Whether on the lake, river or bay, nothing packs a party quite like a pontoon boat. Recent advancements in LED lighting take the pontoon boat party to a whole new level. What follows is our take on dialing in your pontoon boat led lighting setup.
What Lights Does a Pontoon Boat Need?
Like all vessels, the right pontoon boat LED lighting setup involves a combination of lights that you’re required to have and those that make the experience more fun. Whether navigation lights, spreader bars, underwater lighting or light strips around the deck, LED lights are functional, versatile and quite a bit of fun.
LED setups offer a number of customization possibilities. For instance, they may be:
- Dimmable: You can control and adjust the brightness and lumen output via apps on your marine electronics or smartphone.
- Multi-color changing: The same bulb can produce an incredible variety of colors. Previous lighting options, if they had the ability to change color at all, were extremely limited.
- Syncable with sound: With the right setup and installation, you can make the lights on your pontoon boat change in brightness and color to music. LED light strips like these are really cool for kids and adults alike.
Lighting for Pontoon Boats: Legal Requirements
The exact lighting setup you will need depends on the length of your pontoon boat. Be sure to check the legal requirements for your situation. The requirements include the number of lights, angle of light emitted, and visible range of the light.
At its most basic, your pontoon boat needs the following:
- Masthead lights: These are typically white lights that are mounted in a place that is visible to other boats. This base-mounted, fold down LED pole light is a great example.
- Navigation lights: These are the classic red and green lights mounted on the bow of your boat. In addition to being required by law, they let other vessels know which direction you are traveling at night.
- Stern lights: You also need stern lights mounted on the back of your boat and an all-around light.
‘Nice-to-Have’ Lights for a Pontoon Boat
Beyond the lights required by law, you can outfit your pontoon with an incredible variety of exciting LED lighting options. Consider illuminating the dock, installing courtesy lights along pathways and steps, and adding submersible underwater LED lights.
You also have many options when it comes to deck lighting. For instance, you can mount a series of recessed LED lights along the walls or beneath the covering boards. You can also mount an LED light strip to run the length of your pontoon boat.
Other great varieties of pontoon boat LED lights include:
- Spreader lights to illuminate where you’re going
- Utility livewell lights
- Tube lights that light the console
Boating’s Top Spotlights for Boaters provides a breakdown of spotlight options for your pontoon boat.
Benefits of LED Lights for Pontoon Boats
LED lights for pontoon boats provide a wide ranging number of benefits. They provide a significant energy savings and produce less heat than other forms of lighting.
The primary benefits include:
- Energy efficiency: LED lights draw less battery power to produce the same number of lumens than do halogen or incandescent lights.
- Longevity and durability: When properly maintained, LED lights last longer and stand up to the elements. If you do need to replace a bulb, they’re more consistent between lights than other types of lighting.
- Brightness and visibility: LED lights produce more light in smaller packages than other types of boat lighting.
- Versatility in color: LED lighting systems allow you to customize the color of your boat’s lighting. You can also control many LED light kits with apps.
Installing Pontoon Boat LED Lights
Just as there are many LED lighting products, you have a range of installation options. Hire a professional, or install them yourself. Integrate all your pontoon boat LED lights into a single circuit, or install and control them individually.
Check out the 2024 Pontoon Boat Buyer’s Guide for some design inspiration. This review of the SunCatcher Elite provides some additional perspective.
Marine Mounting Considerations
Where and how you mount your LED lighting systems depends on your boat’s setup and the look you’re after. You can install a series of individual recessed lights or mount an LED strip on a track.
Professional vs. DIY Pontoon Light Installation
Most LED lighting systems are wired into your pontoon boat’s battery system. If you are technical, you may be able to install a new lighting system or modify the one you have.
Professional installation is a great option, too. Professionals understand your boat’s voltage (and can make sure to install the appropriate lights). Most LED manufacturers make them in 12V and 24V options.
How you install LED lights on your pontoon boat also depends on how complex and feature-rich you’d like your system to be. When you start including dimmability and app control, or integrating different LED lighting components, the installation gets more complex.
Maintaining LED Pontoon Lights
When properly maintained, your pontoon boat LED lighting system will last a long time. Clean and dry the lights after use to keep them in ship shape. Make sure that your connections are secure and that the wiring and batteries stay dry.
If you use your pontoon boat in saltwater, take extra care to avoid corrosion. Also, be sure to test your navigation lights before you leave the dock. Being in the middle of the lake at night is no time to find out that your lights are out.
Make a Safe Investment in LED Pontoon Boat Lights
So you’ve got your pontoon boat. You know the many benefits of LED lighting setups. Now it’s time to bring a fully customized, brighter LED setup to the biggest party on the water. Pontoon boats are great. They’re even better with LEDs.
FAQ
What lights should be on when boating at night?
You’ll need navigation lights (a red and green light on the bow), stern lighting on the back of your boat, a masthead light, and an all-around light. These are the basics, and you can of course add to this.
Where do the lights go on a pontoon boat?
To satisfy the law, you’ll need lights on the bow, on the stern, and atop the console. From there, you could illuminate the deck, any steps, and maybe even beneath the water’s surface under your pontoon boat. Where you place them depends on the design you’re after.
Will lightning strike a pontoon boat?
Any time you are on the water, you should be aware of the weather. If there is lighting in the vicinity, you should consider heading to shore. Lighting can strike boats of all kinds, pontoon boats included.
