FAQs
Underwater Lights
Brightness:
Brightness is very important as too little will spoil the experience. Fortunately, too much light can be dimmed with Lumishore products. Fixture lumens are the only true measure of brightness of white light.
Lumens vs Fixture Lumens:
A Lumen is a measure of light output usually from the bare LED chip in ideal but unrepresentative laboratory conditions. A Fixture Lumen measures the true light output from the finished light fixture and considers all losses through electronic inefficiencies and any secondary optics to give. The fixture lumen is the only figure that should be considered when considering a light’s brightness.
Colors available in each light:
Blue and white are the most popular single colors. White for clear water and blue for other applications. However, every color and combination can be ‘right’ depending upon the boat owner and their guests’ mood and needs. The standard now is for blue and white in every light as a minimum.
Full color change is the ultimate option, which deliver the greatest range of colors, scenes and zones.
Beam angles:
Due to their unrivalled brightness, Lumishore underwater lights have the farthest reach together with widest beam angles, allowing the light to penetrate deep into the water, to create a beautiful, uninterrupted halo of light around your vessel.
60º is a narrow, focused beam
90º is a wide beam
110º is an ultra-wide beam
Type of light fixture (install-ability):
For leisure marine purposes there are 3 primary types of light:
Surface Mount (SMX) lights attach to the exterior of the hull with screw fittings and epoxy resin, and a small cable hole. The electronic components (LED drivers) are integrated within the light, and they do not have shafts going through the hull and the electronic components (LED drivers) are integrated within the light. They may be made from a metal or polymer.
Thru-Hull lights (THX) have a shaft, usually a standard 1”/25mm in diameter, installed through the hull. Thru-Hull light fittings, have the added security of internal attachment, as well as being fixed using epoxy externally, and also benefit from external drivers which can be installed in easily accessible locations, and the ability to easily bond to the vessel’s protective bonding system.
Thru-Hull Interchangeable (TIX) lights share the benefits of thru-hull fixtures above, and additionally enable the LED light unit (LED cartridge) to be removed from inside the hull without having to haul-out or lift the vessel out of the water. All Lumishore TIX (Interchangeable Thru-Hull) lights have the additional benefit of integrated internal drivers, which means fewer components to be installed, thereby reducing installation time, wiring runs, complexity, and costs.
Flush-fit vs proud-mount:
Ideally all lights would mount flush with the hull. This protects the light and the hull and ensures laminar water flow is not restricted. Uniquely, all Lumishore thru-hull and thru-hull interchangeable lights fit flush with the hull.
This is very much a matter of individual choice and budget. Normally, people focus on the transom and a small wrap-around with specialist applications (like fishing) also favouring lights shining downwards (we only ever recommend thru-hull or interchangeable lights for downward facing lights).
You will need less with Lumishore lights, as they are brighter and have a broader beam to avoid those ‘shark teeth’ effects.
It depends very much on water conditions. White light is best in the clearest conditions and shallower sandy waters, like in the Bahamas. Blue is most versatile for changing water conditions and green is best for murky, green or brown waters.
Thru-Hulls and Interchangeable Thru-Hulls are all flush-fit so are recommended for transom, sides and bottoms. Surface Mounts are low profile, therefore we cannot recommend they be installed anywhere but the transom so that they do not hinder laminar flow and hull security is not compromised.
The key to light spacing is ensuring a nice even spread of light. You can easily replicate your desired lighting effect on a piece of paper. Lumishore lights with a wide or ultra-wide beam angle require fewer lights than competing lights with narrow beams. As a guideline, we say 1m – 2m apart on the transom but that can be varied. Configure your boat today with Lumishore's online Configurator - https://www.lumishore.com/configurator
There will be no damage to the lights if they come out of the water when switched on, but the key consideration is to install the lights deep enough, so they do not come out of the water whilst rolling at anchor, and not distract other boaters nearby. Consequently, installing the lights at a depth of 20cms / 4" or more to the top of the light is normal.
This really depends on the water conditions in your area, the clearer the water the further the light penetration.
