Light It Up!

A few years back, the lake was generally dark once night settled over it. Nowadays, however, you can’t throw a rock without hitting someone’s resplendently lit pontoon. Why is LED lighting becoming so popular? We thought you’d never ask.

Popular may be an understatement. Navigation lights, underwater lights, courtesy lights, cup holder lights—LED technology is taking every nautical light fixture by storm. And for good reason, too—there’s a boatload of benefits to this electrical marvel, thanks to its extreme efficiency and low heat emission.   

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for LED lighting. In their earliest days, there were issues of leaking hulls from the installation and heat buildup cutting down the lifetime of the lights. Some boaters also experienced problems with electronic interference.

But like many technology products, this innovation rode on the wave of demand, and the wave of demand took it far. Now LED technology is both incredibly striking and backed with impressive engineering that together make a whopping argument for why you should upgrade to LED lights.

Energy-Saver 

Incandescent lights are notorious energy consumers, but LED lights have incredibly low current consumption and can boast up to 90 percent in energy savings. Less current draw helps batteries hold charges longer and enables the use of lighter weight, smaller gauge wiring. There’s even less heat produced—up to a 50,000-hour operating lifetime.

Switching to LED lights saves boaters amps and means they’ll hardly ever have to replace a bulb again. And because LEDs like Attwood’s navigation lights consume much less power, your batteries are granted a much longer life, promising you a swath of time for swimming, entertaining nighttime guests, and trolling.

As far as installation goes, the process is kept very simple. One method uses plastic mounting channels with pre-installed 3M adhesive strips and a spool of LED waterproof lighting that neatly snaps into place. You can also use LEDs to replace previous fixtures inside the boat with simple screwdriver work, since existing wiring is perfectly usable. To replace bulbs, simply use LED modules that will fit in the same socket. Some modules can be found at companies like Marine LED Shop, Ancor, Lunasea, and Dr. LED. To convert the wireless lights onboard, go for small battery-fed LED fixtures in hanging lockers and areas with limited wiring access. Some LED fixtures screw in place while others can be adhered with peel-off backing. Brands like Rite Lite can be found at The Home Depot and other hardware stores and marine chandleries.

The exterior lighting options are even more striking. Navigation LEDs also boast impressively longer life and increased durability compared to traditional bulbs. Bulbs are easily swapped for LED modules as well. Navigation LEDs, with their longer operation life and much greater reliability than traditional bulbs, are another good upgrade. Check out Attwood, Imtra, Perko and Sea-Dog for LED modules that can replace the bulbs of many popular running and navigation lights. LEDs have even developed to such a brightness level that they can be used as spotlights.

Perhaps most striking of all are the underwater lighting applications.

With underwater light fixture LEDs for every boat size and boater budget, brands like Blue Wolf’s and Lifeform LEDs offer something for every boater. LEDs like Ocean LED’s Amphibian T3 start the dollar signs at $129 and even trailer boats are getting in on the upgrades.

And they, as usual, come backed with impressive results. With less power consumption, less heat, and many hours of operation (40,000 to be exact), all Ocean LED lights are approved by classifications societies like LLYODS, ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) and RINA (Royal Institute of Naval Architects).

With flush-mount and through-hull models to choose from, you can decide how far to go with installation. The through-hull procedure is one of the first to use a small one-inch hole, minimizing intrusion. They also crafted the Amphibian range of LEDs that have the versatility of both underwater and above water use. With options like six versus 12 LED configurations and 12-, 24- or 110-volt models, you can adjust your purchase to reflect the amount of light you’ll need.

Aqualuma is another company that offers their through-hull LED configurations in single, triple, and six-light sets. Their new Tri-Series showcases six-light LEDs that offer you any two different colors from their choices of white, blue, or green. The one- and three- series are also available in Aqualuma’s color choices. With all of their surface-mount lights sealed in a thermally conductive polymer housing, these lights pack a punch with their nine high-powered LEDs. Aqualuma’s surface-mount option is a speedier alternative to the through-hull installation.

As well as through-hull and surface-mount configurations, Aqualuma also produces dock lights, spreader lights, and a unique trim-tab light that can mount right on your tabs if they hang out the back.

Under-deck pontoon lights are one of the most dramatic uses of LEDs. Thanks to the glow coming from under your deck and the inherent reflection on the nighttime water, you can create a special nighttime hangout for socializing and entertainment capabilities.

Aside from the logical reasons LED lights are becoming superior, there are the just-plain-fun reasons as well. With these accents lighting up your boat, you can be safer while extending your fun with night runs. You can strike an impressive sight on the water with interior and exterior LEDs running all down the side of your boat. And some fishermen use the added luminescence to attract fish to their transom for some good night fishing. There are fantastic lighting applications for use anywhere around the water. And because LEDs are electronic creatures, their frequencies can be manipulated to emit a veritable palette of colors. Some of the more extravagant boaters make a striking statement by matching their underwater lights to their tower and bridge lights and even set them up to change colors automatically.

Like any other big purchase, it’s always good to shop around so you can find the right underwater lighting system for your needs, whether you’re after dazzling looks, navigation, or fishing benefits. Many LED companies offer outstanding warranties as well, thanks to their confidence in the functionality and longevity of their products. LED lights not only make for fantastic ambiance, but guests will be safer at night as well. With LEDs, you can take your boat into the night in an absolutely eye-catching way whether docked or cruising (with proper regulations, of course). Because if you really want to light up the night, LEDs are simply the way to go.