9 Great Gift Ideas for Boaters
The holiday season is here, as TV commercials and store displays relentlessly remind us. But even though most boat owners might have put away their boats for the season, their loved ones can still give them boating-related gifts. Do you have a boatie or two on your list? We have some great gift ideas for boaters in your life.
Gift Ideas for Boaters: Towable Tube Enthusiasts
Towable tubes are the most user-friendly type of towable watersport. And with their growing popularity, tons of great add-ons are being developed. If your wake-obsessed gift recipient is more into wakeboarding, we have thoughts about other gifts.
Tube Booster Ball
This is such a simple idea, yet so brilliant. The towable tube booster ball (aka tow bobber) is a tow rope that’s designed with a float between the tube and the boat. Keeping the rope out of the water offers a few great benefits. For one, it delivers a less erratic ride since the tension is steadier. It also eliminates the rooster tail of water that can spray directly in riders’ faces. Finally, it decreases drag, so you have better speed and fuel efficiency.
Prices range from about $50 to $175 for top brands like WOW, Airhead, and O’Brien. Just make sure you look for a strong rope with sufficient length that features a float made with durable PVC.
High-Volume Electric Inflator Pump
Nobody wants to wait around to inflate the tube. With a high-volume pump, you can have them out on the water in no time. You will find a couple of types, including 12-volt DC battery-powered ones and plug-in shore-based power pumps. Some can run on either power source.
Look for pumps that come with multiple nozzle types and sizes, as well as models that help rapidly deflate the tube, too. Other factors to consider include weight and portability, inflation speed and volume, and cord length.
Prices range from about $20 to more than $100 for brands such as Airhead, WOW, HO Sports, and others.
Mesh Tube Storage Bag
A dedicated mesh bag for storing a tube will help keep it contained and still allow it to dry. There are tons of designs, ranging in price from $12 to $50 or so. Just make sure you get one that’s big enough for the recipient’s towable.
Gift Ideas for Boaters: Anglers
Anglers always need more equipment. Some of them can be very specific in their wants and needs, which can make gift-giving touch and go. No matter, you have tons of cool universal items to choose from that can make their calling more manageable.
Floating Sunglasses
Anyone who spends a lot of time on their boat fussing about with fishing gear is bound to watch their sunglasses go for a swim. If you’re certain about what type of glasses frames your fishing friend likes, consider a pair of floating sunglasses. Make sure they have UV protection. And given that sunglasses are an item that hinges very tightly on personal taste, make sure your gift recipient can return and/or exchange them.
Prices can range from $20 up to $100 or more—sometimes, a lot more—for fancier brands. You can start your search with manufacturers such as Rheos, Float20, Hobie, Flying Fisherman, and others.
Fishing Smart Watch
Smart watches are all the rage, and these days you can get one that’s designed specifically for fishing. A good one should have some or all of these features:
- Digital compass
- Tide information
- Temperature
- GPS
- Barometer
- Altimeter
- Thermometer
- Tracking/recording navigation capability
- A high IPX waterproof rating
- Bluetooth smartphone connectivity
A couple of other features to look for include the hardness level of the crystal face and the type of materials the watch is made of. These are working watches, after all, not for show. Some top-rated brands include Casio, Garmin, and Suunto, and prices range from $150 to $400.
Portable Castable Sonar
Do you have someone on your list who loves to fish and does it from a barebones boat or a kayak without a fishfinder? For folks like that, a castable sonar device can be a godsend. Users cast the device on a 20-pound test line or higher, and it turns on automatically when it hits the water. Using a sonar transducer, it sends pulses into the water and sends the signal back to the user’s smartphone or a dedicated readout via Wifi or Bluetooth.
The signals reveal fish, underwater structures, the contours of the bottom, and depth. Some even feature chartplotting so you can develop and save a contour map of the area.
Top brands include Deeper, Garmin, ReelSonar, and Lucky. Quality and price can vary widely, ranging from less than $100 to more than $500.
Gift Ideas for Boaters: Children
Boating is a great family activity, and boating with children can be especially rewarding. Getting child-specific accessories as gifts can help keep them engaged even in the off-season.
Child-Sized Life Jacket
Obviously, every boat must have appropriate flotation devices for whatever size passengers it typically carries. But getting the kiddos personalized PFDs in bright colors for high visibility and with cool designs can make safety fun. Make sure the ones you choose are U.S. Coast Guard-approved and appropriate for your child’s age and size. Some brands include O’Neill, Stohlquist, and Stearns. You can find many for less than $100.
Underwater Cameras
When they’re not flying around behind the boat on a tube, kids love to swim and explore underwater. A hardy underwater camera could open up whole worlds for your youngster as well as provide them with tangible memories of boating trips. Most of the current models have a screen for a viewfinder, can shoot video, and have front- and back-facing lenses, so they can take selfies.
Companies including Prograce, Agoigo, Ourlife, and Vtech offer great-looking models. Depending on quality—some are 4k, have a data card slot, etc.—you can get most of these from $20 to about $100.
Child’s Dedicated Dry Bag
Getting your kids their own brightly colored dry bag can help them keep their stuff—sunscreen, camera (see above!), goggles, snacks—in one location and also teach them personal responsibility. Look for a smaller size, maybe five or 10 liters, from quality brands such as HEETA, OMGear, Pelican, and Osprey. You will find dry bags from $10 to $40, depending on the size you select.
Gift-giving season is a chance to show your loved ones you care about their passions as much as they do. With these gift ideas for boaters, you can fulfill a lot of wishes for a variety of water-loving family and friends.
Kurt Brighton