Underwater Lighting
Specify the water first — then the optic. Architectural underwater lighting for pools, fountains, water features and reflecting ponds.
Light that belongs to the water
Underwater lighting is among the most demanding disciplines in architectural lighting. The luminaire must survive pressure, chlorination or salt, and total submersion — while the light itself articulates the volume of water, the materials and finishes, and the architecture, without glare at the waterline.
Get the material or the electrical class wrong, and the installation fails in service. Get the optics wrong, and a pool becomes a wall of lamps. This guide maps five architectural approaches from the brands we work with — BEGA, MP Lighting, Aldabra, and LEDYi — backed by William Artists’ 50-year legacy of engineering delivery across Greater China.
Why is underwater lighting essential?
Pools, fountains, water features and reflecting ponds read as architecture after dark only when the source is engineered for chemistry, glare, and service. A decorative “pool light” from a general catalogue is not a specification.
Key Takeaway for Architects and Specifiers
BEGA for infrastructure-grade materials, thermal management, and long-term spare parts. MP Lighting for compact, micro aperture underwater fixtures with high CRI and a wide choice of beams. Aldabra for continuous linear light runs, wall washing and water wall grazing. LEDYi for IP68 pool strip and neon flex to frame edges, steps, and outline runs. Specify the alloy to the water — not the look to the brochure. In swim zones: 24V DC, Safety Class III, IP68, remote drivers.
Five foundations for specifying light in water
| Principle | Architectural application |
|---|---|
| Glare and distribution | Symmetrical distribution for even basin wash. Asymmetric distribution to throw light across the floor while keeping the source out of sightlines at the waterline. Prefer flush profiles in swim zones; use a half-shield or hood where pedestrians look toward the fixture. |
| Material by water type | Chlorinated / fresh water: marine-grade stainless cover rings. Salt and brine: a higher-grade stainless made for saltwater. Keep water at a neutral pH, free of metal-attacking compounds. |
| Electrical safety | Swim and walk-in water: 24V DC, Class III, IP68, remote safety supplies in a dry plant room. |
| Optics and colour | Higher CRI to render tile, stone, and water colour. Warm-to-neutral white 2200K–3500K. Beams from narrow spot to wide flood, scaled to basin depth and width. RGBW / DALI colour for wellness and hospitality — specified as a control layer, not a separate fixture family. |
| Thermal and installation | Water is the heat sink — energise only when fully submerged. Typical recessed set-in 400–700 mm below the surface. Use the manufacturer housing for the pool construction (concrete, foil, stainless, synthetic). Weighted plates where drilling is prohibited. |
Five architectural approaches for underwater lighting
Recessed pool integration — BEGA
Circular recessed luminaires for private and public pools — integrated into concrete shell via purpose-made housings. The architecture stays clean; the light describes the water.
Indoor pool with recessed underwater luminaires along the wall.
Recessed underwater beam across a mosaic pool floor.
BEGA — Recessed underwater luminaires
BEGA circular recessed stainless underwater luminaire — white LED or RGBW.
BEGA recessed underwater luminaire — specify symmetrical or asymmetrical light distribution.
- Circular recessed luminaires with marine-grade stainless trim for chlorinated and fresh water; specify the saltwater-grade stainless cover for salt pools.
- Available with symmetrical light distribution for even basin wash, or asymmetrical distribution to throw light across the floor while keeping the source out of sightlines at the waterline.
- 3000K LED or RGBW — specified as a control layer, not a separate fixture family.
- 24V DC, Safety Class III, IP68. Remote safety power supplies.
- BEGA Thermal Management and BEGA Constant Optics — the surrounding water cools the module; the optic holds its distribution in service.
- Installation housings matched to the pool construction, so the luminaire sits flush and can be serviced.
Compact recessed underwater - MP Lighting
Compact underwater fixtures that recede into the substrate on both horizontal and vertical surfaces — the light reads as part of the architecture rather than as hardware in the basin. Specify for reflecting pools, fountains, step decks, and architectural water features where a small, high-CRI source and precise scale are essential.
Compact underwater luminaires in a pebble basin.
Engineered for shallow pools, step decks, and reflecting features where pedestrian sightlines meet the waterline. The half-shield shields the light source from view, casting light downward across step treads, pool floors, and submerged surfaces. Delivered as a glare-control solution within the core compact family—not a separate fixture series.
