Underwater Lighting....

Hey fellow Trawler buffs! As we are about to haul out our 34 CHB for bottom paint and to install a new transducer, we are thinking about having two high powered LED lights installed at the transom below the waterline facing downward.

We often venture to Catalina and the idea of having the stern lit up at night is great! Not just awesome for viewing fish and such, but also for getting in and out of our tender.

The question is...

Has anyone had these type of lights installed? If so, which ones, and how was the instal.

Thanks!

-Dave

I never really used to like the idea of drilling holes below the waterline to install these but my opinion on the matter has been changing lately. We are considering a couple of underwater lights similar to your description at our next scheduled haul out for the same reasons you are.

I've been called silly as our Delta cruising waters are far from pristine and clear, but I think the effect will be stunning anyway. Which brand are you considering?

Can't something similar just be mounted to the underside of the swim platform? When we night fish we mount a couple of 300 watt 120v spotlights on the gunnels it lights up the water well and attracts bait and gamefish which are seen pretty well.

I'm also warming to the idea of installing some. The views of water life at night while at anchor should be breathtaking.

The reflective glare for above the surface lights really impacts what you can see under water. I have been aboard vessels with both, and if you want to see what is under the water, the lights below waterline rock! The sport tuna boats I fished on had rail mounted lights so you could see where your fishing line was in the dark, but you could only see down to the water, not under it. I am going to put a pair clamped onto my swim platform supports, the wires coming in from above the waterline a tied to the tubing for the swim platform. It looks super nice anchored out at night, and attracts all kinds of things into the lights. It's a chick magnet

I once walked down a dock in Bimini at night. Every boat at the dock had underwater lights on. It was stunning!
There is a huge range of prices and sizes. There are surface mounts and thru-hull mounts. Some require large holes in the hull some much smaller. All of the bronze ones I've seen are are well made.
I think the Lumitec SeaBlaze X line of lights is a good value. They are surface mount lights that require just a small hole in the hull for wires to pass.
I know someone who has a really good price on them but I can't tell you, sorry.

We love our lights. $120 at West Marine ($85 with my Port Supply). Like them so much we're going to add two more.

Put in a Perko. Love it.

Has anyone tried any of the portable types? If so, what brand, and are they worth it?

On another forum, a lot of people have used these.

CoastalNightLights.com

The main plus to me appears that you can mount the light, and then run the wire up and enter above the water line. I don't like the idea of a big hole underwater just for lights.

On a third forum, a boat was lost at the dock because of what is believed to be the failure of an underwater light.

Lumishore underwater led lights on the back of our boat before fitting everyone took the piss...tacky...trashy...now we have them fitted,change of opinion from everyone.

bkcorwin said:

On another forum, a lot of people have used these.

CoastalNightLights.com

The main plus to me appears that you can mount the light, and then run the wire up and enter above the water line. I don't like the idea of a big hole underwater just for lights.

On a third forum, a boat was lost at the dock because of what is believed to be the failure of an underwater light.

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I do not dispute that somebody lost a boat at the dock due to an underwater light failure. I wonder how many boats are lost at the dock per year due to hose clamp failure?

I suspect the number is far higher for that.

80% of Boat Sinkings Happen at the Dock | BoatTEST.com


Robert A. Adriance, in his book “Seaworthy” published by International Marine, says that –

• 50% of the boats that sink at the dock do so because a fitting below the waterline failed, as happened in the case of the new Chaparral in another story in this issue.
• Rain and snow account for another 32% of the cases filed with Boat/US’s insurance division,
• 9% caused by a failed fitting above the waterline,
• 8% by poor docking “arrangement” (for example, a boat being caught under a dock by a rising tide.)

They make pod lights that can be deployed over the stern and pluged in. When done viewing nature you can pull it up and stow it away. Remember, once something has been seen it cannot be unseen. You may never go skinny dipping again!!!

swampu said:

You may never go skinny dipping again!!!

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Wait..... WHAT?!?!?!?!!!!!


stern by GonzoF1, on Flickr

All this talk about underwater holes being such a problem is hogwash. The LEDs need a single 1/4" hole. Bed the thing in 5200 and it will not leak for a million years. Our decks/windows are a far greater threat.

Daddyo said:

We love our lights. $120 at West Marine ($85 with my Port Supply). Like them so much we're going to add two more.

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Daddy's,
What size breaker did you use? The instructions do not say. Also, are you thinking of two more because they are not bright enough? How far apart are yours?

Thanks,
Donny

The breaker is tiny as they draw nothing. No plenty bright we just like them so much that more is more better. Two now about 6' apart.

Daddyo said:

The breaker is tiny as they draw nothing. No plenty bright we just like them so much that more is more better. Two now about 6' apart.

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Great feedback. If your 2 are about 6' apart (on the stern centered I assume) and you are considering 2 more. Where will the next 2 go?

One or both will face down. It will help when diving on the props.

Daddyo said:

All this talk about underwater holes being such a problem is hogwash. The LEDs need a single 1/4" hole. Bed the thing in 5200 and it will not leak for a million years. Our decks/windows are a far greater threat.

Click to expand...

I think the concern about underwater LEDs and the associated holes isn't about those that require a 1/4" hole, but ones like this

PERKO Inc. - Underwater Lights - LED Thru-Hull Mount Underwater Light

That require a much larger hole.

We just bought a Nordhavn 43 (lucky us!), and we are having some modifications made, including underwater LED's. Right now, I am leaning toward the surface-mount Lumishore lights. We can go with four of the SMX20's, or two of the SMX100's. While the total lumens are about the same, the SMX100 has a 90 degree beam, while the SMX20 has a 60 degree beam. Also, the price for the two larger ones is 2x the price of the 4 smaller ones, net. I'm wondering if anyone has an opinion about the tradeoffs here? The boat beam is 15', and we are adding a 2.5' swim platform extension.

I'm looking at Lumitec SeaBlaze 3 LED lights.

Are the 2 color lights dimmer than single color?

Are these bright enough to project a beam past my swim platform?

Any feedback on these?

Thanks

Anybody install down facing led's while boat is in the water?? We used to install thru hull fittings up to 2.5" with air drills. Is there a sealant that could be used around the wires in the 1/4" hole that would cure wet? Or at least stay sealed? I just put the boat back in the water after a bottom job and didn't think of these until after the fact............

5200 will cure underwater.

HopCar said:

5200 will cure underwater.

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Never mind. Thought you said $200 will...

Butyl rubber tape would work fine IMO.

We ended up installing 4 of the SXM20's, blue color. These are surface mount with only the wiring coming through the hull. They looked pretty good in Dana Point, and I am sure they will look fabulous in clean, clear water. The fish attraction was instant - as was the opportunistic bird perched on the platform of the boat next to ours!

Confused about colors. Does one color attract fish more than another? Is white better for seeing the underwater gear? Or, is it just preference/asthetics?

On The Rocks said:

Confused about colors. Does one color attract fish more than another? Is white better for seeing the underwater gear? Or, is it just preference/asthetics?

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The Lumishore rep we talked with recommended the blue lights. Apparently blue penetrates the water the deepest, and is quite attractive to fish. We have seen lights on other boats, and we really liked the aesthetics of the blue light. The white is really harsh, the red is not natural. You can also get programmable ones - but we decided against that, as the cost gets quite high. We got our lights from boatstore.com, with some great pricing.