In more recent years, popular thinking says blue-mirror and gray-base lenses are best for offshore, and copper or amber-base lenses with green, gold or copper mirror are best inshore in brackish, brown or green water.

Lens density is a critical choice if you can only own one pair. And for as much as $300 a pair, the trick is selecting the right one for most situations.

Frame style plays a big role in glare reduction. Light leaking in around the sides can cause lens flare, making glasses a liability in some cases. You’ll need to choose frames that wrap closely around your face, leaving as few gaps for light as possible.

We tested three pairs from each brand represented: one for offshore blue water, one for inshore, and one for low-light conditions. In each brand, we brought our two faves to you in this report. The frames we chose might not work for you, but the lens colors served us well, and we think you’ll appreciate them too.

WileyX

wileyx.com

WileyX says its sunglasses are built for protection, durability and performance. Its offerings span from fashion to ballistic impact protection and are sought by anglers, boaters, motorcyclists, shooters and military personnel. The lenses are ANSI-tested and approved for clarity and, if you choose models with ballistic qualities, they can take a high-speed impact from a small-caliber projectile. We proved they would deflect a BB at 400 feet per second with only a dimple in the lens.

Our Twisted glasses ($180) came with a gray matte frame and blue-mirror and gray-base polymer lenses. This color combo is most sought after by bluewater boaters and anglers because it transmits neutral colors while cutting glare, making fish and underwater obstacles easier to spot. For offshore anglers, the wide temples combat side glare and enhance clarity when trying to spot gamefish. In clear, blue water, they provided a definite contrast advantage over the copper lenses.

For boaters and inshore anglers, an alternative might be the Peak style ($190), with narrower temples that don’t block peripheral vision, and copper lenses that transmit more light but cut blue light to enhance greens, yellows and reds without an uncomfortable color shift. These lenses are curved to wrap around the eye without distorting image transmission. They also bring more light to the eye, giving the benefit of polarizing contrast in overcast days.

Costa

costadelmar.com

Costa (previously known as Costa del Mar) has a long and exemplary history of providing quality performance eyewear for fishermen, hunters and boaters. Its 580 lenses are designed to block low blue light that diffuses clarity over distance. Available in many colors to suit water conditions, the 580s come in 580P for polycarbonate and 580G for glass. 

The Santiago is part of the Untangled Collection, which features frames made from recycled discarded fishing nets collected before they can be lost in the ocean, which helps remove the lethality of ghost nets from the water. Santiago sunglasses ($226) sport a large-frame, face-hugging style useful in any region. We tested 580G blue-mirror, gray-base lenses that are the choice of boaters and anglers in clear blue water. In our test, they provided a high-contrast, true-color view in blue water and did surprisingly well in inshore water. The Untangled series uses glass for its sustainability and recyclability, and even the frames and hinges of this stylish series are recyclable.

Costa’s Rincondo glasses ($267) in gloss-black frames boast 580P green-mirror lenses with a copper base. They definitely beat out the blue-mirror-and-gray glass combo in green and brown water. Naturally, they took a back seat to blue mirror and gray in blue water, but still assisted in scoping out detail in clear blue water. The included hard case and microfiber cleaner cloth keep them looking good and help maintain a clear view.

Bajio

bajiosunglasses.com

Bajio is a fledgling brand in a tough, competitive market of fashion eyewear, with stringent technical standards for performance. Blocking blue light below 445 nanometers and filtering the harshest yellow light at 580 nanometers is the specialty of Bajio’s line. The company reaches across generations with an eye for the millennial, so that’s important. You won’t find the brand talking technology much, but its customers demand that industries today work sustainably to clean up a damaged world. So, Bajio chooses low-impact, durable, and fully recyclable or biodegradable materials at every turn.

Nippers ($249) are available in black or tortoise frames, and ours had a violet-mirror and red base. Bajio’s Lapis lens technology is designed to reduce the bad blue wavelength below 445 nanometers and the hottest yellow at 580. This reduces haze over long distances and increases clarity. The red lens base is responsible for clarity, and Bajio’s engineers’ profound accomplishment in lens technology is the polarizing film. We found it effective in both backwaters and blue water, but with an edge in backwaters.

Bajio’s Bales Beach sunglasses ($249) employ glass lens technology—the choice of most anglers due to scratch resistance—and their blue-mirror, gray base also blocks bad blue light, important for protecting the eyes of the younger crowd from screen time. Glare-killing polarizing technology eases eyestrain and makes obstacles visible below the water. These will be the choice of coastal boaters in blue water. The eight-base curved frame hugs the face, enhancing peripheral vision while sealing out stray light. The roughly 1/2-inch-wide temples shield side glare without inhibiting peripheral vision.

Hobie Eyewear

hobieeyewear.com

Hobie glasses are a “started in a garage” success story by a water-loving boater and surfer who wanted something better for his sport. The polycarbonate lenses have five coatings: a hardness coating inside and out to combat scratching, a coating to prevent water spotting, a mirror layer, and a polarization filter to reduce side glare and confine light transmission to horizontal beams. Frames are made of Ultem and TR-90 materials. Spring-loaded hinges open precisely, and co-molded temples and nose pads are bonded to the frames for durability and to secure a friction fit.

