Boat Gear Reviews
& Buying Guides

I've scraped my boat against enough docks to know that good fenders are worth their weight in gold. I tested five popula...

I've been stuck at sea with a loose hose clamp and no wrench to tighten it, and I've learned that a good boat tool kit i...

I've spent countless weekends anchored in lakes, and I know a good lake anchor needs to hold in sand and mud without bei...

I've patched more inflatable boats than I can count, and I've learned that the right technique depends on the material. ...

I've spent hours paddling with a clunky fish finder that was too heavy and drained my battery. After testing five popula...

I've spent more hours marking waypoints than I can count, and a good fishing GPS can make or break your day on the water...

I've spent years staring at traditional sonar, but down imaging changed the game—it shows the bottom like a photograph. ...

I've found more fish on side scan than any other sonar feature. After testing five popular units specifically for their ...

I've used a boat knife to cut tangled lines and free a trapped sailor, and I know a dull, rusty blade is worse than no k...

I've spent too many afternoons sweating over a cheap pump that takes forever to inflate my RIB. After testing five popul...

I've struggled to climb back into my boat after a swim, and I've learned that a good boarding ladder makes all the diffe...

I've had a gas tank leak on a hot day and nearly turned my boat into a fireball. After testing five popular portable boa...

I've had my GPS fail offshore, and my compass was the only thing that got me home. After testing five popular marine com...

I've been caught out after dark more times than I can count, and a good spotlight has saved me from more than one close ...

I used to think cheap fish finders were toys until a 0 Garmin showed me fish my expensive unit missed. I tested three...

Group 31 batteries are the big boys of marine power, built for larger engines, trolling motors, and serious house banks....

I've seen pontoon boats drift because they used the wrong anchor—too heavy, too awkward, or just plain ineffective. Afte...

I've spent thousands of hours with trolling motors on my charter boat, and I've learned that the right motor can make or...

Solar panels and batteries are a perfect match, but only if the battery can handle the charge profile. I tested five pop...

I've been stranded by a "full" battery that was actually half dead, all because I trusted a simple voltmeter. After test...

I've sailed alone across an ocean, and my PLB was the one piece of gear that gave me real peace of mind. I tested five p...

I ran the Garmin ECHOMAP UHD 93sv hard for three months on my charter boat, through sun, spray, and mud. Here's what I l...

I've paddled and fished from more kayaks than I can count, and I've learned that a stable, comfortable platform makes al...

I've been stranded by a dead battery on a freezing morning more times than I care to admit. After testing five popular m...

When your boat is going down, a life raft is your last hope. I've tested five popular offshore life rafts for capacity, ...

I've missed channel markers and miscalculated distances because of cheap, foggy binoculars. After testing five popular m...

A loose battery is a disaster waiting to happen. I've seen batteries slide, short out, and spill acid because the wrong ...

I've fried a cheap charger and nearly killed a lithium battery bank. After testing five popular marine battery chargers ...

I've scraped my boat against enough docks to know that good fenders are worth their weight in gold. I tested five popula...

I've tested portable fish finders on kayaks, canoes, and even from the dock, and I've learned that a good portable unit ...

I learned the hard way that a cheap boat cover is worse than no cover at all. After testing five popular covers in rain,...

I've spent years navigating with both touchscreen and keyed chartplotters, and I've learned that the right choice depend...

I bought my first inflatable dinghy as a tender for my RIB, and I quickly learned that not all dinghies are built for re...

I used to think you needed to spend a grand to see fish clearly. Then I tested five sub-0 fish finders on my skiff an...

I've killed more marine stereos than I care to admit, and salt spray is usually the culprit. I tested five popular water...

I've been woken in the middle of the night by a bilge alarm, and the pump that was supposed to save my boat was dead. I ...

I've winched boats onto trailers in wind, rain, and ramp chaos, and a bad winch can turn a simple job into a dangerous f...

I've seen a small electrical fire nearly turn into a disaster because the wrong extinguisher was on board. I tested five...

I've patched up cuts, burns, and seasickness on the water, and I've learned that a good marine first aid kit can make th...

I've run my boat's house bank on deep cycle batteries for years, and I've learned that not all of them deliver what they...

I've been in situations where my VHF radio couldn't reach the Coast Guard, and the antenna was usually the weak link. I ...

I've been stranded by a dead starting battery more times than I care to admit. Here are five marine starting batteries I...

I used to think a fish finder and a GPS had to be separate units to be any good. Then I tested five combo units on my ch...

I've worn cheap, bulky life jackets that made me feel like I was being squeezed to death, and I've tested premium inflat...

I've hauled coolers on my charter boat for 15 years, and I've watched cheap ones crack, leak, and lose ice by noon. Here...

Offshore, your GPS is your lifeline. I tested five chartplotters specifically for their signal reliability and navigatio...

I've crossed an ocean alone and relied on autopilot to keep my boat on course while I slept in short bursts. Here are fi...

I've been caught in fog so thick I couldn't see my own bow, and a good radar was the only thing that kept me from runnin...

I've patched my inflatable boat more times than I can count, and I've learned which maintenance habits actually keep it ...

A fifteen-point pre-departure safety checklist that I use before every trip. Each item includes the "why" behind it—beca...

I've called for help on a broken radio and heard nothing but static. Since then, I've tested five popular marine VHF rad...

I've owned both a RIB and a small hard boat, and I've been surprised by the pros and cons of each. Here's an honest comp...

I've dragged both types on real bottoms. A plow anchor resets well but is heavy; a fluke anchor holds like a bulldozer i...

I've dragged anchor in sand, mud, rock, and grass. Each bottom needs a different anchor. Here's a plain-English guide to...

When things go wrong on the water, the right safety gear can save your life. I've tested life jackets, flares, fire exti...

After frying a cheap charger and nearly killing a battery bank, I tested five popular marine battery chargers for speed,...

Simrad makes some of the sleekest marine electronics on the water, but the brand isn't for everyone. I've tested their c...

I tested five popular boat GPS antennas on a moving boat in rough seas and near bridges. Here's which one held signal be...

I ran the Lowrance HDS Live 9 on my charter boat for three months—through sun, spray, and mud. Here's what it does bette...

I ran the Garmin GPSMAP 943xsv hard for three months on my charter boat in Pensacola. Here's what I love, what I hate, a...

I spent a year testing rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) as a beginner, and I made every mistake so you don't have to. Here'...

I've dragged anchor in a storm and drifted half a mile while I slept. Since then, I've tested five anchors in real seabe...

After burning through three lead-acid batteries in five years, I switched to lithium for my trolling motor and never loo...

I've replaced dozens of boat battery banks, and the switch to lithium is the single best upgrade most boaters can make. ...

I bought my first inflatable boat two years ago and made every mistake in the book. Since then, I've tested five popular...

We ran five popular fish finders through three very different water conditions: crystal clear flats, deep wrecks, and po...

I've spent years living on a sailboat and rebuilding marine electrical systems. Here's the honest truth about lithium vs...

We took five of the most popular marine GPS chartplotters offshore and tested them in real sun, spray, and chop. Here's ...