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Gear

2018 Father’s Day Gift Guide

Our Father’s Day Gift Guide always contains a list of great goods for the best guys in the world: Boating Dads!

By The Boating Tech Team

June 5, 2018

Father's Day Gift Guide 2018 — Father's Day Gift Guide 2018Boating

This year, you’ll find a diverse grouping of merchandise, from real salty and nautical to the whimsical. A wide range of prices are also represented.

So, whether your boating dad runs a cruiser, is a watersports enthusiast, chases big fish, or simply enjoys time aboard with family and friends, check out our Father’ Day Gift Guide and remember your boating dad on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 17, 2018.

More Gifts: We've got a large collection of the top boating gifts! Check out more of our gift guides, here.

Tilley Hats T5MO Organic Airflow — A soft sueded finish and large mesh for breathability make this natty new hat a surefire hit with boating dads. Made with organic cotton, it conceals a secret compartment for cash or cards and it even floats. Three colors.Tilley Hats

VersaChock — Is your Dad an organization freak? (Many boating dads are, experts say) These chocks hold coolers, crates, buckets, tanks and more onboard dad’s boat or in dad’s truck. Yet, these high strength chocks create no tripping when not needed. Black or white.VersaChock

Star brite Ultimate 5 Gallon Bucket — Nothing’s more more useful aboard boats than a five gallon pail. This one features a sturdy rope handle. Dad will use is to haul gear or ice, as a garbage can, an emergency head or to carry the catch of the day. Consider filling with cleaning supplies and adding a bow!Star Brite

costa half moon ocearch — Dad will look like a Maverick in Costa's Half Moon sunglasses, a West Coast inspired beach style that rides the mystique of epic ocean swells. With straight temples, double-cut textures, and integrated Spring Hinges combine outstanding function and comfort with beautiful aesthetics. More Boating staff chose this style shade in 2017 than any other.Costa Rican

Connelly Big Easy wakesurf board — Wakesurfing isn't all about crazy tricks, especially for Dad. The Connelly Big Easy rides just like it sounds. It harkens back to the days of longboards at the beach, allowing riders to arc big turns, cruise with style, and even have fun with some soulful toes-on-the-nose action. Check out our review of the Big Easy below. See the review!!CWB

Sunswell Gansett Gingham — Dad will love this shirt. Relaxed enough for the beach and buttoned-up enough for a night out, the Sunswell Gansett Gingham offers moisture wicking and quick dry comfort that has boating dads covered with SPF 30+ protection.Sunswell

Slingshot Sports 2018 Nomad Wakeboard — With a 150 cm, 155, and 160 available, the Nomad wakeboard is bigger, and for many that means better. The larger surface area is great for beginners getting comfortable on a board, but for experienced riders it provides less drag, which means less arm fatigue, while also providing a more stable platform for cruising and landing from jumps. Basically, it's perfect for the dad who wants to have fun without the intimidation factor of smaller boards. See Our Review!!Slingshot Sports

O’Brien Vapor (inflatable) — A stand up paddle board (SUP) is a great addition to Dad's life on the water, but the rigid versions are huge and can be a hassle to transport. O'Brien's inflatable Vapor series eliminates that problem so now you can SUP anywhere (or just not worry about where to store one). See Our Review!!O'Brien

Roswell Seahorse Hanger — Do you ever find yourself tired of wet towels in the boat? Maybe ropes or vests cluttering up space? Enter the Seahorse Hanger from Roswell. Designed to clip on to a variety of boat towers (or other hanging points), the Seahorse makes it easy to hang anything you’d like. Sold in pairs and rated to hold up to 10 lbs.Roswell Marine

Ronix Wakesurf Shaper — Want to make a bigger wakesurf wave without giant ballast bags (or a new, expensive boat)? Try the Wakesurf Shaper from Ronix. Designed to easily mount to the sides of watersports boats, this plate deflects water and turns an average wake into a big, fun, surfable wave. See How We Installed These!Ronix

O’Brien Playfield (12 ft) — Take lounging and playtime on the lake to the next level with this 12' x 6' floating, inflatable pad from O'Brien. Built to stand up to the elements, the rigid float is easy to inflate, deflate, and stow, plus it's big enough to hold a number of people comfortably. Also available in 18' size. See Our Review!O’Brien

Radar Three60 disk — Take Dad back to his childhood glory days with the Three60 from Radar. A modern interpretation of a watersports classic, the Three60 features a foam top for comfort and a rigid, plastic bottom for speed. See Our Review!Radar

O’Neill Hybrid Zip Hoodie — Sun protection is important, but that doesn’t mean it should be uncomfortable. The Hybrid Zip hoodie from O’Neill features 50+ U.P.F. protection, but is lightweight and breathable. Wear it in the boat, in the water, or both - on hot days it’s extra comfortable when wet to help cool you down.O’Neill

Mission Sentry Fenders — Tired of dealing with knots or constantly adjusting your fenders to protect your boat while at the dock? Make boating a bit easier for Dad with these innovative fenders from Mission. See Our Review!Mission

