Lights that illuminate the underwater world, mounted on outrigger spreaders, on the transom or under the hull, have aided anglers for decades in powering-up nighttime fishing, calling up baits and the fish that forage on them. The new generation of underwater lights, aimed straight down or horizontally and located between 12" and 48" below the surface, are more reliable and electrically efficient. They add action to a nighttime trolling spread with the flip of a switch. They also look really cool when fired up at your dock.

What to look for
Brightness and light penetration Penetration depends on the clarity of the water, brightness of the bulb and orientation. A 50 watt xenon model should extend its beam 50' to 70' astern, and slightly farther straight down.

Metal-to-metal compatibility
Our selection of lights from Aqua Light and Perko include housings made from naval bronze. These are compatible (and do not create galvanic corrosion problems) with hulls of fiberglass, other composites or wood. Aqua Light can build the same models in aluminum, for aluminum-hulled vessels, or in stainless steel, for steel boats. Contact 1-800-BOATING for help in special ordering in these other alloys.

Bulb type
Halogen: affordably priced halogen lights are a good entry-level selection. A 50 watt model produces 900 lumens and penetrates to a depth of 30'. Halogen bulbs last about 600 to 800 hours, due to their more fragile and highly-energized filaments, as they are more easily damaged by vibration. They also draw more amperage than other types (a 50 watt model draws about 7 amps at 12V).

LED: the lowest current draw and the highest durability is balanced by modest light output. LED underwater lights are original equipment on some Sea Ranger boats.

Xenon: among the best at providing lots of light, xenon bulbs are more durable, lasting about 5000 to 6000 operating hours with more modest current draw (a 50 watt xenon model draws 10A at 12V for 25 seconds when starting up, then draws 5.5A).

Metal Halide: larger in size but similar to Xenon, metal halide bulbs require AC power (and draw just a couple amps at 120V) but deliver the most dazzling level of light output. At the entry level is a 175 watt model that puts out 27000 lumens. The 600 watt Mega Blaster, Aqua Lights most powerful unit, delivers 180000 lumens. Metal halide lights last about 3000 hours. 240V AC models and three-phase 280V AC models are available for the professional system.