just a little higher than zero. They don't make the boat safer, don't make it go faster, don't save fuel, etc., it's purely cosmetic. Friends can come by and say "Ohooo". That's not worth a lot to me.

I can't help except to say anything that's "not so expensive" is probably not that good either.

rwidman said:

A little hole can still leak.

If manufactured and installed correctly, there's no more chance of a leak than with any other underwater penetrations.

For me, the real problem is cost vs. function. The good ones are several hundred dollars and up and for me, the "function" value is just a little higher than zero. They don't make the boat safer, don't make it go faster, don't save fuel, etc., it's purely cosmetic. Friends can come by and say "Ohooo". That's not worth a lot to me.

I can't help except to say anything that's "not so expensive" is probably not that good either.

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When you can see in the darkness many fish- its nice and help for the kids fishing
i like this when you are in clear water.
But your right- its expensiv.
__________________
Norbert

supertramp said:

When you can see in the darkness many fish- its nice and help for the kids fishing
i like this when you are in clear water.
But your right- its expensiv.
__________________
Norbert

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An LED lantern sealed in a plastic bag and with a string attached should do the same as long as you're not moving.

I'm not a believer in more holes in the hull either. Besides, the water here is too murky to see through.

markpierce said:

Besides, the water here is too murky to see through.

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Why is this? Is the photo taken on the Sacramento River?

That's Carquinez Strait, off Benicia. The strait is fed by the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. Presume it's primarily silt here, but the local waters are generally murky from micro-organisms which feed the shrimp, etcetera.

When we kept the little DeFever in a marina and lived aboard, every Friday and Saturday night the owners of the Hatts, Bertrams, and Vikings would turn on their underwater lights while enjoying “docktails” and telling each other lies about fish the had caught.

It was pretty cool at first, until I saw a Manatee take a hugh dump under a light.

Hope I never see a underwater boat light again. Or a Manatee for that matter.

Supertramp - I laugh every time I see your location name. Keep up your spirits my friend.

Mike

We have a pair of these and they are fantastic. Very bright and just a tiny wire hole.

WEST MARINE Platinum Series Bay Blaze Underwater LED Lights at West Marine

I saw a 60'+ motor yacht docked in Key West with several underwater lights on the back. Very powerful lights and the boat attracted quite a crowd at night. It was like an aquarium. Very cool.

If you like the lights, why not just under a swim platform?

I bought several 12 inch long strips of LEDs on ebay for general lighting around the boat. I took one of the strips and wired it to a 9v battery (like the ones in a smoke deterctor) and hung it off the dock at the marina and off the swim platform at anchor. It actually worked pretty good. No not as powerful as the ones the big boys have, but for a few bucks it kept the kids (and adults) busy watching the small fish for hours. The 9v battery will last for days