Liquid Force Party Float — What’s a day on the lake (or the pool) without a relaxed floating session? The Party Float from Liquid Force is exactly what it says, and that’s all you need to know. Dad will dig it.Liquid Force

Kube Portable Audio System/Cooler — Let Pops bump the sounds on Father’s Day with the Kube from Thomas & Darden. Designed for boats and beach parties, the wireless twin-speaker Kube features audio capabilities that rival that of most surround-sound systems. The 18-inch high by 23-inch long by 16-inch deep Kube carries a IPX4 water-resistant rating, and the built-in, lighted 37-quart cooler will keep Dad’s drinks chilled.KUBE SOUND

Icom M330 VHF Radio — Dad will love Icom’s new M330 fixed-mount marine VHF radio. It packs a boat-load of features into a remarkably compact case and face plate. This Class D DSC marine radio offers a bright clear-dot matrix LCD display that easy to read day or night. The microphone offers buttons to quickly switch to channel 16 and toggle from high to low power. It offers an IPX7 waterproof rating and is available in two colors, black and white. An optional GNSS/GPS version is also available.Icom

Scanstrut Rokk Marine Phone Charging Outlet — Don’t let Dad’s phone run out of juice. The Rokk Charge+ from ScanStrut provides two USB Type-A ports with unique locking spray shield that keeps water out even while charging. The socket fits in the same size hole as a conventional 12-volt DC charging port, so it’s easy to install. With an anti-corrosion coating on the circuit board, it charges phones, tablets and other mobile devices three times faster than standard USB port, says ScanStrut. The low-profile click-and-lock cover features stainless steel hardware and aligns two charging cables when closed.Scanstrut

Fell Marine Remote Shut-Off Switch — Keep Dad when he heads out on the water solo with Fell Marine’s MOB+ wireless man-overboard system. The remote xFOB Multifob connects wirelessly using WiMEA protocol to a Fell xHUB on the boat. If Dad falls overboard, it breaks the signal and the engine shuts down. The system allows for a restart of the engine with an override function so crew members can rescue someone who has fallen overboard.Fell Marine

Glomex Glomeasy Antenna Mount — Give Pops a new way to secure the VHF antenna with the Glomex Glomeasy stainless steel antenna mount. Instead of a lever, this mount uses spring-loaded cam action. Lift up on the cam arm to loosen and swing the antenna where you want it, snap the arm down to secure the antenna in the desired position. An antenna cable can be run up through the base of the mount or lay the cable slot in the standard 1-inch thread mount.Jim Hendricks

Clarion 6.5-inch two-way speakers with RGB LED Illumination — Dad will love a new pair of Clarion’s 6.5-inch CM series marine speakers. These waterproof coaxial speakers are rated for 200 watts max/80 watts RMS. Not only is the sound great, but these speakers also put on a light show thanks to built-in RGB LEDs that can replicate any color using an RGB controller (sold separately). The new speakers come with silver and black faceplates; let Dad choose the one he likes best.Clarion

Aqualuma SL12 LED Spreader Light — Light up Dad’s day with a Aqualuma SL12 LED spreader light for the boat. The wide-beam LED cluster puts out an astounding 2,000 lumens while drawing less than 2 amps at 12 volt DC. The compact powder-coated aluminum bracket-mount fixture has a built-in thermos-control to monitor heat and will automatically ramp itself down if left on during excessively hot days. Available with a stainless steel or white bezel.Aqualuma

Shimano Talica 50 II Lever Drag Two-Speed Reel — If Dad plans on pursuing big marlin, sharks, swordfish and tuna this summer, he’ll need a large two-speed lever drag reel like the Shimano Talica 50 II. This silver-and-gold beauty holds 1,120 yards 80-pound-test braided line and can apply more than 50 pounds of drag pressure. The high gear ratio is 3.8:1; low is 1.7:1. An ergonomic power handle gives you plenty of leverage for reeling in strong fish.Shimano

Fortress Anchor Kit — Boaters never know if or when they might lose the main anchor and chain due to a fouled anchor or busted anchor line. That’s why it’s a good idea to give Dad to a spare in the form of the Fortress FX7 anchor kit. It includes a lightweight aluminum Fortress FX7 anchor (suitable for boats up to 27 feet LOA) that can be dismantled for easy stowage, 15 feet of ¼-inch chain and 250 feet of 3/8-inch line.Fortress Marine Anchors

Grundens Deck Hand Hoodie — Dad will love the long-sleeve Deck Hand Hoodie from Grundens. No fancy prints or camo here, just the chemical-free CoolCore fabric that employs the body’s own moisture to cool the garment. The soft four-way stretch fabric allows for unlimited range of motion and the hoodie can be employed to keep sun off your neck and head. Available in blue, gray and green in Men’s S to 3X.Grundens

Daiwa Lexa HD 400HS-P Saltwater Reel — Watch Dad’s eyes when he opens the gift box holding a Lexa HD 400HS-P baitcasting reel from Daiwa. It boasts a stainless-steel drive and pinion gears and a seven-bearing system with six 6 corrosion-resistant ball bearing and one roller bearing. It has an EVA power foam handle, aluminum frame and side-plate, a 7.1:1 gear ratio, and plenty of line capacity for mono or braid. A Mag Force cast control and an infinite anti-reverse offer outstanding casting distance.Daiwa

