LED Underwater Lighting?

[cnatoli 0]

I am interested in installing LED underwater lights at the stern of my 262CR. I have to fine ones that will light up past the swim platform. Has anyone done this? If so, how were your results?

[gordie 0]

i just put the attwood blue underwater lights on our 2006 270cr, ive only seen them once in water and they looked great! we were at our marina in very murky water off of lake erie and it still extended well past the swimplatform. they were a breeze to install and you cant beat the price of the attwood lights. i cant wait to get into some clearer water to see how great they look.

[Heinrich 0]

i just put the attwood blue underwater lights on our 2006 270cr, ive only seen them once in water and they looked great! we were at our marina in very murky water off of lake erie and it still extended well past the swimplatform. they were a breeze to install and you cant beat the price of the attwood lights. i cant wait to get into some clearer water to see how great they look.

 

I installed a set on each side of the engine (2 x 6 LEDS). Took about 2 hours to complete - drill the transom and wire it all up (don't forget to use marine glue). I would suggest when you install it that you go via the shut off switch (you don't want to come back and wonder why your battery is dead). Also running the wires to the helm is pretty easy (tons of space at least on my 270CR) for an on/off toggle switch. Couple of suggestions I would gives is look at the ones that have 12 LEDS, so you end up with a total of 24 (if I have to do it again that's what I would go with, more $$ but worth it). Lastly, the fuse size they recommend is way to small... (mine kept blowing until I asked the experts at the dock what might be the cause). Here are a couple of images what it looks like... and honestly these images do not give it justice. It extends about 6-8 feet behind the swim platform, and of course running with it turned on... is unreal! O btw, and it attracts fish like a magnet...

[Dan 0]

I installed a set on each side of the engine (2 x 6 LEDS). Took about 2 hours to complete - drill the transom and wire it all up (don't forget to use marine glue). I would suggest when you install it that you go via the shut off switch (you don't want to come back and wonder why your battery is dead). Also running the wires to the helm is pretty easy (tons of space at least on my 270CR) for an on/off toggle switch. Couple of suggestions I would gives is look at the ones that have 12 LEDS, so you end up with a total of 24 (if I have to do it again that's what I would go with, more $$ but worth it). Lastly, the fuse size they recommend is way to small... (mine kept blowing until I asked the experts at the dock what might be the cause). Here are a couple of images what it looks like... and honestly these images do not give it justice. It extends about 6-8 feet behind the swim platform, and of course running with it turned on... is unreal! O btw, and it attracts fish like a magnet...

Very nice.....here are some pics of the light I got from CoastalNightLights.com. Right now I've only got 1 light in the middle. This spring I'll put 2 more on the outside.

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[Dan 0]

Decided to change things up a bit this year. Picture is a little blurry. I'll take some better one this coming weekend. What do you guys think?

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[Sunrise 298 0]

Dan,

 

Looks great! So what units did you end up going with? I went to the site and see different sizes. Did you use regular light strips in the side vents? Also looks like you went from blue to green??

 

I have a 298 SS so a similar platform and side vents. Thanks for any details you can provide!

[RSUMRTOY2 0]

AWESOME!!! What model did you put in, flush, through transom or transom mounted? I have seen quite a few, but your look the best! I would like to do the same on my 282CR.

[Rip5 0]

That looks sweeeeeet Dan !! I may add them someday myself. For now I went cheap and just swapped the arch light bulbs out for Blue LED's. They look great, but not as nice as your underwater lights.

[Dan 0]

Dan,

 

Looks great! So what units did you end up going with? I went to the site and see different sizes. Did you use regular light strips in the side vents? Also looks like you went from blue to green??

 

 

I have a 298 SS so a similar platform and side vents. Thanks for any details you can provide!

 

I used the double long (DL) on the outside and the double square (DS) on the inside from coastalnightlights.com for the underwater lights. For the vents, I used 4 1ft waterproof flexible strips from oznium.com as coastal could not get me green strip lights. I ran the wires up the radar arch and installed switches on the deck plate covers in the arch. If I ever sell or trade the boat and want to keep the lights, I can easily replace the deck plate covers. I'll take some pics of that this weekend.

I went to green becuase I thought it would look better with my lighted palm tree.

 

 

 

AWESOME!!! What model did you put in, flush, through transom or transom mounted? I have seen quite a few, but your look the best! I would like to do the same on my 282CR.

 

I used the new GEN III models for the lights stated above. Check the WEB site out, you'll see what I mean. I ran the wires up and went through above the waterline just under the swim platform. On the 282, there is not a whole lot of room in the engine compartment to get to the wires in the back but I used a long set of tongues that I use in my fish tank to pull them forward.

