Blue Water LED
- Houston, this is the ISS. Copy?
- Houston: Good evening ISS. Over.
- ISS: Houston we have spotted something…well odd sir. Copy?
- Houston: Roger that we copy ISS. Care to elaborate?
- ISS: well uhh…we have spotted what appears to be a UFO Houston. Over.
- Houston: [snickers in back ground] Copy that ISS, you are reporting an unidentified flying object ISS?
- ISS: Negative Houston, more of an unidentified floating object sir.
- Houston: Roger that ISS. Is Captain Curtis providing the crew with unauthorized beers again ISS?
- ISS: Negative Houston, The good Captain has departed for a trip to the Glades sir. There appears to be a well lit object running the Whitewater area of the Everglades, seems to be the brightest object on earth. Copy?
- Houston: Roger that ISS, we will send in the local military to investigate. Over.
Let me start by saying I was not poked nor prodded during the military investigation. Appears my Gheenoe has caught the eye of quite a few “higher ups”. C’mon, now that was funny. Get it? My references to the International Space Station…Higher Ups…nothing? Why do I hear crickets? Momma always said to stick to honest work, leave the funny to professionals.
Well, it has been a while since my last review and this latest review was well worth the wait for me anyways. I was contacted by a Captain Eric Townsend from down south, and he had something he just thought I might be interested in. It wasn’t beer, nor a free charter with him in the southern waters I don’t get enough of. He introduced me to Blue water LED and their line of LED products. I was told to go to the site and figure out what would work best for me and my Custom Gheenoe LT25 center console. After going through the site I was amazed at the different applications this particular brand of LED lighting strip were being used for. The site is a wealth of knowledge and gave way too many ideas (gonna light up my flip flops with em). But more on this later…
What I wanted was not on their list, however they heard what I felt would be best, and custom made 2 50” strips all in blue, and I also needed an already offered 10” strip. My idea was simple. Light up the cockpit area with plenty of light for tying knots while in pitch black conditions, and as well have some lighting under my poling platform for general courtesy lighting for those pilfering through my beer cooler.
The 50” strips housing 75 LED’s each would be mounted under the rails on each gunwale port and starboard. These two strips would be wired to my main switch panel for easy access on the console. The 10 inch strip would be mounted under the forward rail of my poling platform and be on a separate switch also under the platform. Now, the owner of Blue Water LED was kind enough to custom make these 50” strips for me, and this shall be noted as the first positive in dealing with Blue Water LED.
Now, as stated there is a wealth of knowledge on the www.bluewaterled.com about the products, offerings and the construction of the really cool strips. Before I go and copy paste their words let me express some doubts that I had before ever seeing the actual strips in person. These lights are flexible, and fully waterproof with a very low profile, however they are to be attached to your boat with a 3M adhesive. This was rather scary to me as I can tear some stuff up. While I like my craft to look good both on and off the water, I use it, and I use it hard. Let us not forget the hostile environment that is salt water. Let us fast forward to receiving the lights. Upon opening a very small box with Blue Water LED logos all over it I was a bit panicked. Because I had asked for 110 inches of lights. They must have gotten the order wrong. Once the box was opened I stretched out 2 50 inch strips, 1 10 inch strip, and 1 push button low profile waterproof switch. This was a positive number two. They did not lie about how flexible the lights were…but still the adhesive had me worried.
I pulled my sled to the Custom Gheenoe shop with LED strips in hand and a few simple instructions. A couple of days later I pick up the ride and head home to prepare for a trip to the glades. By the time I got home it was good and dark, so I couldn’t wait to see how she looked. Let me first say that when walking around the outside of my boat, or standing on the inside you can not see these lights, now mater how bright the sun is…however once it gets dark and you turn them on it is quite amazing the light these small light emitting diodes can put out. I chose a blue color as red is…well to darn common. The blue is very easy on your night vision, and it looks good with the black boat.
So let me jump back to the installation. After talking with the installer he followed the instructions for the 3M adhesive, cleaned the surfaces with alcohol, and applied…Still scared. Each strip has two wires which one is wired to the switch and one to the ground. These lights need no fused link as they are set up for 12VDC right out of the box. However all of my main switches are fused for protection of electronics and other accessories. One the wiring is complete, voila…We have light! Installation is very simple and with minimal tools can be done in an hour, even less if you don’t mind looking at wires.
So with my new lights I decided to give them the “Curtifried” test. That’s right, “Curtifried” I beat the snot out of these things, threw salt water on them hit them with stake out poles, stared at them, anything I could think of that would happen on a boat. They still work great. The 3M adhesive is still sticking strong, no issues what so ever.
Now, I have one issue with these lights. I find it as a major issue. I need more. I need them for the bed of my truck, my golf cart, and I need them for every hatch in my boat. I need them in my garage, mailbox, closet, under the bed, around the toilet. I need more! In all seriousness, I do not see any issues with my set up. As previously mentioned they are so low profile so you do not see them therefore they are not an eyesore, and even if you could see them they are not at all ugly. They provide ample light and do not disturb your night vision. The load on the battery is minimal, so battery use is not a concern. I plan to keep giving them harsh treatment over the summer and fall, and hope to report back.
Now while I did most of my work with a reseller from South FL, I have been more than happy with the customer service. All questions were answered quickly, and as well installation tips were readily available. The folks at BluewaterLED were kind enough to custom make these lights for my requirements. A quick look at their site you can see all of the standard sizes, colors, and options. It is well worth your time to look at the many uses the lights are designed. www.bluewaterled.com You can also contact Capt Eric Townsend at 1-954-214-9775 as he is a dealer with direct contact with the factory. While I do suggest buying their stock offerings, for a few dollars more Bluewater LED will do custom strips for your application.
I would like to end this review with a bit of honesty. The ISS/ Houston conversation never happened, nor was I spotted from the ISS. They did not fly over the glades during my last visit, or they would have had the conversation!
As always please feel free to contact me with your questions, or comments.
Review by: Curtis Cost Efish'nt³ Wright
Microskiff.com Pro Staff
email: costefishnt@4everwright.com