The Huntington frames we tested in the blue-mirror polar lenses ($109) were ideal for a larger face. They provided good side-glare protection from the face-hugging curve of the lens without peripheral-blocking wide temples. The twist to our Huntington style is it offers the owner seven different interchangeable clip-lens options ($40 to $50 each). Blue-mirror polar lenses were great for blue water and seemed to transmit more light, which is helpful in lower light. The green-mirror copper lens worked best in brown water.

The Bells frames ($120) came with magnetic clip lenses and are available in five different flavors. We liked the green-mirror copper for inshore, and found the magnetic clips far easier to change than the standard clips of the Huntington. The smaller frame and more rounded lenses are an ideal fashion statement, but still effective for most boaters with a narrower face. Both frames boasted narrow temples, allowing better peripheral views.

Flying Fisherman

flyingfisherman.com 

Flying Fisherman—founded in the Florida Keys, one of the greatest fishing destinations in the world—launched as a value-based brand and was often the quick replacement for forgotten or lost premium sunglasses. Its low-price niche of $20 to $30 provided clear, polarized vision in angler-style lenses and became popular. Recently, the brand expanded into fashion and higher-end models (from $70), incorporating high-tech lenses and mirrored lenses (from $80).

Rip Current Matte ($80) is an excellent example. The nylon frames boast large lenses, and simple but reliable molded hinges with stainless-steel hinge screws. We tested them in Smoke Blue Mirror, a green-base lens that proves most effective in blue water, but filters colors to provide good contrast in green and brown waters. Even at that price point, they provided good clarity and eye comfort.

Mojarra Matte frames ($80) are gray with green-mirror and amber-base lenses. Recessed nose pads and temple pads are co-injected in Grilamid TR-90 that’s heat- and impact-resistant. The lenses provided the best contrast and clarity in brown water, but were surprisingly strong in blue water too. With both glasses hitting the wallet at $70 (suggested retail), these warrant consideration as either primary or backup eye protection.

Maui Jim

mauijim.com

Maui Jim is one of the last independent sunglass manufacturers in the world and at the top of its game. The company uses proprietary polymers for its nonglass lenses. In glass, its manufacturing process renders extra-thin, extra-durable, optically correct lenses. PolarizedPlus2 lenses stop 99.9 percent of glare and 100 percent of harmful UV light. They are guaranteed for life against defects, and friends who accessed customer service have reported pleasing results.

The Akau ($189) came with olive-matte temples and is available in six more colors. It weighs less than 1/3 ounce, and features minimal, hollow nose pads for ventilation and comfort. The high-transmission (HT) lenses are the thinnest, lightest material available and offer great contrast and polarizing clarity that relaxed the eye in bright sunlight in spite of the higher light transmission. These would be the ideal lenses for fishing backwaters, and we thought the lenses provided a better look beneath brown water than copper lenses.

Another Maui Jim choice is the Huelo 449 ($229), which uses Maui’s proprietary Maui Pure polymer lens for clarity that rivals glass. The bronze base starts with red mirror at the top and shades to orange at the bottom. The PolarizedPlus2 lenses block more light from above and allow in more light from below for added clarity. The matte-black frames offer a face-hugging, durable fit, and the thin temples preserve peripheral vision. They are a great option for inshore and offshore boaters.

Ocean Waves

oceanwaves.com

Ocean Waves offers handmade glass lenses in various densities and colors that cover the light spectrum, from low-light fishing and boating with its Luminator lens to fishing in high sun with gold-mirror and gray-base glass. Surfers and fishermen founded the company 40 years ago in Atlantic Beach, Florida, near Jacksonville. Frames and lenses are handmade in Atlantic Beach and can be custom-fit to hug the face. They offer the optimal durability and optical clarity you can only get with glass polarized lenses.

Ricochet frames ($259) arrived in light, stylish tortoise with Luminator glass lenses in purple mirror and amber. Ocean Waves says they are enhanced to gather light, making them ideal for cloudy days, sunrise and sunset. We found them great for driving, as well as fishing or navigating. Amber lenses are often favored for high contrast in brown or murky water. Thin temples allowed optimal peripheral vision. Their underwater contrast was excellent. Even in full sun, light-blocking density was just about right—you won’t have to remove them to tie knots or read a GPS chart.

Pablo Beach frames ($259) are definitely an offshore boater’s go-to. Blue mirror over dark amber lenses provided high contrast in blue water and soothing coolness in the blazing sun. The frames are definitely for anglers; navigators might find that the glare-blocking wide temples block too much peripheral vision.

Read Next: Three Types of Sun Protection for Boaters

Redfin

redfinpolarized.com

Redfin is one of a few new brands we’ll see in 2022. As the marketplace changes due to acquisitions, personnel move to new opportunities. Redfin is an example of that. The company might be new, but its engineering is strong. Stylish Italian frames, stainless-steel hinges and Zeiss lenses will put these sunglasses on the top shelf with competitors you know and trust. We didn’t expect this upstart brand to test so well.