Otterbox Venture 45 Cooler — At the end of seven days in the blazing sun this cooler still had over half the ice left, frozen hard and ready to receive a case of dad's favorite beverage. It’s bear proof latches drop out of the way instead of folding inside to prevent closure like other coolers. Accessorize it with cutting board, drink holder/table, bottle opener or gear box--all attach to build in slots on the cooler. Gearhead dad? Get him this cooler.Otterbox

Torqeedo Ultralight 403 Kayak Motor — Dad can paddle if he wants, or drift downstream, and motor upstream to save placing a pickup vehicle at the end of his route. An onboard GPS and battery monitor is displayed on the throttle control so dad knows how fast and how far he can go at any speed( dads love that stuff!!) . For added range look into Torqeedo’s solar recharging panels.Torqeedo

Vibe Sea Ghost 110 Kayak — This is the most complete fishing kayak we've seen complete with comfortable two-position seat, paddle, a socket in the hull for a sidescan transducer, rod holders and three dry compartments on board. We powered ours with the Torqueedo Ultralight 403 for all day effortless fishing.Vibe Kayaks

Bolle Slate Sunglasses — Black matte frames are durable as are the Offshore Blue polycarbonate polarized lenses, treated with hydrophobic coatings to deflect sea spray and the insides are treated with anti-reflective coatings to stop glare. Thermogrip rubber inserts on the temple make them hug the head and inserts on the nose bridge make them feel weightless when worn. Available in a variety of dad-friendly colors.Bolle Slate

Serengeti Leandro Sunglasses — These blue mirror polarized photochromic lenses are ideal for dad's going fishing and boating in changing weather. As light levels increase and decrease, so does lens density giving the ideal protection and glare reduction for safer boating. Lens materials use rare earth minerals to fine tune blue light and block UV light, allowing in more red, yellow and green light for a better color “pop” and crisper vision. Round slate gray frames are a great look and also available in tortoise and various lens colors, but this 555 NM Blue mineral glass makes the ideal lens for boating dads.Serengeti Leandro

Thermacell — Thermacell’s insect repelling technique is proven by many users and company research. BoatingLAB recently verified the efficacy of their butane powered devices, too. Now an all electric device is friendly for airline travel and operates six hours on a rechargeable lithium ion battery or indefinitely with the charger plugged in. Repellent refill pods are available in 12- and 40-hour packs ($9 to $20) and the device has an automatic shutoff timer so dad won't leave it on all night (Yeah...our dad, too.), wasting the repellent. The kit includes a 12-hour refill and a USB battery charger.Thermacell Radius

Blackfin Pliers — These aluminum pliers feature carbon steel line cutters capable of handling wire, braid and mono. They are light in the hand and comfortable to use thanks to the foam grips and their self opening spring jaws. The pliers are corrosion resistant and the carbon steel cutters replaceable. They are packaged with a belt sheath and lanyard. In our estimation, they are a bargain at the price. Get them for dad.West Marine

West Marine Picnic Kit — This may be the coolest carry-to-the-sandbar gadget we’ve seen. Two easy chairs and a table fold up into a compact back pack for easy stowage aboard your dad's boat. The chairs and tables pop up quickly to set up camp and the mesh back slings are cool and comfortable--far more, so than the typical polyester fabric styles.West Marine

Apollo MS RA770 Audio Unit — Dad wants to crank up the audio in his boat but does not want the stereo feedback and distortion that comes with overpowered speakers? Yup, he does. That’s what Fusion’s new Apollo series of source units does for him. It anticipates peak power output in your play list and dials back the audio at those peak instances to keep the sound sweet, spicy and smooth. It's "networkable," and multi-zone capable for yachts and streams from dad's smartphone, tablet or other streaming devices.Fusion

Garmin inREach Mini — You really want to give the ultimate gift to your father, make him safe on the waters or remote hiking trails by giving him this personal locator beacon and satellite communications device. If things for your dad go FUBAR, he can activate the SOS and when the proven 24/7/365 rescue service receives the call and initiates rescue, he’ll be notified immediately, and so will you. Its compact, and OH!, Yeah! It functions as a handheld GPS and can accept downloadable maps for land and sea.Garmin

Ecox BoomBottle MM — So, dad wants to take the tunes further up the sandbar than his onboard system can reach? Make sure dad takes this bluetooth IPX67 water resistant streaming device along with his smartphone when he goes. It opens bottle tops and can mount to metal surfaces with its magnetic base or fit in a waterbottle cage or cupholder. It boasts true stereo sound and deep rich tones and has a microphone for handsfree calling.Scosche

Scosche PowerUp 700 — This 700 Amp back-up battery will hold a charge in the hold of your dad's boat for weeks if not months. Should das's starting battery fail, connect this to the battery terminals, turn it on and voila! he's cranking again. It reverse polarity protection prevents shorts from misconnecting the device. Built in are dual USB charger ports and a powerful flashlight, making this the ideal emergency-get-you-home device.Scosche

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