OceanLED Alternatives

R

Rick D

Member
Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2010
RO Number
32381
Messages
799
With the cooler weather setting in I naturally begin to think of winter projects. Underwater lights are something I am contemplating... but I looked at the OceanLED 30i Hybrid Series.... $900+... really?!?!... and I need at least 2 of them.

Are there decent alternatives to OceanLED for perhaps half that cost... or do you get what you pay for? $900 for two lights and I'll consider it... but $1800 total and it's not worth it.

Thanks,
--Rick
 
You get what you pay for. If there were decent alternatives for half the price, no one would be buying the OceanLEDs.

You can go cheaper no doubt. Just don't expect the same effect.
 
Not sure of the brand, but a buddy bought 2 underwater LED's I know were in the $8-900 range each. They are neat to watch. Multiple colors, stobe effect, fade in/out, etc.
 
I have no clue on price, but I know someone who installed SeaVision
 
quote:
Originally posted by Robyns Nest

How clear is the water you boat in?

Click to expand...


It varies considerably...getting better the farther out into the sound.

Still looking, but the Amphibian A6 Pro series seems like it may be the solution I am looking for....not as powerful... but easily have the price of the Hybrid series.

--Rick
 
Ive got three blue sea blaze 3s and have been very happy with them. 200ish per light, and I've got no complaints about how bright they are. No problem to instal either. Three look a lot better than two IMHO. You'll light up the whole area behind your boat with three, two will leave an unlight area between them.
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatinbob

Ive got three blue sea blaze 3s and have been very happy with them. 200ish per light, and I've got no complaints about how bright they are. No problem to instal either. Three look a lot better than two IMHO. You'll light up the whole area behind your boat with three, two will leave an unlight area between them.

Click to expand...


And they offer a dual light option... sweet. The price for 3 is still let than 1 OceanLED. Will look into these more but they seem like a real possibility.

--Rick
 
Make a set of your own and see what it's like, and how your's worked, and what caused the failure.
That's what I'd do If I had some idea what your talking about.

Down here we just hang a lantern out on each side of the boat.
 
If ya decide not to make your own you could try these out.
Although the lanterns may be the most economical route.

imagejpeg_3-1.jpg
 
quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

You get what you pay for. If there were decent alternatives for half the price, no one would be buying the OceanLEDs.

You can go cheaper no doubt. Just don't expect the same effect.

Click to expand...

I beg to differ. I installed 6 Sea Blaze 3 (blue) on my Trojan with a 15 ft beam. They are fantastic and better looking than the Ocean Leds at more than half the cost, brighter, and only using a 3/8 diameter hole. This is my third year and still look great.
 
1) For something that needs an underwater hole in your boat, I would say quality is important. This isn't the time to cobble something up in your basement or install some unknown low priced product.

2) Someone please tell me why anyone would want underwater lights on a boat in the first place?
 
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman

1) For something that needs an underwater hole in your boat, I would say quality is important. This isn't the time to cobble something up in your basement or install some unknown low priced product.

2) Someone please tell me why anyone would want underwater lights on a boat in the first place?

Click to expand...


Attract bait fish.

Attract squid
 
Well in and around Charleston I can see why you re asking the question :). In clear water they are nice.

If installed properly, you only need to drill a hole for the wire, most LEDs are surface mount. In most cases you can run the wire above water line and run it to the fixture outside the transom.

I installed 3 Abbissylites (hardly cheap) on Charmer 4 years ago and had to replace them already, under warranty. Now another one is failing... I installed them with a spacer to hold enough wire so they can be swapped in water (unfirtunately a transom tank prevented me from running the wire thru above WL)

When i had the yard drill the holes in the spacers they thought I was nuts saying "LEDs last forever"

Sure...
 
quote:

2) Someone please tell me why anyone would want underwater lights on a boat in the first place?

Click to expand...


I enjoy sitting on the dock behind my boat at night, watching the fish. They're not always there, but some nights its like a giant fish tank.
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

....If installed properly, you only need to drill a hole for the wire, most LEDs are surface mount. In most cases you can run the wire above water line and run it to the fixture outside the transom.......
Click to expand...


I've seen one, maybe two episodes of ShipShape TV where they installed LED underwater lights and they were thru hull installations much like a transducer but in the transom.

When we start looking at upwards of $1K for underwater lighs, I can think of many other upgrades to spend it on. To each his own, I suppose.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman

quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

....If installed properly, you only need to drill a hole for the wire, most LEDs are surface mount. In most cases you can run the wire above water line and run it to the fixture outside the transom.......
Click to expand...


I've seen one, maybe two episodes of ShipShape TV... where they installed LED underwater lights and they were thru hull installations much like a transducer but in the transom.

When we start looking at upwards of $1K for underwater lighs, I can think of many other upgrades to spend it on. To each his own, I suppose.

Click to expand...


Well there is your problem.
 
quote:
Originally posted by rawidman

quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

....If installed properly, you only need to drill a hole for the wire, most LEDs are surface mount. In most cases you can run the wire above water line and run it to the fixture outside the transom.......
Click to expand...


I've seen one, maybe two episodes of ShipShape TV where they installed LED underwater lights and they were thru hull installations much like a transducer but in the transom.

When we start looking at upwards of $1K for underwater lighs, I can think of many other upgrades to spend it on. To each his own, I suppose.

Click to expand...


Must have been the older style conventional lights but there plenty of LEDs which do not require any hole below WL which I wouldn't do just for lights

And again, while most installers just drill thru behind the fixture to run the wire, you can easily drill above WL and run the wire outside
 
quote:
Originally posted by Starry Night

quote:
Originally posted by Capt. Bill1

You get what you pay for. If there were decent alternatives for half the price, no one would be buying the OceanLEDs.

You can go cheaper no doubt. Just don't expect the same effect.

Click to expand...


I beg to differ. I installed 6 Sea Blaze 3 (blue) on my Trojan with a 15 ft beam. They are fantastic and better looking than the Ocean Leds at more than half the cost, brighter, and only using a 3/8 diameter hole. This is my third year and still look great.

Click to expand...


Hey, I've been known to be wrong from time to time. :-)

But I still like the OceanLED units. Very bright, very well built, relatively small hole (1") and in all the cases I have used them trouble free.
 
quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

quote:
Originally posted by rawidman

quote:
Originally posted by PascalG

....If installed properly, you only need to drill a hole for the wire, most LEDs are surface mount. In most cases you can run the wire above water line and run it to the fixture outside the transom.......
Click to expand...


I've seen one, maybe two episodes of ShipShape TV where they installed LED underwater lights and they were thru hull installations much like a transducer but in the transom.

When we start looking at upwards of $1K for underwater lighs, I can think of many other upgrades to spend it on. To each his own, I suppose.

Click to expand...


Must have been the older style conventional lights but there plenty of LEDs which do not require any hole below WL which I wouldn't do just for lights

And again, while most installers just drill thru behind the fixture to run the wire, you can easily drill above WL and run the wire outside

Click to expand...


There are lots of LED lights out there that still require a thru hull hole of some kind to be drilled through the transom in order to mount them. I think they make for a cleaner looking installation than ones where the wires run up the transom and then in above the water line.

And a properly done thru hull type installation is realy no big deal as far as leaking goes if done right.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top