If you live at the waterfront, a private dock is highly convenient. It saves you from going to a marina to dock your boat and provides entertainment space for your family and guests.

With such convenience, your dock needs proper illumination at night to ensure people don’t trip or fall off the edge.

Luckily, underwater dock lights provide such illumination.

The green, blue, and red colored lights—most common with underwater dock lights—also project great visual effects that create a pleasant dock ambiance.

And your boats aren’t left out either. They’re more protected from theft and vandalism when illuminated than when in the dark.

But how do you select good underwater dock lights? Today, you’ll learn the best qualities to look for, such as:

• Resistance to corrosion caused by salty water
• Resistance to invasion by underwater organisms
• Sturdiness to avoid breaking easily when knocked

Let’s look further at the importance of underwater dock lights.

1 - They Attract Fish and Give Off a Virtual Aquarium Effect

Underwater lights are like fish bait. They attract different kinds of fish, turtles, and other sea creatures, bringing them to your dock.

With the help of two or more underwater lights, you can observe a food chain in action right under your dock!

Here’s how it happens:

Phytoplanktons (microscopic plants) are attracted to underwater lights and gather around them.

Then, other microscopic organisms known as zooplankton trail the phytoplanktons and start feeding on them, attracting the attention of small bait fish like minnows.

As the bait fish feed on the zooplankton, they, in turn, attract the attention of big game fish, such as snook and jacks, which hunt them down.

To watch this spectacular hunting-and-preying phenomenon, most dock owners install green underwater lights because they believe green penetrates water the farthest, allowing a clear view.

Though research shows that blue penetrates water the farthest, followed by green, yellow, orange, and red in that order.

You can also opt for color-changing LED underwater lights, available at Apex Lighting, which can be adjusted to any color you want.

Since fish are creatures of habit, they’ll come to their food source if they notice consistent light coming from your dock at night. You can be assured that as long as you keep the lights on every night, fish will be there.

And if you’re worried that keeping the lights on will cause excessive power consumption, you can use a timer or connect a photocell to automatically turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn.

Underwater lights also give off a beautiful halo that illuminates the fish and their environment, turning your dock into a mesmerizing fish reef that you, your family, and guests will enjoy watching.

With underwater dock lights, you’re also less likely to be bothered by bugs. Since the lights are underwater, bugs can’t circle them like they do lights installed above.

Turn your dock into a fish sight-seeing destination, and enjoy the soft colors with Apex Lighting underwater dock lights.

2 - They Prevent Falls and Provide Security to Your Boats

Your dock can be used as an entertainment spot to hang out with family and friends when the weather is favorable at night. Therefore, ample lighting is necessary to prevent accidents from happening.

It’s especially important to have the dock pathway edges lit so everyone can see clearly and avoid falling when strolling on the pathway.

Underwater dock lights also offer your boat security. It’s possible for marine theft to happen to you—your boat engine and other valuables inside the boat are usually the target—but with dock lights illuminating your boat, thieves will think twice before stealing off of your boat.

You should also take these other security measures to prevent marine theft:

• Lock your docked vessel with a steel cable.
• Remove valuables from your vessel.
• Chain or lock detachable motors.
• Remove batteries and shut the fuel.
• Mark it with a hull identification number (HIN).
• Have your boat insured in case it’s stolen or vandalized.

With a well-lit dock and the above measures observed, it’ll be harder for valuables to be stolen from your boat.

Qualities of Good Underwater Dock Lights

Ability to Withstand Corrosion

Underwater lights should be able to withstand high levels of electrolytes in salty water. Electrolytes corrode the lights and shorten their lifespan.

The best housing materials to protect against corrosion include:

• Galvanized steel
• Carbon steel
• Stainless steel
• Alloy steel

Copper, brass, bronze, and aluminum are also used.

If you opt for stainless steel housings, choose those made with grade 304 or grade 316 stainless steel.

The table below shows the differences between grade 304 and grade 316 stainless steel:

From the table above, it’s clear that underwater lights with housings made of grade 304 stainless steel are more suitable for freshwater, compared to the more resistant grade 316 suitable for salty water.

Each Apex Lighting light is attached to a housing made of quality metal—aluminum, brass, bronze, or grade 316 stainless steel.

Resistance to Invasion by Water Organisms

Underwater lights should be able to resist underwater organisms growing on their surface, which dims the amount of light illuminated.

Saltwater promotes the growth of barnacles (small sea creatures related to crabs) and algae on underwater lights. Freshwater docks promote the growth of algae and zebra mussels.

If you notice these growths on your lights, use a pool or deck brush to clean them off and repeat every 2–3 months.

As an extra measure, you can use a barnacle-resistant coating, which should be applied only on the light’s housing. Applying it directly onto the glass isn’t recommended since any chemicals present damage it.

Get Underwater Lights That Attract Fish and Provide Safety and Security on Your Dock

Underwater lights are a safety measure. They illuminate your dock at night, preventing accidents from happening.

They also provide security to your boat by illuminating it and making it difficult for intruders to vandalize or steal valuables from the boat.

Underwater dock lights also attract fish. When the colored lights light up the underwater environment, you get a lovely aquarium-like view right under your dock.

“Fantastic! I added 12 lights to the 8 I already have and the water is lit up like Christmas.” — Anonymous Verified buyer

Apex Lighting underwater dock lights are guaranteed to give you the best experience on your dock, whether entertaining guests or watching fish. Their lights are available in LED, halogen, and solar-powered.

With the best brands on the market to choose from, you can be sure to find the right underwater dock lights for your marine needs. Call 866.572.2739 for amazing offers.