 

That looks sweeeeeet Dan !! I may add them someday myself. For now I went cheap and just swapped the arch light bulbs out for Blue LED's. They look great, but not as nice as your underwater lights.

 

Last year I replaced ALL my 12v lights with LED's. I found that at times, in the cockpit, it was just too bright so thi year I added some LED light strips under the aft seat to give that subtle lighting. It works pretty good but I think I'll also add some more in the helm area.

 

Thanx for the comments guys....

[RSUMRTOY2 0]

Dan;

 

I ordered 5 DS lights tonight as per your recommendation. I will put two on each end and one for the middle of the motors. I looked at the DL, I just wanted everything uniform size etc...I chose the white case and blue bulbs. Can't wait! Where did you mount yours, ie; water line just below, and do you have any pictures? Did you screw your lights to the transom, I was thinking of siliconing them on. I am very hesitant to drill. You ran your wire up and drilled through under your swim platform, then did you connect them all together, then run forward for power? Any suggestions would be helpful.

[Dan 0]

Dan;

 

I ordered 5 DS lights tonight as per your recomendation. I will put two on each end and one for the middle of the motors. I looked at the DL, I just wanted everything uniform size etc...I chose the white case and blue bulbs. Can't wait! Where did you mount yours, ie; water line just below, and do you have any pictures? Did you screw your lights to the transom, I was thinking of siliconing them on. I am very hesitant to drill. You ran your wire up and drilled through under your swim platform, then did you connect them all together, then run forward for power? Any suggestions would be helpful.

I mounted them about 4 - 5 inches below the waterline. Drilled in a little less than 1/2" put a bunch of 3M marine silicone in and around the holes and also along the ribs of the lights. Then ran the wires up and through a little below the swim platform. Yes, I connected them all together near my power source. I was running some very thin wire from my switch so I hooked the lights up to a relay just to be safe. I'll take some more pictures this weekend and will post.

[RSUMRTOY2 0]

Thank you...any info. would be appreciated! I get my lights Monday as I paid for next day shipping!

[Dan 0]

So here's where I went throught on the starboard side

 

 

Here's what it looks like on the inside for the port side

 

After I tied everything together in the engine compartment, I ran wires up the radar arch to my switches.

One green switch is for the vent lights, the other for the underwater. The white one is for some LED I put under the seat.

 

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Here is a better time exposure at night.

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Last thing I did this weekend was silicone around the top of the vents so I wouldn't get bleed through.

[RSUMRTOY2 0]

Thanks Dan! The pictures are GREAT! I am installing mine tonight so my boat can finally go in the water on Friday! I will take pictures! You are costing me alot of money! If it were not for your underwater pictures, I would have not done the lights this year. I showed my wife your pictures so she could visualise, and she saw your side vents lite up, now she wants ours done. I will be placing an another order with Coastalnightlights real soon. Chris at Coastal is a big help and prompt! I had my lights next day @ 10:00 a.m. as promised.

[Dan 0]

Thanks Dan! The pictures are GREAT! I am installing mine tonight so my boat can finally go in the water on Friday! I will take pictures! You are costing me alot of money! If it were not for your underwater pictures, I would have not done the lights this year. I showed my wife your pictures so she could visualise, and she saw your side vents lite up, now she wants ours done. I will be placing an another order with Coastalnightlights real soon. Chris at Coastal is a big help and prompt! I had my lights next day @ 10:00 a.m. as promised.

 

Glad your spending money....you can't take it with you. I should have taken pictures of my lighted vent install. It's pretty easy to do. Let me know when your ready I'll give you some pointers. Chis at coastal has the blue strips and they look really cool in the vents. Next time you talk to him, mention my name and that I'm over at THT forum. He'll know who I am.

[RSUMRTOY2 0]

Dan, I am ready to learn from the master, how did you do your vent lights? Tips, hints, suggestions? I know you got yours foorm ozium...I went with blue, and I think Coastal has the strips in blue. I need to order two DL's for my new Seadoo 150 Speedster this week from Coastal as well. Thanks in advance. I will post when I am done, as the water was very murky this weekend, but the lights looked amazing, I had quite a few people come over to admire them.

[Dan 0]

Dan, I am ready to learn from the master, how did you do your vent lights? Tips, hints, suggestions? I know you got yours foorm ozium...I went with blue, and I think Coastal has the strips in blue. I need to order two DL's for my new Seadoo 150 Speedster this week from Coastal as well. Thanks in advance. I will post when I am done, as the water was very murky this weekend, but the lights looked amazing, I had quite a few people come over to admire them.

 

Blue will certainly look good. I did a test last year with blue and here's what mine looked like.

