Improved LEDs add safety, functionality, and dazzle to your boat.
LED lighting makes boats explode with color above and below the waterline. By adding music to the mix, you can transform your vessel into the ultimate on-water entertainment platform, shooting off rays of brilliant hues to the beat of Bach, the Beatles, or the B-52’s.
Because LED lighting is versatile, energy-efficient, and durable, it can enhance safety at anchor, while underway, or while docked. LED lights help you both see and be seen, an important factor in responsible boating.
The use of underwater lighting first appeared in the early 2000s on custom sportfishers and high-end yachts. Most underwater lights at this time were xenon, halogen, or metal halide. As LED technology improved in the late 2000s, thru-hull and surface-mount LED underwater lights showed up on smaller recreational boats.
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Nowadays, these powerful LEDs, such as Lumitec’s new SeaBlazeX3 Underwater Light series, produce a glow that not only turns heads in the marina but attracts marine life like fish and plankton. This is especially popular among boaters who enjoy swimming or snorkeling at night—the ethereal, illuminated water creates a magical backdrop and enhances underwater visibility.
Lumitec’s corrosion-resistant fixtures and multiple color options allow boaters to choose their preferred ambience or set lights to cycle through a rainbow display, making a standard swim platform a show-stopping party zone.
“Lumitec offers a wide range of underwater lighting solutions to fit any boat size or budget, from compact surface-mount fixtures to powerful thru-hull models designed for larger vessels,” explained Mick McDonald, Lumitec’s marketing manager. “All Lumitec lights incorporate the latest advancements in LED emitter efficiency, output, and durability.”
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LED light controls are also getting easier to use. Lumitec’s Poco Digital Lighting Control System allows boat owners to manage lighting from a compatible touchscreen multifunction display or a smartphone app. This brings seamless integration and customization right to the captain’s fingertips. Underwater lighting is straightforward to install, but in most cases, the boat needs to be hauled out for installation. Lumitec fixtures are designed for easy integration into a two-wire DC electrical system, which simplifies installation and reduces time and labor costs.
“As for cost, pricing can vary widely depending on the size of the vessel and the scope of your lighting package,” McDonald said. “But as a general starting point, an introductory Lumitec underwater lighting setup with Poco digital control with music sync can begin at just a few thousand dollars and scale up based on customization, vessel size, and feature selection.”
LED lighting has many other uses in recreational boating, including interior cabin and deck lighting, under steps and gunwales, on spreaders and masts, and on boat trailers. Your imagination and your budget are the only limits.
-by Doug Thompson
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