Sanibel frames ($229) are made of black-matte material with molded-in nose pads. Green-mirror and amber-base lenses provided peel-back-the-water clarity to shallow bottom structure, and delivered glare and light protection above water. Neutral gray lenses might shift the colors a little less, but these clearly distinguished between all shades in our test view. Redfin says coatings protect lenses from water spotting, and make wiping off oily residue and fingerprints easy.

Redfin’s Tybee frames ($229) in tortoise make an eye-catching fashion statement, but still provide polarizing protection and filter blue and yellow light for clarity. Narrower temples preserve peripheral vision and are ideal for a smaller face. Molded-in nose pads add comfort, resting easy on the face and minimizing pressure points after a full day on the water. Oil, sweat and water-spot protection coatings help make them easy to clean.

The post Top Sunglasses for Boating and Fishing appeared first on Boating Mag.

There’s something about owning an antique, classic boat. That is, until you have to repower it. Well, the options for repowering go beyond burning fossil fuels in today’s world. An old boat can become something entirely new when fitted with electric propulsion. Take the case of the antique launch On Point, which the owner recently repowered with an electric motor. The whole process provides some insight on the cost and logistics of replacing internal combustion with flowing electrons. The builder and owner shared all the details, and even let us take the wheel to experience the results firsthand. Here’s what we found.

History Lesson

This boat’s story begins in 1897, when Alexander Mackay-Smith of Philadelphia commissioned the construction of a 40-foot Naphtha Launch from Gas Engine and Power Company and Charles L. Seabury and Company of New York City. He named the elegant launch Virginia to honor his wife and kept it at a family vacation home on Seal Harbor off Mount Desert Island in Maine.

The single-screw craft was powered by a 12 hp, 1,000-pound naphtha engine, a type of external combustion engine developed just before the turn of the century exclusively for powering small boats and yachts after the US Coast Guard required steam-engine operators to be licensed engineers. In 1920, the launch was acquired for Spencer Bay Camps, a fishing resort on Moosehead Lake in Maine, where it stayed until 2012. It was subsequently donated to the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York, which deaccessioned the launch for auction in 2018.

While the cabin and its handcarved details were in good condition, the boat had been allowed to badly deteriorate below the waterline. On the day of the auction, Dave Bortner, owner of Freedom Boat Service of Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, sent a picture of the forlorn craft to a client in Wisconsin, who took a leap of faith and purchased the boat for $16,500. Thus, a two-year restoration of the launch began. Bortner says the project consumed 8,000 hours in his shop at a cost well into seven figures.

“The portions of the boat that remain original are the keel, the cabin window frames, and the interior woodwork, bulkheads and doors,” says Bortner, who founded Freedom Boat Service in 2009, and has serviced hundreds of antique and vintage boats. “The hull is all new, and frames were replaced as needed. The cabin was remodeled, in part to accommodate the new power system.”

It was a labor of love for an owner with an unlimited budget and a passion for antique craft. The finished launch incorporates many modern amenities, including an autopilot, audio system, air conditioning, bow thrusters, genset, and water and waste systems, all hidden from view.

Electrification

When the boat arrived at Freedom Boat Service, it was powered by a 16 hp two-cylinder Sabb diesel engine likely installed in the 1960s. Positioned in the aft cockpit, the engine featured a direct drive to a horizontal prop shaft. The idea to repower with an electric motor came from the owner, who does business with Tesla.

“He wondered if we couldn’t power the boat using a Tesla Powerwall battery and a Tesla automobile motor,” Bortner says. “This proved to be unworkable. The Powerwall is intended for very gradual discharge, and the Tesla motor is designed to operate at very high rpm.”

Impressed with the Elco electric systems in boats that had passed through the shop for service, the Freedom team next turned to the marine electric specialist based out of Lake George, New York.

“Elco was instrumental in designing this system and delivered it ready to install,” Bortner says. “Just as with internal combustion power, I’d advise to always install as much electric power and battery capacity as you can afford and the boat will accommodate. You’ll never wish you had less of either.”

The Elco EP-40 motor selected for the launch has a continuous output rating of 17 kW, comparable to a 40 hp internal combustion engine, according to Elco. The motor alone weighs 400 pounds, has a footprint of about 19 inches square, and is 29 inches tall. The entire system, excluding instrument panel and batteries, is contained in a finned water-resistant cast-aluminum housing. Elco inboard motors are a brushless three-phase AC induction type boasting 85 to 92 percent efficiency, which Elco claims is 30 percent more efficient than a DC motor, and 40 to 50 percent more efficient than a combustion engine. The motor is rated for 50,000 hours of service, and its main shaft is the only moving part. There is nothing to maintain.

Elco motors are typically installed in direct-drive configurations. There’s no need for a transmission because the motor simply reverses when it’s time to back up. The Freedom team sought to open up space in the aft cockpit by mounting the motor above the prop shaft, with a belt drive mating the motor to the shaft. This required building a structure for motor mounts and a cabinet to cover the motor. Gates Corporation supplied the toothed belt and upper and lower pulleys, and its input was critical in determining belt alignment and tension, according to Bortner.

