guys with underwater LEDs

[blackcup]

Hey ... got my surface mounted LEDs installed last night and took it for a rip tonight. I put in the Dagon 5150 Blue x 2 (8K lumens each) from www.boatpluglight.com. Lit up the water like crazy when we had no surf bags filled/floating. Weighted down at surf speed was a whole other story. Just the very front of the wave was lit up and it was mostly just the prop wash that we were seeing.

Here is my theory for why we were losing light:


Does anyone else have experience with underwater LEDs and their functionality for night surfing? I just don't see how ANY boat could really work that well because of the downward angle the boat is on when surfing. Wish I woulda thought of this before doing the install!!

[MLA]

The light is likely out, or nearly out of the water once the boat is underway. This puts the light at the surface of the water rather than filtering through the water.

[blackcup]

What are your thoughts about the spacing of them? My installer said that they had to be that close because they would have been obstructed anywhere else. This makes me think that this could be part of the reason ...

[David Analog]

There are so many considerations. Some within your control. Some not.
Placement is everything and yet cannot compensate for everything.
If the light is positioned too low or aimed too low the energy dissipates in the wrong direction and doesn't project over distance.
If the light is too high the energy that escapes the water surface is lost beyond the surface and doesn't project over distance well.
When the boat is on plane at full speed and running light with no ballast, the transom surface may be mostly out of the water and you only get reflection on the wash.
Under water light does not reflect well off plates and outdrives. So there are applications where a spot is preferred over a flood.
Horizontal spacing should close the light gap just beyond the swim deck so that you have a broad and gapless pattern.
You need a flat surface and any transom curvature or radius will also serve to aim the light.
And then some boats just don't give you too many options.
Comparing lumens from brand to brand doesn't mean a whole lot. This is generally an unqualified spec and liberties are often taken. I make my judgment off of current draw since the efficiency is generally consistent among underwater LED lights. Experience has proven this to be a pretty accurate method of assessment.