LIGHTING UP THE NIGHT
For many stand-up paddlers, the best time to be on the water comes after sunset. The heat fades, the wind settles, and the coastline takes on a different character. For Slovenian engineer Jure Korber, those late evening sessions sparked an idea that grew into a year-long engineering challenge.
Jure has developed what may be the most powerful underwater lighting system ever mounted to a stand-up paddleboard. Rather than illuminating the surface, the custom-built unit projects an intense beam beneath the board, turning nighttime paddles into underwater exploration missions.
“Every summer I wanted to SUP at night, when it is not too hot and the sun is no longer burning,” says Jure. “I started the project out of curiosity and because I wanted to see how far I could push the technical limits.”
Mounted beneath the board, the hydrodynamic, water-cooled light uses six beams arranged into three independently controlled lighting zones. Through a mobile app, users can adjust the light’s intensity and direction based on water depth and clarity.
During testing in clear Adriatic conditions, the system illuminated the seabed at depths of up to 25 meters, revealing underwater landscapes that are often difficult to see even in daylight.
« The light does not appear to attract or scare fish in the same way that movement and paddling do. »
At full output, the prototype produces around 90,000 lumens and is powered by a custom waterproof lithium-ion battery pack. While the numbers are impressive, Korber says the experience matters more than the specifications.
“Sometimes even water that is five metres deep looks almost shallow, because the seabed is so clearly visible, » he says.
The project was built entirely in Korber’s workshop in Celje, Slovenia. Over roughly 300 hours of development, he designed the housing, electronics, battery system, software, and mobile application himself, combining CNC-machined aluminum components with custom electronics and 3D-printed parts. What began as a personal experiment quickly attracted attention, with a video of the system shared online reaching nearly 200,000 viewers.
« For many stand-up paddlers, the best time to be on the water comes after sunset. »
The light reveals marine life, underwater terrain, and, occasionally, the less appealing traces of human activity hidden beneath the surface. Whether the prototype ever becomes a commercial product remains to be seen. For now, it stands as an example of what can happen when technical curiosity meets a passion for being on the water. The result is a glimpse into a side of paddling that few people have experienced: the underwater world after dark.