There was a great desire to design the power system for peak efficiency. Elco’s chief engineer, Joe Fleming, helped by calculating the hull speed—or displacement speed—of this antique running surface, which he determined to be 12 knots. An ideal displacement cruising speed, according to Fleming, is usually the square root of 0.85 of the waterline length. In this case, that was about 5.8 knots. The Elco motor has a maximum speed of 1,800 rpm. With this in mind, Fleming applied more math. The belt pulleys were sized for a 1.75:1 reduction, and the team commissioned Prop MD of Plymouth, Minnesota, to build a 19-inch-diameter-by-16-inch-pitch, three-blade bronze propeller for the boat.

The Elco EP-40 can handle up to 108 volts and is typically rigged with nine 160-pound D8 (245 Ah) 12-volt lead-acid batteries with a combined capacity of 27.9 kWh, only half of which (14 kWh) is available without shortening battery life. Freedom specified an alternative, four 102-volt Lithionics GT Series lithium-iron-phosphate batteries in series. The Lithionics batteries also weigh about 160 pounds each and are about the same size as a D8, so this choice reduced battery weight by 800 pounds and saved space. The four batteries combined store 30.8 kWh, and unlike lead-acid batteries, all of that capacity is available.

A single external Lithionics NeverDie battery management system (BMS) monitors all four batteries, can be rigged with its own state of charge (SOC) display, and is also available with Bluetooth to monitor battery voltage, state of charge, temperature, current and status code on a mobile device. Elco engineered and supplied the entire system, including cables, a throttle control, chargers and a system monitoring screen as a plug-and-play package. The cost was about $57,200. The EP-40 motor alone cost $13,995. The Lithionics batteries were $7,958 each, and the Lithionics BMS was $2,400.

The team installed two batteries each within the port and starboard settees in the forward salon. Most of the other mechanicals are below the foredeck in a space that previously held a 200-gallon copper tank for liquid naphtha. They installed a 20-by-32-inch hatch in the deck to access the bow thruster, the 5.5 kW Next Gen generator and its 12-gallon diesel tank, the BMS, two Lithionics battery chargers, and a separate Guest charger for the three 12-volt lead-acid batteries for the house system, the thruster and to crank the genset. The air-conditioning and heating unit is located below the port settee and powered by the genny.

The Lithionics 120/220-volt chargers ($840 each) are set up for two 30-amp, 120-volt shore-power circuits (until 220 is available dockside). One charges two lithium batteries and the house charger, while the other charges the other two lithium batteries.

The Sea Trial

Bortner and his team had no idea how the boat would perform, and there was an immediate problem: The boat had lost so much weight that the prop was only half-submerged.

“We run into this sometimes with a wood boat that has been extensively refitted,” Bortner explains. “But this was pretty dramatic. The boat loses weight because modern wood has much less density than the old-growth wood used originally. The old bilge was likely soaked with engine oil, and the boat now carries less total powertrain weight and no fuel. We had to add 800 pounds of lead ballast along the keel to settle the boat deeper in the water.”

Read Next: Four Electric Boat Motors Compared

On Point, as the boat has been rechristened, lives on a custom Golden boat lift on Green Lake in Wisconsin. On a crisp autumn day, we helped Bortner remove the canvas cover, lower the lift and glide out onto the lake. The hull form is similar to a vintage sailboat, with a round bottom rocking up at the stern, so the boat is a bit tender in a crosswind. It was responsive to the rudder, however, and offered a relaxing ride. Top speed on our demo was 8.5 mph at 1,300 rpm, and at this speed the Elco screen predicted seven hours of battery reserve. We throttled back to just 650 rpm to cruise at 5 mph, which increased the battery reserve to 11 hours. But in both cases, range is about 55 to 60 miles. There was some driveline vibration at full speed, but at cruise the powertrain was silent—so much so, in fact, that the thrusters seemed startlingly loud when we docked.

While this project was clearly over the top, it still serves as an example of an ideal conversion to electric power. Silent cruising enhances boating; no maintenance enhances ownership. The cost of the repower could be reduced with half the battery capacity, and five or six hours of cruising time seems adequate. A diesel repower would cost a fraction of the cost, but the end result wouldn’t be so elegant.

The Electric Launch Company

The Electric Launch Company (Elco) began in 1893 as a sister company to Electric Boat, with a contract to build 55 electric-powered 36-foot launches for the Chicago World’s Colombian Exposition. In 1902, Elco opened a boatyard in Bayonne, New Jersey; a decade later, it launched the first diesel-powered yacht in America. In the 1940s, Elco trailed only Chris-Craft in sales of recreational powerboats. During World War II, Elco built PT boats for the Navy, including the PT 109 commanded by John F. Kennedy. Elco closed in 1949 when Electric Boat (later General Dynamics) changed its business focus to military contracts. In 1987, Joe Fleming acquired the Elco naming rights with the intention of building replicas of the original Elco launches. In 2009, the Lamando family acquired the company, and its focus turned to building modern electric-power systems—inboards from 6 to 100 hp, and electric outboards from 5 to 50 hp. The company also offers custom-built replicas of its many classic launches.

The post Going Electric to Repower an Antique Boat appeared first on Boating Mag.

