Remember how I trashed the AquaLuma underwater lights last month? Boy, did that post get the comments going! Ben Ellison over at Panbo even jumped into the fray, and for his troubles, he got buried in comments too.
What a time we had.
Anyhoo, my main argument was that drilling unnecessary holes into one’s hull seems…unnecessary. (Full disclosure: I may have used slightly stronger language than that.)
So imagine my skepticism upon receiving a new press release from the same folks. Aqualuma has a line of underwater lights designed to mount on the upper side of your trim tabs, for boats with trim tabs. The press release is included below.
But hey, my skepticism quickly evaporated. Trim-tab mounted underwater lights, eh? That’s pretty dang cool, if you ask me! No new holes in the boat!
Plus, and this could be very interesting to experiment with, you wouldn’t have to mount these to trim tabs at all. You could mount them to any immersable flat surface. You could fabricate a boathook-mount for them that you could deploy temporarily off the bow for checking on the anchor, or hang off the side for squid-jigging from the cockpit.
I’m not redacting my comments about the thru-hull variety, by any means. But this product I can support. Here’s the press release:
Owners of boats under 30′ who want a memorable, on-water lighting experience need look no farther than the world leader in non-corrosive, underwater lighting. Aqualuma’s versatile Gen II Trim Tab Light easily mounts on a trim tab or L-bracket, creating a stunning underwater, colored scene.
Simple to install, the GEN II Trim Tab Light only requires owners to drill one hole above the waterline. It includes 12′ of tinned cable. No bonding means the possibility of corrosion is eliminated.
Extremely durable, this lamp’s three high-output LEDs are protected in a high-tech polycarbonate housing. Drawing less than 0.5 amp at 12V, the Trim Tab Light can also operate on 24V DC and emits low heat. Aqualuma’s light is specifically designed for in-water applications, but like all its products, can be run out of water while the boat is planing without sacrificing longevity.
Available in Ultra Blue, Ultra Green and Brilliant White, the Trim Tab Light is also offered in low and tall versions. The tall version is designed for trim tabs with rear turn-up.
Combining a two-year warranty with a recent US price reduction, Aqualuma’s GEN II Trim Tab Light now retails for only $353.91.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
It sure seems a good waterproof flashlight on a boathook would be a whole lot cheaper for checking the anchor…
What waterproof flashlight can stay submerged continously ? Are not most rated at just 30 minutes or less at 1 meter ?
6 watts / 2 watts per LED x 3 LEDS … those are top of the line LEDS, about $10 each ?
Actually … I have a hard time believing that 6 watts produces anything even remotely close to adequate illumination .. something is wrong here