Homemade Kayak Light

When paddling a kayak at night, safety demands that you carry at least some form of light with you. While you may not need a light to see where you are going, you may very much need light so someone else can see you. Rules vary from state to state and sometimes from lake to lake and port to port. If you'd like to set up permanent lights, here are a few ideas to help improve your visibility at night.

  1. Deck Lights

    • Probably the best light for a kayak is the deck light. Also called an anchor light, a deck light is a white light that can usually be seen 360 degrees in any direction. It's not the most practical kind of light for a kayaker since the glare tends to obscure the paddler's night vision. Deck lights are usually mounted on the stern and may be used with red and green navigation lights mounted at the bow. Small battery-powered LED lights can be stuck to the hull with double-sided tape, a red one on the left side, green on the right and a white one on the stern. Most areas don't require navigation lights on any boat under 16 feet and on most kayaks. Lights on poles get in the way of paddles, entry and egress. Instead buy a low waterproof battery-powered light fixture, and glue the base to the deck with epoxy. To preserve night vision, apply tape to the top and paddler's side of the light.

    Head Lamp

    • A simpler solution is a miner's head lamp worn while paddling. The light follows your head and reveals you to approaching craft. You can leave the light off and switch it on only when you need it. A floating flashlight attached to the deck or inside of the cockpit with velcro also works. The problem with a flashlight is that it can take 20 minutes to recover your night vision after use. Cover the lens with a red filter, which doesn't hurt your night vision.

    Reflective Tape and Emergency Lights+

    • Strips of reflective tape applied to the edge of the hull fore and aft or to the paddle shaft can help make your kayak more visible and identifiable to rapidly approaching boats. Cyalume or C-lights are emergency chemical lights that are very visible and help preserve your night vision. They're easily duct taped to the hull, paddle shaft or pinned to the back of your life jacket. Yellow, lime green and orange are the easiest colors to see.

    Glowing Hull

    • A bright battery powered lantern inside the hull of your kayak can light up the hull from the inside and make you clearly visible. Also a small lantern suspended from a fishing pole holder can make you more visible if you're paddling among larger crafts like yachts and commercial boats.