Garmin’s new Boat Switch is an all-in-one digital-switching solution that lets you operate up to 20 circuits right from your compatible Garmin GPSMap or EchoMap chart plotter instead of using physical buttons or switches. It offers four different switch types, including on/off for bilge pumps and nav lights, press-and-hold dimmers for cabin lights, momentary outputs for horns, and timers to circulate your livewell pumps. Plus, it provides built-in tank-sender detection and calibration for as many as four tanks—including fuel, water and graywater.

Thanks to 18-inch flying leads and in-the-box wire harnesses, the Garmin Boat Switch eliminates the need to purchase additional components and can be easily wired into the boat. Once installed, a switching page is automatically added to the chart plotter so boaters can position, name and remove switches in an easy-to-use interface. It installs without special tools and allows you to easily add and name switches on your chart-plotter display. $999.99; garmin.com

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Remote app-based boat-monitoring and control technology is a rapidly expanding segment of the marine electronics market. One of the latest to join is Raymarine with its YachtSense Link system that networks with the company’s digital-switching system and Axiom multifunction displays.
Raymarine calls this integrated network the YachtSense Ecosystem, but it’s the YachtSense Link combined with the new Raymarine mobile app that lets boaters monitor and control onboard systems 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

YachtSense Link keeps boaters connected via a 4G LTE cellular plan of their choosing or via Wi-Fi (such as the signal you might pick up in a ­marina). It switches automatically between the two depending on which is strongest. You can use the app to switch on and off—and monitor—up to four low-voltage devices, such as pumps and lights. It also connects to Raymarine’s Axiom multifunction displays for onboard monitoring and control.
The waterproof YachtSense Link measures 9.53 inches wide by 6.39 inches tall by 2.48 inches deep (excluding antennas). It can also serve as an ­onboard 4G hotspot.

Raymarine’s Ecosystem expands control and ­monitoring by integrating YachtSense Link with the YachtSense digital-­switching system. This allows for control of more devices and enables the switching of higher-­voltage accessories, such as generators and air conditioning. The Ecosystem is available only as an option on new boats.

Read Next: Raymarine Yachtsense Digital Switching

The mobile app also offers a Raymarine premium subscription ($19.99 per month) that allows boaters to set up a geofence around their boat, monitor the boat’s location remotely, and receive alerts if the boat moves outside a defined geofence circle.

Raymarine’s mobile app is available as a free download for Android and Apple devices. The YachtSense Link ­marine mobile router sells for $1,299.99 and includes a complimentary six-month trial of the premium subscription. To learn more, visit raymarine.com/yachtsense.

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Life jackets might be the most important safety gear you can have on board for you and your crew. But what type of life jacket do you need? There are three types of inherently buoyant life jackets designated by the US Coast Guard. (There’s also Type IV, which are throwable PFDs; Type V are special use.) Here’s a brief rundown of the basics of Type I, Type II and Type III life jackets.

Type III: Mustang Hydrostatic HIT Inflatable

The Float: Type III jackets meet most recreational needs. They can be foam, but our edit staff prefers Type III inflatable PFDs such as the Mustang Hydrostatic HIT. (Automatically inflatable PFDs might also rate as Type III.) They’re comfortable to wear, which we do on our boat tests, and are easily inflated should you fall into the water.

The Catch: Type III inflatables are intended for recreational use in areas where rescue efforts can come quickly, and they are not required to rotate a user from a face-down position.

Price: $249.99; amazon.com

Type II: EXXEL Outdoors Type II

The Float: Almost all of the  life jackets packed into one of those Coast Guard kits is an inexpensive Type II with a bulky collar, such as this from Exxel Outdoors. They are an easy and inexpensive way to meet Coast Guard requirements for your boat. They do not have as much buoyancy as Type I jackets and can rotate some, but not all, wearers from a face-down position.

The Catch: These basic life jackets are notoriously uncomfortable to wear and intended for use when rescue efforts can be done fairly quickly.

Price: $9.99;  westmarine.com

Read Next: Wear Your Lifejacket

Type I: Kent Type I Foam

The Float: According to the Coast Guard, Type I life jackets, such as this one from Kent, have the greatest required inherent buoyancy and should work to rotate an unconscious person out of a face-down position in the water. These are preferred for offshore situations where rescue efforts might take considerable time because they’re designed to keep people afloat and able to breathe for long periods in the water.

The Catch: Type I life jackets are known to be bulky and can be uncomfortable to wear for long stretches of time on deck.

Price: $59.99; amazon.com

Beyond the Basics

While any life jacket is better than no life jacket, some styles work better than others, depending on the task at hand. Watersports enthusiasts benefit from snug, secure protection. Recreational boaters may prefer a less-restrictive feel. And then there are those who need flotation and protection from the elements. Here’s a comparison of three choices tailored to specific needs.

Recreational: Mustang MIT 100 Automatic Inflatable PFD

Why Get: A minimalist suspender design and lightweight, pliable air bladder combine for one of the most comfortable, unobtrusive PFDs on the market. Adjust the waist buckle to accommodate additional layers (or that beer belly). Verify the CO2 cartridge is armed via a clear inspection window. Automatic inflation upon water immersion guarantees the jacket will activate, even if the wearer is freaked out or unconscious. Buoyancy is 28 pounds.

All Wet: Unlike foam-filled PFDs, the jacket must be rearmed with a fresh CO2 cylinder before next use once inflated.