Circular submersible in marine-grade 316 stainless steel with 1W or 2W LED — a smaller-scale source for swimming pools, reflecting pools and fountains. Chlorinated and fresh water. Rated for continuous submersion; the fixture sits flush so the water reads first, not the hardware.
Submerged features and volume floodlights - BEGA
Aimable underwater floodlights for fountains, ponds, sculpture, and water movement — yoke or surface mounting where a recessed pool housing is not the architecture.
Reflecting pool with aimable underwater floodlights
Waterfall cascade lit from the basin.
BEGA — Stainless Steel Underwater floodlights
BEGA underwater floodlight energised while submerged.
- Available from 13W to 62W and IP68-rated for submersion up to 20m—scalable for dynamic jets, architectural bowls, sculptures, and large-scale water features.
- Must operate strictly fully submerged for thermal cooling; requires neutral pH water free of corrosive agents.
- Adjustable mounting brackets enable precise directional aiming onto water jets, cascades, and submerged artwork.
- Powered by remote 24V DC safety power supplies in a dry plant room for swim-adjacent features; line voltage is restricted to sealed, non-swim water features.
- Includes weighted mounting plates for secure placement where drilling into the waterproof membrane or pool floor is prohibited.
Continuous underwater linear grazing - Aldabra
Aldabra — Vitro Optics
LED line detail inside the encapsulated tube.
Louver detail for glare control.
Elliptical optic for precision grazing.
- Continuous vertical wall grazing and non-scalloping cascades for pools, fountains, steps, and niches.
- Double-waterproof resin encapsulation in a polycarbonate tube with 316L stainless steel end caps (IP66/IP68, IK09).
- Modular lengths from 522 mm to 2022 mm mounted via adjustable stainless brackets so runs read as one continuous line.
- High-output power density up to ~17 W/m with an internal aluminum core to drive light through water.
- Color temperatures available in 2700K, 3000K, and 4000K white CCTs, plus RGB dynamic color variants.
- Remote 24V DC operation with narrow, medium, or elliptical optical lenses for precision grazing.
IP68 Edge & Contour Framing — LEDYi
Continuous lines of light in and around the water — pool edges, steps, niches, and submerged runs where a point fixture is the wrong scale.
LEDYi creative pool LED strip design ideas.
Lighting effect of waterproof LED strip lights along a pool edge.
LEDYi — IP68 pool strip / neon flex
- Fully encapsulated IP68 silicone or polyurethane (PU) neon flex engineered for continuous submersion in chlorinated and saltwater pools.
- Remote 12V / 24V DC driver configuration housed in a dry plant room for swim-safe low-voltage operation.
- Perimeter and step-nose safety tracking to mark organic curves, pool edges, submerged steps, and architectural outlines.
- Concealed linear mounting beneath catch-basin weirs for infinity and spillway edges, washing upward through falling sheets of water to magnify the “floating water” illusion.
FAQ
Do underwater luminaires have to be 24V?
For swimming pools, walk-in pools, and other zones people enter, specify 24V DC, Safety Class III, and IP68, with remote drivers in a dry plant room.
Why some of the underwater luminaires only run when submerged?
The surrounding water is the heat sink. Running the luminaire dry overheats the LED module and will damage it. Energise the circuit only when the fixture is fully under water.
Which metal should I specify for a saltwater pool?
Chlorinated fresh water typically uses cast aluminium bronze with a marine-grade 316L stainless cover. Salt and brine need a higher-grade stainless made for saltwater. Drinking-water contact and seawater basins often require lead-free brass. Match the alloy to the water chemistry — and keep pH neutral.
How deep should recessed pool lights be set?
A typical working range is 400–700 mm below the water surface, for cooling and a useful throw across the basin. Confirm depth with the luminaire’s rating and the pool construction.
Recessed, compact, floodlight, or continuous linear — how do I choose?
Select recessed housings for flush-wall swimming pool installations, sleek compact fixtures to seamlessly disappear into shallow pools, step decks, and reflecting features , aimable floodlights to target dynamic water jets, features and sculptures, continuous linear fixtures with special lens and optics for smooth vertical wall grazing and non-scalloping cascades, and continuous IP68 flex LED strips to define organic curves, step-nose safety borders, and continuous architectural outlines.
Specifying underwater lighting for your project?
Tell us the water chemistry, the construction (concrete, foil, stainless), and whether people enter the water. Our technical division will help specify the right materials, electrical class, optics, and controls.
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