Underwater boat lights can serve many purposes on board a vessel: they can attract fish for nighttime trolling, they can provide some safety (and potentially plenty of amusement) as boaters enjoy an evening swim in a quiet cove, or they can simply illuminate and decorate the water beneath the boat.
Boat owners have a variety of options when it comes to choosing underwater boat lights for their craft, including mounting style (surface or thru-hull), type of light used (LED or conventional) and even color (lights come in blue and green as well as white).
Mounting Choices for Underwater Boat Lights Include Thru-Hull, Surface-Mount
When deciding which underwater boat lights to buy, you'll first need to determine where you plan to mount them and whether you'll drill large holes in your hull for thru-hull-style lights or instead use surface-mount lights, which will require only a small hole in your hull for the wiring.
If you want the most secure possible mount for your underwater boat lights, you'll probably decide to mount them in a thru-hull configuration. Depending on which light you buy, you'll need to drill a hole below the waterline of up to 1 inch in diameter, and mount the light through that using a high-grade marine caulk such as 3M 5200.
If, on the other hand, you dislike the idea of cutting large holes in your hull, you can purchase a surface-mount underwater boat light. It's possible to secure the mounting brackets for most surface-mount lights with screws, eliminating the need to drill all the way through the hull. You'll still need a small hole for the light's power supply.
Underwater Boat Light Choices Involve Housing Material, Light Type, Color
You'll have a choice between plastic polymers and bronze or aluminum for your underwater boat lights. Polymer lights tend to cost less, but some mariners don't like them as well because they can break more easily than metal lights. However, most of the high-quality lights on the market are virtually unbreakable regardless of the material used.
You'll also need to determine whether you'll buy LED lights or the more conventional halogen or xenon lights. However, this may not be a choice for much longer — LED lights draw so much less electricity, and last so much longer, that the vast majority of light manufacturers now use them exclusively for their underwater boat lights.
Last, you'll need to pick a color — you can choose white, blue or green, or install one of each for a kaleidoscope effect.
Prices for Underwater Lights Vary Depending on Brightness, Quality
It's possible to spend as little as as around $150 on an underwater boat light. For example, the Dave Surface-Mounted Underwater LED Light from Dr. LED retails for about $155, plus shipping. It produces about 400 lumens in light, and requires only a tiny hole for wires.
At the other end of the price spectrum, the bronze/aluminum OceanLED Pro Series Underwater LED Light costs around $1,600. It puts out about 1,800 lumens, or the equivalent of a 50-watt xenon bulb, and its LEDs should last for 40,000 hours. It requires a 1 inch mounting hole in the hull.
Other products range from about $250 for less bright, surface-mount underwater boat lights to more than $600 for thru-hull-mounted, metal-framed lights. Keep in mind that if you choose a surface-mount underwater light, you may also need to purchase a bracket for it.
If you're in the market for underwater boat lights, either to replace an older light you currently own or to add a new light to your vessel, you should be able to find a light that suits your needs, boat and budget.
More information on marine lighting options:
LED Lights for Boats Save Power, Last Longer
Bright 12-Volt LED Lights for Boat Cabins Light Enough for Reading
Boat Navigation Lights: New LED Options Offer Power Savings
Boat Navigation Lights: Replacing Old Bulbs with LEDs
LED Courtesy Lights for Boats Provide Night Lights, Extra Safety
Jane Anderson - Jane M. Anderson spends as much time as possible on the water, working and sailing on boats. She grew up sailing Sunfish and Rhodes 19s on ...
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