Price: $169.99; amazon.com

PWC/Watersports: Mustang Livery Foam Vest

Why Get: With a flexible foam core and durable 300D polyester shell, the Livery provides flotation and impact protection for activities like PWC riding, wakeboarding and water-skiing. Large armholes allow for flexibility, while the front-entry design makes for easy donning and removal. A trio of buckled web straps secures the vest and fine-tunes the fit; a contrasting middle strap avoids inevitable mix-ups when strapping in. Buoyancy is 22.5 pounds.

All Wet: Aggressive types may prefer additional length in the torso and a more body-hugging fit.

Price: $49.99; amazon.com

OffSeason: Mustang Catalyst Flotation Jacket

Why Get: Mustang’s Catalyst manages a trifecta, combining closed-cell foam flotation with the warmth and protection of a foul-weather jacket. The breathable, laminate outer shell is waterproof to almost 11 yards. Zippered underarm vents provide additional airflow. Reflective accents on the body and integrated hood keep the wearer visible. Stow gear in a choice of a zippered chest pocket and two front cargo pockets. Buoyancy is a minimum of 15.7 pounds.

All Wet: Best when paired with matching flotation bibs, making for a slightly pricey combo.

Price: $368.13; amazon.com

The post Picking the Right Life Jacket appeared first on Boating Mag.

A Type IV throwable device is a specific US Coast Guard-approved class of safety equipment designed to throw to a person in the water. It is intended to be grasped or grabbed, not worn. All recreational powerboats in the US are required to carry at least one approved Type IV device. Additionally, there are other devices that, while not formally approved by the Coast Guard, can be successfully used to save the life of a crewmember who falls overboard.

Horseshoe

Popular for sailboats, horseshoe buoys are Type IV devices that often feature a drogue, or a sea anchor that limits its drift in wind. They are sometimes tethered to a strobe light so the skipper has a bright target to circle back to. Usually, they are dropped astern as soon as a man-overboard (MOB) event occurs. Though ­clumsy to throw, horseshoe buoys are heavy enough to carry in a breeze, come in two sizes, and can provide up to 40 pounds of buoyancy. They stow in a special rack.

Ring Buoy

Popular on commercial boats, this Type IV device probably is the one that can be thrown with the most distance and accuracy. An MOB grabbing one side almost automatically flips the ring over his or her head, while the grab lines and overall robust nature make it easy to hang on. An attached line allows the rescuer to haul in a victim, even in fairly rough seas. Ring buoys range from 19 to 30 inches in diameter and provide between 19 and 44 pounds of buoyancy.

Throw Cushion

The most popular Type IV device for powerboats, the flotation cushion is easy to stow because it doubles as a seat cushion. It can be tough to throw accurately in any kind of strong breeze. With a line attached, one can haul in a victim, but if the boat is moving or the sea is heaving, the sewn-on handles might not stand up to the strain like the tougher ring. Select a bright color—not white—for the best visibility in choppy conditions. Flotation cushions provide a minimum buoyancy of 18 pounds.

Mustang Rescue Stick

This 14-inch-long ­baton is not a Coast guard-­approved Type IV device, yet it is darn handy. Its shape and heft would make it easy to throw accurately. It inflates automatically upon contact with water and provides 35 pounds of buoyancy, more than most life jackets. Compared to approved devices, it requires an owner inspection and annual rearming in order to work.

Heaving Line

A throw bag or heaving line is a nonapproved device that can prove helpful for rescuing an MOB. It easy to throw with more accuracy than any of the approved types. It can also be used in conjunction with a Type IV by deploying the throw bag after the ­victim grabs the flotation device. Unlike approved Type IV devices, a heaving line or throw bag provides no ­buoyancy.

Read Next: Throwable Personal Flotation Devices

Throwing a Type IV Device

Practice throwing your device so you can do so with better accuracy if tragedy strikes. It is not like throwing a ball, an action that many people have developed muscle memory for. You don’t want to hit the victim in the head or face, yet you don’t want them to swim far to reach it. Take the wind into account. Repeat: Practice at the sandbar or cove, or even in your own backyard.

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I earned my first gold medal at the 1982 USA Barefoot National Championship. I was 20 years old. In 2021, I won a gold medal in the Open division at the USA Barefoot National Championship.

I was 59 years old. The strategy that has kept me competitive for four decades primarily consists of three elements: a winning mindset, positive health habits and smart training. Improving each element separately complements and adds value to the other two. For example, in March 2021, I put effort into my on-water training and also minimized sugar in my diet even more than usual. I got leaner and lighter, which made my training more effective, helping me win gold. I believe my healthy lifestyle of good nutrition and not consuming alcohol is part of my longevity in the sport.

Winning the gold in the Open division at 59 boosted my confidence and added to my winning mindset. I didn’t view age negatively, instead using my experience to become more focused and disciplined. I have been successful by learning correct technique and focusing on the basics rather than the end result. Practicing with bad technique only makes you good at bad technique. Falls and injuries are signs there is a flaw in your technique or training. Learning by trial and error is not effective. By understanding correct technique and consistently remembering the basics, you will reinforce good habits and not learn undesirable ones. 

