6 Brilliant Boat Dock Lighting Ideas

If you have a dock on your property, you know how important it is to light the area properly. Even if you’re not planning to take a boat out in the evening, docks can become central social areas. Adults and children alike may fall into the water if the area on and around your boat dock is not appropriately lit.

We’re here to break down the best dock lighting options, both with safety and appearance in mind. We want you to find lights that not only illuminate the way at night but also stay subtle during the day.

Before you get started, ask yourself key questions about your lighting project. For example, do you want solar lights or lights with electrical wiring? Solar dock lights don’t require a transformer and can be easier to install and maintain. But, if you use only solar lights, you may run into problems on days that aren’t sunny: you’ll still need a transformer and wires to charge your solar lights on those days. Electrical wiring can be more difficult to install and maintain, but you don’t have to worry about how much battery power your lights have left.

Let’s walk through the best ideas for how to light up your dock. We hope you find inspiration for your own lighting projects here.

1. Recessed Dock Lighting

There are some basic necessities when it comes to dock lighting. First, it needs to be waterproof and weatherproof. Second, it should ideally outline the edges of your dock so no one is in danger of falling off the side. Recessed lighting is perfect for this purpose: the lights can be installed flush with the surface of your dock. Put these lights along its edges, on stairs, or in a creative pattern.

To achieve this look, we recommend DEKOR’s recessed LED Dock Dots, available in a 4-pack or a kit. These low-voltage lights are designed specifically for use on docks, so they are durable and easy to install.

2. Dock Stair Lighting

If there are stairs on or around your dock, you’ll want to make sure they are properly lit. One step in the wrong direction could mean a swim in the lake, so stair lighting (and lighting around any other obstacles on the dock) is especially important. Stair lights like these ones rotate to a 30-degree angle within their housings, so they properly illuminate each step.

3. Lights for Posts or Pilings

If your dock has posts or pilings, make use of them! While you may still want some recessed lighting along the dock, post-mounted lights or post caps can illuminate the walkway leading to your dock as well as the dock itself.

Install simple directional post lamps in pilings along your dock to make it easier to find if you’re boating in the dark or low-visibility conditions. Or, if you want to go the solar route, consider solar post cap lights for any posts along your dock.

4. Port and Starboard Lights

This is one of the most functional dock lighting ideas: add colored lights to indicate port and starboard (AKA left and right) on your boat dock. DEKOR sells this as a special 2-pack – with one green light and one red light – so you can navigate back to your dock and know which side is which without issue.

5. Colored LED Dock Lights

Dock lights don’t have to be boring. Of course, you have the option for red and green port/starboard lights, but why stop there? There’s a range of colors you can use to add mood lighting to your dock area and create patterns to draw people in.

DEKOR offers our standard Dock Dots and our stair Dock Dots in red, amber, green, and blue for a variety of looks and color combinations. Add personality to your dock with these colored LEDs.

6. Dimmable Dock Lights

When you’re out on the water at dusk or at night, you may want your dock lights to be extra bright, so you can find a way home. But if you’re socializing on or near your dock, it’s possible you may want dimmer lights, both to conserve energy and so that your guests don’t have lights shining directly in their eyes.

Find a variety of options for dimmers, timers, and motion controllers – so your dock lights only turn on when people approach your dock – here.

We hope these ideas help you design a new lighting plan for your dock. All of DEKOR’s lights recommended here are easily installable, eco-friendly, and compatible with our Plug N Play technology. Get started on your next lighting project today!

FAQs

Yes, DEKOR® manufactures all circuitry in Denver, CO providing excellent quality.

DEKOR® offers a COLORKONNECT WiFi controller and through the app you can dim the lights, change colors, and set schedules. You may also control light colors with dimming capability manually on the front face of the COLORKONNECT WiFi device.

When using the COLORKONNECT WiFi controller app provides you the ability to control your lights regardless of where you are located.

The 3W4PORT splitter/repeater has two functionalities: the splitter is used to connect the power wire and the three additional ports for 2-3 lights based on your lighting plan. The repeater is to be used every 20’ with long cable runs and at the light connections to enhance the signal creating pure colors from the first light to the last.

DEKOR® offers a simple 3W4PORT Plug-N-Play system with various cable lengths to make the install easy in any application.

You may change colors and dim the lights manually on the COLORKONNECT device.

Yes, with the use of two or more COLORKONNECT WiFi controllers and wiring two or more zones will deliver different light color patterns.

You may power up to 60-watts of light usage or 28 individual lights.
Our lights are 46% brighter and we have a dedicated pure white channel.
We offer a variety of lengths for any application—20”, 5’, 10’ and 20’.

Yes, you can add to your current non-RGBW DEKOR® lighting system by adding RGBW lights!  While the non-RGBW DEKOR lighting system is a 2-wire direct current system, and the RGBW DEKOR lighting system is a 3-wire direct current system, you are able to integrate both systems by creating a separate zone.  Either using a splitter running from you current transformer or upgrading to a 100 or 200 watt transformer, which has more than one output from the transformer, you can create an additional zone or zones.  Please call us if you need us to walk you through this!

The transconnect cable is for our standard DEKOR® Lighting 2-wire lights. The COLORCONNECT WiFi controller is a 3-wire system. The male-to-male cables come in lengths of 20”, 5’, 10’, 20’ are to be used to connect the COLORCONNECT WiFi controller and then to your first light.

For our RGBW system: The 36-watt and the 60-watt transformers will include one (1) 20’ 3WPNP male-to-male cable. The 100-watt transformer will come with (1) transconnect cable and (1) 20’ 3WPNP male-to-male cable. The 200-watt transformer will include (1) 20’ transconnect cable with two lead wires and (1) 20’ 3WPNP male-to-male cable.

The 3W4PORT splitter/repeater may only be used with the RGBW system. The 6-port splitter is a two wire and can only be used with our standard DEKOR® Lighting system.

No, you cannot use the Y-Splitter with the RGBW system.  The Y-Splitter is for a 2-wire system. RGBW is a 3-wire system. If the transformer is a 100watt, you would need one COLORKONNECT for each leg.