Stanley has a new waterproof spotlight that’s just now hitting the market, and although this might seem like a topic that’s hard to get enthused about, after using one a couple of times, it’s proven its usefulness. The first time I had it onboard I tossed the light into my jon boat’s gear box just before leaving for a morning of duck hunting. We were going to a new blind which I hadn’t yet approached in the dark, and at first, we couldn’t find it. Then I remembered the Stanley, took it out of the box, fired it up, and panned the beam across the marsh. In a matter of moments, we spotted the blind.

The most surprising thing about this light is its size. It’s no larger than a regular flashlight, and weighs less than a pound. But it packs a serious punch: a five-watt LED bulb. It had no trouble slicing open the darkness up to and over 100 yards away. And since it has a 7.2-v NiMH rechargeable battery built in, all you have to do to keep it blasting strong is plug it in with the included wall charger, or the 12-V cigarette-lighter plug.

So, just how waterproof is it? Stanley says you can use it down to six feet (and if you drop the light, it’ll float facing up so you can find it easily in the dark). To prove the point I shoved it underwater and held it at arm’s length, while beaming light around beneath the water. Stanley also says its impact resistant (the light is encased in rubber and plastic) and can survive falls to 10 feet. Naturally, I had to put that claim to the testas well, and several drops on the riverbank rocks and concrete boat ramp had a negligible effect. I should have known, after watching Stanley’s video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl50Aq2DNJw. It shows plenty of this type of abuse, even a guy jumping off of a dock with the Stanley in his hands.

The Stanley also has a dimmer switch and a carry lanyard, and it lists at $60. So, is it the best spotlight for boaters? Actually, I say yes – between the small size, big power, recharge-ability, ruggedness, and waterproofing, this is one spot light that’s easy to get excited about.

The Stanley waterproof spotlight is one potent little spot light, and it might just be the best one out there, for boaters.