 

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I wish I would have taken pictures when I did it this past winter (they are worth a thousand words). What you'll need is 4, (it might be 3....I just can't remember and my boat is 1 hr away) 1 foot strips for each side. The blue one's that Chis has will work perfect. Two of them will be joined together to make a 2 foot strip in the middle section.

 

Take your vents off and CLEAN IT REAL good. You'll want to put the LED strips in between the flat areas that fit up against the boat. You'll see what I mean when you take it apart. The 3m sticky tape that are on the lights works pretty good but for assurance, I used a few dabs of the quick setting 3m 4200 white marine silicone sealant. Just make sure you don't put too much to cover the lights. I also use the sealant on both ends. As a test, if you want, you can scotch tape the lights and wireing in place and re-install a vent and then temp connect to a power source....just to see what it looks like before permanently mounting them.

 

I then used tape to temp hold the wireing in place (I spliced all the lights together in one spot near the middle and left/added about a 6 foot piece). I used the 4200 sealant in a bunch of spots over the wireing to hold it in place. Once dry, removed the tape.

 

For the port side, I held the vent close to the boat and I just stuck the wire through one of the round intake vents. I went in and out a couple of times so that if the wire got pulled, it wouldn't stress the connection.

 

For the starboard side, I fed into the vent, did the wrap around thing and fed down one of the exhaust tubes. In the engine compartment, I took the tube off, grabbed and pulled the rest of the wire and the fit the tube back on. There's probably an easier way to do this.....once you look at it, you'll see what I mean.

 

 

The rest is joining the wires together, hooking to a power source and running to a switch........good luck...let us know how you make out.

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One last thing....when your happy with how they look, use that 4200 sealant and run a bead along the top of the vent so that it blocks light bleed through.

[Dan 0]

Dan, I am ready to learn from the master, how did you do your vent lights? Tips, hints, suggestions? I know you got yours foorm ozium...I went with blue, and I think Coastal has the strips in blue. I need to order two DL's for my new Seadoo 150 Speedster this week from Coastal as well. Thanks in advance. I will post when I am done, as the water was very murky this weekend, but the lights looked amazing, I had quite a few people come over to admire them.

 

Any update? Pictures?????

 

Interested to see what it looks like

 

Dan

[RSUMRTOY2 0]

Found my camera with the pic's on it! Better late then never! Enjoy, the picturese do not do the lights justice they are amazing!

[Dan 0]

looks good man. I got comments all summer long on my lights and now a couple of folks at the marina want me to help them install some this spring. That's ok...I'm looking to upgrade my boat so I don't have too much planned for it this year....just the addition of a 110v outlet near the cockpit table and changing my depth gage to one that has air and water temp.

[Heinrich 0]

Do you mind if I ask you where you bought those light switches (with the blue/green LED embedded)?

Also, are they weather (water) resistant?

 

Regards,

Heinrich

[Dan 0]

Do you mind if I ask you where you bought those light switches (with the blue/green LED embedded)?

Also, are they weather (water) resistant?

 

Regards,

Heinrich

I bought the switches from oznium.com. I'm not sure how weather resistant they are. My boat is strictly used in fresh water and I allways have the full canvas on in inclement weather. I figured they'd be ok and if they fail, I'd just go find something else. I've got it set up so that they can easily be changed.

[Heinrich 0]

I bought the switches from oznium.com. I'm not sure how weather resistant they are. My boat is strictly used in fresh water and I allways have the full canvas on in inclement weather. I figured they'd be ok and if they fail, I'd just go find something else. I've got it set up so that they can easily be changed.

 

Hi Dan, Thank you for the quick reply! I did buy a few.

Tried installing it... does help to checkout the wiring diagram 1st (or you end up thinking they are duds) You do need 3 wires connected and not just replace the existing switch (by putting this one in series)... you live and learn.

Thanks again!

[Heinrich 0]

Hi again Dan,

 

I forgot to ask in my earlier posts. Does the little led in the switch stay on all the time? or does it turn on only when the underwater lights are turned on (and off when the switch is in the off position)?

 

The ones I bought stays on even if its turned off.

Bought mine here:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=060-770&utm_source=OrderShippedEmail&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=OrderShipped-060-770&utm_campaign=OrderShipped-2012-03-26

 

Wire Diagram I used was from the site you recommended (on the technical info tab):

http://www.oznium.com/rocker-switch/tech

 

Just wondering if this is just the way the switch works or if I should go shopping for a different switch (since i really want one that is only on when the underwater lights are on).

 

Kind regards,

Heinrich

[Heinrich 0]

I ended up sending the original ones back and bought the ones from Oznium (these turn on only when the power is 'on' ). Thanks Dan!

 

Also, ended up installing blue leds under the air ducts... after seeing what you guys did, the itch just didn't stop... ) Can't wait to go boating at night now...