I am always working on the basics, whether for barefooting or any of the other wake sports that I do, such as slalom, trick skiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing. How do you know when you have correct technique? It’s when a trick or skill—no matter the level of difficulty—is easy to do on a consistent basis. That is the sign you are on the right track.  

When I compete, I have a goal to do well in competition, but I don’t think about competing against others. I get inspiration from those who are successful and incorporate that into my training. I think of it as a competition against myself and seek to continually raise the bar for my skills.  

During the past four decades, I also have coached water-skiers, from beginners to elite. This has added to my understanding of what works and what doesn’t, and of what leads to success and what leads to getting stuck in a rut or even suffering injuries. Cliches such as “no pain, no gain” and “practice makes perfect” lead you down the wrong path.  

Read Next: Five Tips for Barefooting Beginners

Besides having all the enjoyment and the positive health benefits I get from barefooting and other wake sports, the strategy I have developed allows me to continuously improve my skills. Working on my skills with success increases the enjoyment factor exponentially.  

No matter your skill level, barefooting and other wake sports are great ways to have fun with family and friends and get an excellent workout for your mind and body. Join me and get out on the water today.

The post Enjoying Watersports for Your Entire Life appeared first on Boating Mag.

Some say that the worst day of boating is better than the best day at the office. But that’s not true. I’ve endured too many wind-swept, slam-bang days on the water when I pined for terra firma. Such a scenario played out as we exited Miami’s Government Cut for a sea trial of the new Allsalt Shoxs helm-seat pedestal system.

Menacing 4- to 5-footers rose up and rolled in as Capt. Jordan Tilton powered through the steep seas aboard a 27-foot center-console Safe Boat. Seated in the port helm seat, I tensed and braced in anticipation of impact as we crested the face of each wave, but the pedestal softened every landing. I was riding on a cushion of air that gives this system its shock-absorbing qualities. 

Installing a Shoxs pedestal is a relatively easy DIY project, particularly if you already have a conventional seat pedestal. You can install the new pedestal on the footprint of the old one. Allsalt offers a wide range of shock-absorbing systems for commercial and military applications, but this system is designed for recreational boating and built from marine-grade aluminum with a hard-anodized silver finish. It comes in two versions, each with or without an incremental height-adjustment feature. Both include a standard square seat mounting plate with a 5 ¼-inch bolt mounting pattern, which is fairly common for most marine seats. 

Read Next: Installing A Remote Boat Engine Kill Switch

For this project, we decided to install the Shoxs X8 with the height-adjustment feature as a retrofit to the traditional pedestal on a Parker 2320 pilothouse boat. Before getting started, we removed the existing 27-inch-tall pedestal from the boat, unbolted the bucket seat (saving the hardware to reinstall the seat on the X8), and checked under the deck to ensure that no electrical wires, hoses or other components would be damaged when drilling holes.

Skill Level: 2 of 5

Finish Time: Approx. 3 hours

Tools and Supplies

• Allsalt Shoxs X8 height-adjust model with standard seat-mounting plate ($2,448.86; allsalt.com)
• Power drill and ³/₈-inch drill bit
• Right-angle drill guide ($19.99; harborfreight.com)
• ⁵/₃₂-inch Allen key 
• Socket wrench set
• Box/open-end wrench set
• Six ³/₈-inch high-strength stainless-steel Allen bolts (length determined by combined thickness of flange, deck, and backing plate or fender washers)
• Six ³/₈-inch stainless-steel nylon locking nuts and fender washers
• Marine sealant such as 3M 5200 ($15.99/3-ounce tube; westmarine.com)
• Imtra 8 ¹/₈-inch nonskid deck plate ($54.99; westmarine.com)
• Medium-strength threadlocker such as Loctite 243
• Marine-Tex to patch previous holes ($18.99/2-ounce jar; amazon.com)
• Optional adapter plates as needed (allsalt.com)

The mounting flange/base comes installed in the lowest position available on the pedestal for surface-mounting. We chose this position to give us the height for this project. However, you can position the flange/base higher on the pedestal should the X8 need to recess into a deck or box for a lower seat position. This requires cutting a 6 ³/₄-inch-diameter hole in the mounting surface, unbolting the flange from the bottom side, sliding it up the pedestal, and retorquing it to factory specs.

Center the supplied mounting template over the footprint of the old base and mark the position for drilling the six new mounting holes for the 10-inch-wide flange/base. Make sure the template is oriented properly, with one mounting hole positioned at the front and the other at the back of the flange, parallel with the centerline of the boat. Use a power drill and a sharp ³/₈-inch bit to drill each hole. A right-angle drill guide ensures that each hole is cut perpendicular to the deck.

Bed the mounting holes with a marine sealant or adhesive, and place the pedestal and flange in a position that allows easy access to the side Schrader valve’s air-fill port. Use ³/₈-inch 16- or 24-thread high-strength stainless-steel Allen bolts (not supplied) of sufficient length to span the thickness of the flange, deck and backing plate or fender washers, and allow the nylon locking nuts to engage at least 0.56 inch of the bolt threads. Add threadlocker such as Loctite 243. Tighten each fastener.  

