(Image credit unknown, found shared on Facebook.)
Today I wanted to talk about pontoon boat LED lights which are a great addition to your boat for docking, navigation, and for interior decorative purposes. In this very quick guide, I am going to talk about what I believe the best ones are, and even whether they are legal.
It is possible to replace your stock navigation light bulbs with LED replacements with something that will look stunning. They can be cheaper than typical lights are much more visible.
I have my own views on what the best LED light strips or strings are, and let’s get into that first. Here are some suggestions for people looking for LED navigation light upgrades that won’t break the bank which you can read further on down.
But firstly, why would you install pontoon boat LED lights?
In recent years, pontoon boats have come a long way, and the versatility means that they are now appealing to a far younger audience than ever before.
Because of that, a lot has changed, including how people wish to style and customize their boat. With LED lighting being a very popular addition.
LED lights on a pontoon a prized for their ability to create a certain atmosphere on board. With a large choice in color you can use them to highlight the interior around seat bases, ring cup holders, to up light certain spots on the boat, or to outline the edges of your interior spaces.
By using LED lighting, you can run strips under the edge of your perimeter rails to create an awesome looking glow bouncing off your shiny aluminum pontoon tubes.
The pontoon LED lighting now available to buy online is water-resistant and tend to use far less power than standard lighting. They will also last longer, can withstand far more punishment and don’t heat up as much as normal lamps.
Pontoon boats are ideal for LED lights as they typically have far more square footage compared to other boats and so give you so much possibility when it comes to lighting up your ride.
So without further ado, let’s take a quick look at some of the options you have available, with my recommended product suggestions depending on the scenario.
Best Pontoon Navigation Lights
On Amazon you can pick up some stunning red and green navigation LED lights for your pontoon boat. I love the green blob red and green kit (view on Amazon). You can see them in action below.
Red and green navigation lights once installed. (Image credit unknown, found shared on Facebook.)
You get one 12-inch green LED strip, and one 12-inch red strip, both of which are very easy to install using a sticky backing. I would recommend that you also buy some additional waterproof marine adhesive for added strength.
Best Pontoon LED Lights for Interior Lighting
If instead you are looking for something to light up the interior of your boat, then check out this Wireless White LED Boat Lighting Kit on Amazon. With these you can run the LED strings all the way around my boat at the bottom of the seats to great effect.
The kit that I recommend is universal and will work on any boat that’s up to 24 foot long and should last up to 100,000 hours. With that lifespan there’s no chance of them ever burning out!
As you would expect, they are treated to be marine waterproof.
Best LED Lights for Pontoon Boat Underglow
Next up how about some waterproof LED lighting to produce an underflow beneath your boat? These ones here can be operated via a remote control for easy color changing – you can see below when the LED are set to green – view prices on Amazon.
These green lights will look absolutely stunning on your pontoon boat. (Image credit unknown, found shared on Facebook.)
This kit includes and mounting track and will take a couple of hours to install, but you might need some help from a friend to get them fixed on properly.
LED Cup Holders for Your Pontoon
One of the best ways I have seen LEDs used on a pontoon boat is to highlight certain areas of the boat. You can see an example below where LEDs have been used to highlight the cup holders – and here’s where you can get them on Amazon.
LED cup holders look amazing once it gets dark. (Image credit unknown, found shared on Facebook.)
Are Pontoon Under Deck LED Lights Legal?
There is no right or wrong answer here, as the legality can vary from state to state. If you want to check what the laws are in your state for pontoon boat LED lighting then take a look at this guide here, where you can select your state to check the law in your local area.
Here are some cautionary notes from other pontoon boat owners I spoke to recently who use LED lights on their pontoon for not just docking, but also for decorative purposes.
The answers below came from pontooners who are around the United States, so please, as I said, check your local state laws.
“All depends on where you are. Our lake isn’t connected to others so we can run them underway. I have all blue to avoid the green/red issue which our water patrol doesn’t like.”
“I’ve got blue and here we can’t have them on when we’re moving according to our local state laws.”
“I’m putting red on mine and legally at night they cannot be on, and actually can’t even be on while anchored. I can only turn then on while at dock on the lake at night.”
“For me they are not worth the money or time since can only legally have them on is at the dock here.”
“Mine has blue and I can run mine at night. No red green or white as those are navigational lights.”
“In Michigan we can’t use them while underway, only while anchored. Not worth my time and money.”
Final Thoughts
LED lighting is a tricky subject for pontoon boat owners. Whilst installing lights inside of your boat shouldn’t present any legal issues, it’s when you fit them to the outside of the boat, and the navigation areas that you could be breaking your state law.
If you are considering external lighting, check your local state laws to see where you stand from a legal point of view.
