From high-tech gadgets to simple inflatables, these will add some zing to your boating life

It’s a brand solar cycle, with a whole year’s worth of boating holidays to plan! Bring some of these toys along with you to add to the fun while you’re out at sea. A few of these toys are quite expensive and high-tech, but mostly, they are simple gadgets that we think will add to your boating excursions.

Electric surfboards

If you live in a country of middling waves, then electric surfboards are absolutely worth thinking about. For beginners, it’s best to get a board that is not too powerful – you have to learn to float before you learn to swim – and powerful boards are also available for seasoned surfers. For example, the Awake RÄVIK 3 can reach a top speed of 53 km/h and it can hit that speed in just 5 seconds. An accompanying mobile app can control the amount of power on the board, so it is useable by children and beginners as well.

Electric Hydrofoils

How about a jetboard that lifts out of the air that makes you feel like you’re flying? Unlike powerful electric surfboards, electric hydrofoils are nearly silent and similarly, have no emissions. The Fliteboard Series 2 is able to lift up to 70 cm and it is powered by a 2.1kWh battery for about 90 minutes of use. It also comes with an accompanying mobile app so that those with less experience can also enjoy flying over water.

Inflatable swimming platforms

Modern yachts of around 50 feet will almost always come with a swim platform. This space is used for easy ingress and egress into the sea for swimmers, or to relax by the sea with your toes in the water. For yachts without such a feature, or if you wish to extend the swim platform, just get an inflatable one. They come in all shapes and sizes to meet the need – just make sure to get one that is of good quality and packs small for easy stowage. A leg-driven pump is usually sufficient to get it up to size, but always go electric if the inflatable is large.

Anti-jellyfish pools

This is pretty self-explanatory, but it is highly recommended if a boater is planning to swim in an unfamiliar area. The OCEANDREAMS pool takes up very little space on board and is easily stowed as well. The mesh underwater will keep out rubbish and stinging marine animals, while the brightly-coloured inflatable rim makes it highly visible and provides a structure to keep the pool in place. FunAir also makes inflatable pools with a larger lounging area with the same purpose.

Floating window

Here’s one for the kids! Young children may not be able to snorkel yet, but that doesn’t mean they should miss seeing marine life under them as they swim. Simply get a floaty with a window in the middle and the child will be able to look into the sea as they swim.

Tankless diving systems

AKA surface-supplied air systems, tankless diving systems are essentially air compressors that float on the surface, with tubes running down into the water to the regulators from which the diver will breathe. This system can’t replace traditional scuba diving for deeper dives, but is certainly more convenient for shallow water diving. Moreover, the length of the tubes is a natural ‘range’, so divers or snorkelers can’t go too far from the floating compressor into deeper water, and so this is a safer way to explore underwater landscapes while yachting.

Hand fins

Many popular snorkeling sites have banned leg fins, because inexperienced tourists have damaged the corals with these. The solution, we believe, is simply to use hand flippers. These range from impressive underwater gloves, to simple membrane-like extension between the fingers that will aid underwater mobility. What’s more, they are smaller in size compared to leg fins, so swimmers won’t accidentally hurt underwater flora with them.

Conclusion

That’s all for this list. Have a great time planning your boating excursions this year, and have fun while you’re out at sea. These items are all easily found online, but should you wish to outfit your vessel or maintain your boat, we have a chandlery too with an extensive selection and you can get in touch with us here.