The Shoxs pedestal comes standard with a square adapter plate that pairs with a boat seat with a traditional 5 ¹/₄-inch hole pattern. Remount your existing helm seat with this plate using a medium-
strength threadlocker. If you have a helm seat that does not fit the standard hole pattern, Shoxs offers additional optional seat-mounting adapters. Allsalt also offers a wide range of helm seats with optional features, such as footrests, fold-down armrests and flip-up bolsters.

The X8 height-adjust model lets you fine-tune the pedestal height from 25.7 to 30.1 inches tall. Use the spring-loaded knob on the side of the pedestal to retract a locking pin and telescope the seat up or down. Pull the knob and adjust to the desired height. The pedestal might not rise on its own, depending on the seat weight, so you might need to pull the seat up while the pin is disengaged. To lock the height in position, release the knob, then bounce in the seat to ensure the pin is locked.

The Shoxs pneumatic shock-absorbing pedestal requires air pressure to function properly. There are two ports for checking and adjusting the air via a Schrader valve (same as on car tires). One is on the bottom side of the pedestal; the other is inside a small hatch just above the flange/base on the side of the pedestal. In our project, the latter is most accessible. Air pressure is preset at 85 psi at the factory. The O-ring on the pedestal shaft should be at or below the static limit indicator when the intended occupant is seated. If the O-ring is above the indicator with the occupant seated, increase the air pressure 5 to 10 psi at a time using an air compressor or hand pump with a tire-pressure gauge until the O-ring is at or below the indicator. Allsalt also offers a remote fill port in situations where both access ports are unreachable. This kit includes a section of high-pressure hose, fittings, and a fill port that can be mounted next to the pedestal or another convenient location.

The post Installing a Shock-Absorbing Seat Pedestal appeared first on Boating Mag.

Personal watercraft are built with an impressive array of safety features, but just like any boat, safe operation requires a familiarity with the craft’s controls, handling characteristics, and knowledge of any category-specific safety concerns.

Read this primer to help make your next ride fun and as safe as possible.

Thrust

Before riding any personal watercraft, thoroughly familiarize yourself with the controls. Like a bicycle or motorcycle, handlebars dictate direction. A trigger-style throttle, adjacent to the right-hand grip, controls speed. Drivers should wear an engine cutoff safety (ECOS) lanyard on the wrist or attached to their life jacket. If worn on the wrist, the lanyard must include a wrist strap because a cord alone could slip off.

Steering is directly related to thrust exiting the pivoting nozzle. You must apply throttle in order to steer. Releasing the throttle, pulling the safety lanyard or stopping the engine while underway will all result in a loss of directional control, regardless of input at the handlebars.

Because drivers often respond to a potential collision by releasing the throttle and negating handlebar input, personal watercraft now incorporate collision-avoidance systems. These systems detect the combination of a sudden release of the throttle and full turn of the handlebars and respond by applying enough thrust to initiate the avoidance turn the rider intended. Practice releasing the throttle, then turning the bars at speed to get used to how the craft responds, but realize that best results will come from active driver input.

Speed Governors

Speed governors are commonplace. Consider activating these when letting an inexperienced rider use the craft or when wanting to limit a rider’s access to the engine’s full potential. Manufacturers use a variety of methods—a radio-frequency lanyard connection, dedicated smart key or punched-in code—to activate governed-speed modes. Some models also allow owners to tame the acceleration curve.

Stopping Distance

A PWC may have a longer stopping distance than expected. Keep this in mind when approaching another boat, dock or shoreline, and respond by slowing in advance.

Many modern craft offer braking and deceleration systems. These combine electronic solutions with reverse functionality and work by partially deploying the reverse bucket to both grab the water and redirect pump thrust, slowing the craft without causing the bow to dive or compromising control. Familiarize yourself with the operation of these systems and practice using them on the water to gain a feel for how quickly they respond and what stopping distance to expect.

Riding Gear

Recent PWC models all sport a warning sticker, a graphic noting that neoprene shorts or a wetsuit has become almost as important as a life jacket for safety, particularly for women. Though rare, severe rectal, vaginal and internal injuries have resulted from riders falling backward off the saddle and into the powerful stream of water exiting the pump. Passengers are particularly vulnerable due to their position on the saddle. Drivers are less at risk because they are required to wear the ECOS lanyard.

Read Next: Operating a PWC Responsibly

Newer neoprene riding gear is comfortable and stylish. Numerous boardshorts styles that incorporate a hidden neoprene liner are also available. Though odds of injury are admittedly slim, we highly recommend—as do all PWC manufacturers—adding a layer of neoprene to your wardrobe.

Other valuable riding gear include eye protection, as well as footwear and gloves for traction, grip and protection.

The post PWC-Specific Safety appeared first on Boating Mag.

Ocean Signal’s SafeSea EPIRB1 Pro is the world’s most compact emergency position-indicating radio beacon, offering a 30 percent smaller footprint that other EPIRBs. The floating beacon has a 10-year battery life, and intuitive operating controls help prevent accidental activation. It is fitted with a bright LED strobe light and comes with a Category I automatic release housing that deploys the EPIRB if immersed in water. $589.95; hodgesmarine.com

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