Many boaters find exploring underwater an adventure into a whole new world. Whether you are on a night dive or set to explore murky waters, choose the best lighting for safety. For a night dive, consider the number of lumens and the angle of a dive light. In an article by www.scubadiving.com,any light with an average beam angle between 12 degrees to 75 degrees and a lumen output of 200 or greater should work fine for any recreational diving. The beam should be far wider than most torches can produce to prevent a bright spot from appearing. A 90-degree beam should be sufficient for most wide-angle video cameras.
For many safety reasons, having lights underwater on a boat is a must. The lights cast a glow with a lantern-type beam to make your location more visible. Many captains mount lights under the swim step to improve safety when stepping on or off a boat.
Nighttime fishing has become extremely popular. An easy and effective way to attract fish at night is with appropriate lighting. The fish are not attracted to the light itself — they are attracted to the zooplankton that gathers around it.
Color matters when it comes to underwater lighting. The most effective colors are Green light and White light to attract fish to boats, docks, and piers. These colors are brighter and will attract fish from a greater distance. Blue light is less bright and is typically used more for ambient lighting.
In a future article, we will cover deck lights. For safety regarding boating at night, an on-deck spotlight is an essential piece of equipment. Many skippers have been saved from an impending disaster because their searchlight beam lit up an unlit dock, break-wall, or buoy. The spotlight also helps you spot a person or object that has fallen into the water. It can aid in safety when needed to signal other boats.
When shopping for a spotlight, decide if you want one permanently installed or a handheld that can charge from a cigarette lighter receptacle. You can also purchase a battery-operated handheld light.
Golight Stryker Searchlight 12V w/Wired Dash Control w/20' Wire Harness – White
One of the preferred searchlights among skippers is the Golight Stryker Searchlight. It comes with a 20' wire harness and has a wireless dash-mount remote option. For broad sweeps with the beam, the searchlight has a 370x Rotation x 135-degree Tilt, with 200,000 Candela Beam Intensity. It is both UV Ray and Saltwater Resistant.
ACR RCL-300 Remote Controlled Searchlight - 12V/24V
The top-of-the-line ACR RCL-300 Remote Controlled Searchlight – 12V/24V has feature upon feature with its versatility and ease with touch control. It includes fingertip remote control Point Pad™; up to three remote Point Pad™ units may be installed on the system; surface/flush mount options included. The exclusive XRCiZ™ feature rotates and moves the light assembly every 30 days from activation to keep all bearing surfaces free of corrosion and all electrical contacts functional.
Underwater Lighting
Among the more popular LED hull-mounted lights is the OceanLED 2010XFM Pro Series HD Gen2 LED Underwater Lighting - Midnight Blue.
XFM models, or Xchangeable Flush Mounts, are exchangeable without hauling should service be needed. The light can be retrofitted into most existing underwater lighting hole cut-outs, yielding immediate benefits of no startup power surge, low heat, minimal maintenance, and improved light output. It offers 7,000-fixture lumen brightness with the 2010XFM HD Gen2 model.
For additional information and pricing on the lighting listed here, go to https://www.clrmarine.com/462m4/lighting.html.
Fair Winds, Smooth Sailing.
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To obtain more information about the products and services mentioned in this article, please contact CLR Marine https://www.clrmarine.com/.
Award-winning author Cheryl Kuba has been at the helm for more than 30 years sailing the Great Lakes, with side trips to the British Virgin Islands and St. Maarten. She has served as past- Commodore of Great Lakes Fleet 21 -Chicago region. 3happycampers.com
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