Please refer to the instruction manual that came with your lights.
Lumishore lights are designed to run underwater, however all Lumishore lights will run out of water. If the lights remain dry for a protracted length of time, they will dim slightly in order to protect the electronics and electrics using a technique called intelligent thermal dimming.
We employ the Lumishore quad-seal process to ensure against water ingress for all lights. There are 4 stages of sealing to minimize the chance of any water ingress. This ensures that in the unlikely event of a damaged lens, the light unit remains sealed to ip68 to protect the vessel from any water ingress. Our lenses are sealed to the bodies using a 3-part process to ensure the strongest bonding possible, using the best epoxies available. We consult with one of the world's leading epoxy experts on this process. The unit is sealed immediately behind the led array and the entire body is potted with a polyurethane sealant – to make sure the connector at the rear of the light is also ip68 rated. You can choose your Lumishore lights with peace-of mind.
RDMX, or Return DMX, is a 2-way DMX communications protocol. This unique feature allows the compatible MFD and/or compatible STV 2204-i Display (plus any connected phone/tablet) to communicate with the lights – and for each individual EOS Color Change light in the system to communicate back to the displays. This 2-way communication, which is unique to Lumishore’s underwater lighting systems, allows many advanced and valuable features, such as: automatic light discovery– automatic install, simplifying installation and saving time and costs.
The Lumi-Link Command Center includes in-built integrated Sound-to-Light as standard. No additional integration is required, simply connect your sound output cable to the Command Center’s Sound-to-Light input. The lights are synchronised to the frequencies of the music, giving a far more beautiful and pleasing effect than only to the beat.
The Sound-to-Light feature automatically splits the audio input into 3 music frequency bands: low frequencies, mid frequencies, and high frequencies. You can choose and allocate a color to each of these the frequency bands – and for best results, choose a different color for each frequency band. You can also adjust the sensitivity slider to compensate for variation in volume of the input music. Choose a low sensitivity for quieter music and a high sensitivity for louder music. This sensitivity setting changes the response of the lights, to a level that obtains the desired effect.
Lumishore has partnered with the world’s leading suppliers of multi-functional displays (MFD’s), including Garmin, Raymarine, Simrad, B&G, Lowrance, Furuno and Humminbird. Find the full list of compatible MFD's here.
All Lumishore’s EOS color change, SUPRA dual color lights and ECLIPSE-compatible lights connect in plug-and-play, with no integration required.
Lumishore’s EOS Color Change lights and SUPRA Dual Color lights (with the exception of the SMX23) can be controlled by any internet capable smart device connected to the boat’s Wi-Fi via the connected compatible MFD or optional STV 2204-i.
4-in-1 chips are prone to poor color match as they cannot be binned which leads to potential color differences between lights (and color differences are exacerbated underwater). Individual chips enable creation of the right amount of light specific to the marine environment, as opposed to the above water experience which is entirely different and for which the 4-way chips are designed. For example, underwater red light needs more power than blue light.
Yes, Lumishore has AC Installation kits available for AC operation.
LED chips are sorted and graded (binned) against several critical parameters. This is important, not only for output consistency but also for color matching. Particularly in the underwater environment, where color and its saturation in water are crucial in relation to lighting effects.
Lumishore’s arrangements with its suppliers provide the tightest binning possible and every LED used by Lumishore has its own unique part supplier number to ensure consistency of color, output and water penetration each time.
Lumishore products are better in every aspect of performance that a potential customer should consider:
- Value - Lumishore lighting systems are the best value on the market in terms of true light output per dollar and in available functionality.
- Brightness - Lumishore’s fixture lumen outputs are genuine, accurate and far superior to others and in the case of all our lights we publish genuine numbers.
- Functionality - the functionality, including unique synchronization and individual light control on our SUPRA and EOS Series ranges are far more superior and have more features than any competing lights, giving improved performance and visual effects.
- Light beam and effects – Lumishore’s wide and ultra-wide beam angles provide the stunning swimming pool effect that everyone aspires to. They provide not only a seamless pool effect, but the depth provides the richness and clarity of color others do not achieve.
