Underwater Lights - Anyone got Them?

[homeless]

I am interested to hear thoughts from anyone who has installed underwater lights. What brand did you install, what bulbs, any issues with reliability ?

Is it worth the trouble to install lights underwater, or better to just have a large spotlight on deck, or a waterproof string to drop over the side ?

[Dulcesuenos]

We saw a few boats with them in kw in october. They look pretty wild at night. We had friends that made them for a living. They last a long time and are very durable. Now, even walmart sells them west has em they are everywhere and many carry a large 3 yr warr. We have thought it would look cool beneath our bridgedeck. I am sure the "purists" will scoff and shake their heads.

[homeless]

My main interest is in attracting sea life and making night snorkelling a bit more fun, rather than hosting an underwater disco.

On the internet most of the pictures seem to be of motor / charter /party boats, so i was wondering if any of the sailing cruisers had done it, and if it was worth the trouble, or easier to just use a spotlight or string.

[cal40john]

Don't know anything about them. They look really cool on the boats I've seen them on. No way I'm drilling extra holes in my boat below the waterline.

John

[Bash]

I don't think you should invest in underwater lights until you've already got a disco ball. And tiki torches.

First things first.

[homeless]

People drill holes in their boats for prop shafts, rudders, speed sensors, depth sensors, water inlet, water outlet, exhaust etc. At least the hole for the light is sealed with no moving parts.

[ohdrinkboy]

A friend installed 6 of these on the aft end of his boat underwater with 5200. with the changing colors it did look like a disco. however, i must admit it looked cool.....also the women loved it.

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[bobconnie]

There were 3 under water lights mounted under the swim/boarding deck of a De Fever we had for a while ! they worked great for getting fish !! we would light them at the dock behind our home, and the bait would come in bunchs!! and with the bait came the sea trout !! and some red fish also!! never tryed them anywhere else ! they were sorta new and strange to us so we never really got into trying them out anywhere else ! but they worked like a champ out back here !!

[downunder]

Originally Posted by homeless

My main interest is in attracting sea life and making night snorkelling a bit more fun, rather than hosting an underwater disco.

On the internet most of the pictures seem to be of motor / charter /party boats, so i was wondering if any of the sailing cruisers had done it, and if it was worth the trouble, or easier to just use a spotlight or string.

I will be doing same at stern just below waterline. Great in coral areas for attractive fish.

Tthe Aqualuma lights aren't cheap and are robustly constructed. Thru-hull Range | Aqualuma Marine Lighting


Havn't done it myself but with quality fittings don't see an issue. Lots of power boats have them fitted thesedays. Most of new flash vessels.

[Jim Cate]

Yes! They make a tasteful addition to your flashy m/v, and the jetskis bobbing around your stern look especially cool when illuminated from below.

How nice...

Jim

[downunder]

Great for night diving from vessel in coral cay areas. Also for attracting squid for jigging.

If you are not a diver wouldn't bother with them.

OP indicated it was all about attracting fish life

[tropicalescape]

When I was a young'un we would build lights to go flounder gigging with,we would get a broom stick and a mason jar , stick the light in the jar attached to the stick(run the wire to a car battery) then get a clothes basket stick it in an inner tube ,put the light under the water and gig anything that made a "hump" in the sand..They were as big as door mats(flounder)not the light... That was a lot of fun,hadnt thought of that since,I hate getting old! In Guam we would go spear fishing at nite with a flash light and snorkle around out on the Marianas trench off CoCos island,that was fun too,very strange running into a passle of baby octopus or a big ole Moray eel!

[Mimsy]

If it makes you happy, go for it. Naysayers can look the other way...

[homeless]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Yes! They make a tasteful addition to your flashy m/v, and the jetskis bobbing around your stern look especially cool when illuminated from below.

How nice...

Jim

You are missing the point. Turn on a spotlight at night, and I suspect even in Sandy Bay you may get a nice feeding frenzy of shrimp, squid, and cod to liven things up. If the lights are underwater you don't get the reflection that you do from spotlights, so more light reaches the targets, you can use a lower power bulb, and you get a better view of the action.

[67Therapy]

I imagine you could make an over the side/string type with lights from a hot tub/pool store for about 1/10th the price and hassle of a thru-hull installation. We've hung pool lights below the dock before to attract fish...works great.