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Lights for night surfing


pawter1970

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Anyone has any suggestions on lights for night surfing? I have underwater lights but no tower lights and would like to avoid spending over 1k to install lights on my tower. Obvious solution is helper in the back holding a flashlight but curious to see if anyone did some elegant and inexpensive solution to have lights on the tower. Example I was thinking powerful battery powered  light with a GoPro attachment.

 

Thanks   

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http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Deck_Floodlights-Attwood_LED_Multi-Function_Sport_Lights.html?gclid=CKzVlNm47dICFQx7fgodcAoG2g

These are not expensive, they attach to your speakers shelves and are battery operated. They are bright, but not just super bright. They work great for us on a dark night and they look cool too.

 

Take off the brackets below and mount with a bolt directly to your tower speakers shelves.

Edited by bbattiste247
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2 hours ago, bbattiste247 said:

http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Deck_Floodlights-Attwood_LED_Multi-Function_Sport_Lights.html?gclid=CKzVlNm47dICFQx7fgodcAoG2g

These are not expensive, they attach to your speakers shelves and are battery operated. They are bright, but not just super bright. They work great for us on a dark night and they look cool too.

 

Take off the brackets below and mount with a bolt directly to your tower speakers shelves.

That's what I was thinking of, exactly my price range, Ha. Do you have any pics of the lights on your boat? Just curious how it would look.

 

Thank you.

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Not saying I've done this but if I had this is how it might possibly of happened:

We did night surfing for the first time last year and it was a blast.   I talked some friends into going out with me and they agreed but said they wouldn't get in the water.  We ended up being out for about 3 hours and everyone surfed.  It will become an annual tradition for us.

We did learn that bright spot/tower lights are useless and only blind the driver as it reflects off the water.  The bow lights were sufficient that I could see the rider as we approached them.  Besides that we bought a tube of glow sticks and taped them down the sides and top of the board using clear packaging tape and each surfer had a glow stick bracelet on each wrist as well as 3-4 hooked on the life jacked shoulders and buckles.  I'd save money and skip the lights and give it a try without them first.

Edited by vaporbluebu
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I got 4 of the jeep type LED 12v lights on amazon, they cost about 20$ each. Very bright. These are the only pics I could find!

20160523_084838_zpsihzuuwf6.jpg

IMG-20160515-WA0002_zpsjmglkm9t.jpg

IMG_20160701_140439_zpsillpc2xx.jpg

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Same type as these. Mine are 18w each as well and you can see its more than bright enough

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01EJWB62U/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1490320210&sr=8-13&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=12v+led+flood+light

 

Be extra careful though, we are not going to be surfing at night anymore I really don't feel comfortable...

Edited by JulioEstevez
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It would be wise to check your state laws and regulations.

Members have checked before.....many times.... and at the last one it was still illegal to use this type of lighting in all bodies of public water in every state in the nation.

  • Like 2
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WAwinegrapes

The only 2 lights you can legally have on is the nav light, which is white and the highest point on the boat, and the bow light(s) which are red and green.

And skiing/wakboarding/surfing/etc are illegal at night.

BUT is hecka fun!  and great if you have  under water transom lights!  So I have been told.

Edited by WAwinegrapes
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WAwinegrapes
12 minutes ago, dlb said:

I just finished enjoying some of those Washington wine grapes, aged and bottled of course....

A tad biased, but WA makes some pretty dang good wine!

 

Glad you enjoy supporting the wine industry!  We need as many as we can get supporting the growers and wine makers!

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We do the glow stick thing and have the spotter use a spot light just to spot the rider and board when coming back to them after a fall. It was easier to drive while surfing when the spot light was off. We used tiki torches on the opposite ends of the lake as way points and just ran back and forth in between them. Only done it a couple times. Not sure lights would be a worthy investment since their illegal and the don't really help all that much. 

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On ‎23‎/‎03‎/‎2017 at 2:17 PM, bbattiste247 said:

http://www.discountmarinesupplies.com/Deck_Floodlights-Attwood_LED_Multi-Function_Sport_Lights.html?gclid=CKzVlNm47dICFQx7fgodcAoG2g

These are not expensive, they attach to your speakers shelves and are battery operated. They are bright, but not just super bright. They work great for us on a dark night and they look cool too.

 

Take off the brackets below and mount with a bolt directly to your tower speakers shelves.

Really like the lights Bbastite247. I will try to bolt them directly to the speaker shelves.

Just wondering when you mention Take off the brackets below and mount with a bolt directly to your tower speakers shelves. Is this to the existing threads on the shelves, the ones designed for the stock lights? If not did you drill a hole or use a different size bolt to adapt?

Would love to see if you have any pics as well.

 

thank you.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 4/1/2017 at 8:45 AM, Cmb396 said:

I have a 30" curved LED light bar on my tower. It makes retrieving your rider super easy at night. I only have $300 into as well. 

http://87E31C5D-E17E-4C45-AB34-3085F126456D_zps

 

Looks badass/overkill. I like overkill. Especially pictures of it. PICTURES ON DA WATER!!!!!!!!!!

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On 4/1/2017 at 9:45 AM, Cmb396 said:

I have a 30" curved LED light bar on my tower. It makes retrieving your rider super easy at night. I only have $300 into as well. 

 

Is it any fun having light blaring at you when you are trying to surf?  Really does not sound good to me.  Transom lights make it fun.

Do you backup to the down rider or something?  Seems like the light bar would only retrieve profanity and middle fingers.

  • Like 1
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3 hours ago, River Monsters said:

Is it any fun having light blaring at you when you are trying to surf?  Really does not sound good to me.  Transom lights make it fun.

Do you backup to the down rider or something?  Seems like the light bar would only retrieve profanity and middle fingers.

Um, the light bar in that pic is in the front of the boat.

One of the boats in our marina has light bars in both front & back. The one pointing out back is smaller & pointing downward, just behind the swimstep so it really doesn't effect the rider much.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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The only time we use the light bar while surfing is to retrieve the rider, makes finding someone on a big a** body of water when it's pitch black out much easier.

This light points out too, not directly down in front of the boat, so it's not blinding at all, the light is projected above you when you're in the water.

 

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I like all lights off except in boat rgb's and transom lights.  That is what night surfing is all about IMO. We use a handheld spot light to find the board and rider after a fall. I like the curved 30" light @Cmb396 used but I would knock my head on it. I have about 1/2" of headroom on my tower. If there was a quick release system, that would be a slick set up. 

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7 hours ago, isellacuras said:

I like all lights off except in boat rgb's and transom lights.  That is what night surfing is all about IMO. We use a handheld spot light to find the board and rider after a fall. I like the curved 30" light @Cmb396 used but I would knock my head on it. I have about 1/2" of headroom on my tower. If there was a quick release system, that would be a slick set up. 

Jeez, how tall are you? I'm 6', and have plenty of room. It could certainly be rotated up for more clearance, but then I'm afraid it might interfere with the bimini when out. It would def interfere with the light projection.

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