They are the only fully controllable color change underwater lights available on the market, delivering the greatest range of colors, scenes and zones. Due to Lumishore’s intelligent, dynamic channel management, EOS underwater lights are brighter in every color and mixed colors. Unique light discovery and light auto-install function also simplifies the system setup and reduces installation time.
Lumishore’s EOS systems are 100% compatible with the world’s leading MFD’s, as well as smart devices, giving you unprecedented lighting control at your fingertips. No additional programming or software required.
We have a number of advanced built-in features to ensure that your lights will not only provide the ultimate underwater lighting experience, but also prove to be reliable over time. Lumishore’s background is based upon working lives committed to advanced LED technology. It is this expertise that lies at the core of every Lumishore light.
- Array design – our own proprietary HICOB arrays
- Driver electronics – in-house designed by our technical experts using
- Advanced features and their specialist knowledge gained over 20 years of designing and developing advanced led lighting
- Use of high-quality marine materials including high-grade marine bronze
In addition to our build quality, Lumishore products have been put through rigorous testing both in the laboratory and workshop. Our test programs include:
- Immersion testing of all lights and drivers
- Vibration testing
- Thermal testing
- EMC testing and practical noise interference testing (EMC/EMI)
- Output testing at all stages of production in our advanced integrating spheres
- Testing in the real-world marine environment on our own customer fleet
Above Water Lights - The LUX Collection
The LUX Lighting Collection is the only marine specific lighting to offer unique 5-channel CRGBW above-water smart lighting. This means you can finely color tune each light, with complete white temperature-tuning from cold to warm white and any temperature in between, as well as delicate hues and tones and more vibrant colors.
Every Lux light unit has cold white, red, green, blue and warm white LEDs integrated. This is unique in marine lighting
Lux lights can be controlled by any combination of:
- One or many compatible MFDs (Multi-Function Displays), and/or
- One or many optional Lumishore STV224i Displays, and/or
- Local switch controls
- Plus, any internet compatible smart device (phone, tablet etc) connected to the Wi-Fi
Yes, every Lux light unit can be dimmed as a standard function. No additional dimming units need to be installed.
Yes. Lumishore’s Lux Lighting Collection units are designed to be installed as interior and/or exterior lighting fixtures.
Only one Command Center is needed per boat.
LUX Control Modules and Drivers are connected to each other and to the Command Center with DMX cable, in a ‘daisy chain’ installation.
Up to 16 downlights, courtesy lights and/or livewell can be connected to each Lux Light Control module, and one module is needed per lighting zone.
Up to 10 linear meters (33’) of Superbright strip and/or Superbright Neon Flex strips can be connected to each SL/SNL Strip Light Driver.
Yes. The IP68 Superbright Cut and Seal Strip Light can be cut in 100mm intervals to the length you want. Each Cut and Seal strip includes a sealing kit to ensure it remains completely water tight, creating two custom-cut strips from each standard length.
Sound-to-light, controlled by 3 frequency levels in the music, is a standard feature of the Command Center and needs no integration – simply plug the music output cable into the Command Center’s Sound-to-Light input.
CRI – or Color Render Index – is a measure of light in relation to how the light affects the color of objects. A light with a high CRI means colors remain faithful and are not distorted. A high CRI light is therefore very important in choosing interior and exterior above water lighting.
Type Approval
Yes – Lumishore Thru-Hull and Superyacht lights are covered by ABS, RINA, DNV-GL Classification Approvals and full Lloyd's Type Approval, including safety-critical EMI/EMC testing and compliance. Please refer to our Certificates or contact us for more information.
Warranty
All Superyacht Weld-in systems carry a standard 2 year warranty with the option to extend this to a maximum of 3 years when a commissioning package is included.
What's My Warranty Period?
All Lumishore lights* and accessories come with a 3 year warranty, highlighting our comitment to delivering satisfaction and trust in our best-in-class marine lighting solutions.
*excluding the SMX11 which has a 1 year warranty