It's that time of year again, the time to endlessly fret about what to get that special person in your life, the person who seemingly has everything. Well, if that special person is a boater, there is always something he will need, or at least want so badly that he’ll jump for joy the moment he tears the wrapping paper. So, here are 35 absolutely fantastic gift ideas to purchase for the nautically obsessed in your family.
More Gifts: We've got a large collection of the top boating gifts! Check out more of our gift guides, here.
Connect this sports and navigation watch to your Android or iPhone device using the Wear OS app, and use Google Assistant to tell your watch to tell your phone to make calls, text peeps, or direct you to the nearest marina. Use the Pro Trek to navigate to your favorite waters or trails, and keep track of your physical exercise and calorie burn. Download the free Fishbrain app for social connectivity to millions of worldwide anglers to log your best fish catches of the day with lures and locations—if you care to give up that secret—and then see where others are catching fish too. Premium service from $9.99 monthly gives access to contoured fishing maps of your favorite waters. $549Garrett Cortese
By now, most boaters know the best way to stay safe in the sun is to wear protective clothing designed to keep out the harsh UV rays. The Simms Solartech Crewneck fishing shirt does just that with a UPF 50 rating. The shirt is lightweight and breathable, so you can stay cool and protected while boating or fishing in the hot sun. $59.95Courtesy Simms
If you're a boater who likes to stretch your season into late fall and start in early spring, the Gill Rock Softshell Jacket is the perfect fit. It's a water-resistant, thermal-lined, two-layer jacket with an adjustable hem and hood to keep the wind at bay. It's light enough to wear on those almost-perfect boating days that still hold a little chill. $175Courtesy GIL
Magnum P.I. made the Hawaiian shirt cool in the 1980s, and some would argue that it's never gone out of style. This modern take is made of breathable fabrics with UV protection. Combined with its stylish fish pattern, it's perfect to wear offshore or on the docks. $80Garrett Cortese
Dry bags are a dime a dozen these days, but few offer the versatility and convenience of the Yampa 35 from OtterBox. Complete with a waterproof zipper, backpack straps, lash points, and a padded exoskeleton shell combined with a rugged base, this holiday gift item is easy to carry and can keep all your gear protected inside. $250Garrett Cortese
Sometimes you don't need a giant cooler for a day on the boat. Sometimes you don't want to throw your lunch in the big ice-packed cooler where it's bound to get soggy. In that case, try the Yeti Daytrip lunch bag, a small, soft cooler that keeps your lunch fresh for when you're ready to drop anchor and dine on board. $79.99Garrett Cortese
Few fashion glasses offer the face-hugging protection these do, making them ideal for grocery-getting, or a day on the sandbar or beach with the boat. The solid frames are durable but light, and the fit means no sore spots on the nose or ears. Polarized glass 580 lenses block glare from the water or off the dash when driving and resist scratching. Six lens and three frame colors give plenty of wardrobe-matching options. $269Garrett Cortese
Costa Del Mar's 528 polarized lenses are some of the best in the business when it comes to cutting down glare on the water and protecting your eyes, and the new large-frame Broadbill glasses provide plenty of coverage. Don a pair to hit the water in style. $269 for glass lensesGarrett Cortese
Designed for stand-up paddlers and kayakers, the Kokatat Dirt Bag Gear Bag can haul all of your boating gear as well, and has separate storage segments to keep everything dry and organized. It comes with a changing mat you can lay on deck to keep your socks dry, and the straps convert to backpack-style when you're ready to hit the dock. $95Garrett Cortese
The price of multifunction displays keeps going down while their elementary efficacy goes up. Packaged with the included HV 100 transducer, this system's Hypervision 1.2 Mhz sonar technology solves the mystery of what's beneath by giving a higher-resolution view of DownVision, SideVision and RealVision 3D than available before. The non-touchscreen offers clarity and brightness, and the touchpad gives easy, functional access to the device, preferred by many professional anglers who don't want interference from wet fingers or ocean spray to limit touchscreen functionality. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity ease operations and firmware updates. $1,899.99Garrett Cortese
Call it your eyes underwater. Did you drop something overboard? Lower this in the water to find it—or fish. Three infrared illuminators reveal fish, gear or anything else you want to see in the darkest water without getting wet. The camera image is displayed on the compact 4.3-inch LCD screen, and the camera cable is marked in 1-foot increments to 50 feet. It runs for six hours on a charge. $229.99Garrett Cortese
Never has a cooler been cooler. It not only dishes out refreshments, but its built-in six-speaker, 200-watt Bluetooth lithium-battery-powered sound system also provides entertainment. The bear-proof cooler holds 58 quarts, and comes with a 12-volt and AC adapter charger. A unique pressure-relief valve prevents air lock, and rope handles allow sharing the task of putting the entertainment center in place. $899Garrett Cortese
Speakers with LED lights are nothing new, but speakers with color-changing, light-permeable LED housings are only found in the Roswell R1 Pro. If that sounds really cool, it's because it is. The boater on your list can customize the audio and visual experience in countless ways like never before. Some might say sensory overload; we say sensory awesome. $1,899 (sold in pairs)Courtesy Roswell
The Ancor 703079 Snap-Around Meter will put a smile on any DIY boater's face. It enables wiring to be checked without having to cut into the wires or disconnect them, and it reads voltage and amperages on both DC and AC systems, plus resistance and capacitance. It features a backlit screen, a flashlight for use in dark compartments, a zeroing function and a carrying case. Range is 600 to 1,000 volts DC, and 6 to 750 volts AC. $199.99Garrett Cortese
If you own a boat, you're always going to need to clean it. What better way to keep it looking as good as new than with a variety of products from Meguiars? Get busy with this gift basket containing Microfiber Towels (three-pack), Marine/RV Pure Wax 56 (16-ounce bottle), Extreme Marine Vinyl and Rubber Protectant (32-ounce spray bottle), Meguiars Flagship Ultimate Quik Wax (16-ounce spray bottle), Quik Clean 52 Mist and Wipe (16-ounce spray bottle), and All-Purpose Cleaner 58 Marine APC (26-ounce spray bottle). $55Garrett Cortese
Make sure the boater on your list runs at full power. Pettit Prop Coat Barnacle Barrier 1792 prevents barnacles and other marine plants and animals from growing on boat propellers, rudders, running gear and other underwater metals, ensuring maximum thrust and minimum drag. Ordinary anti-fouling coatings wash right off, but Pettit Prop Coat Barnacle Barrier stays put and keeps on protecting. Available in aerosol or brushable liquid. $34.99 (aerosol), $85.99 (quart)Garrett Cortese
Raritan C.P. cleans potties and eliminates the worst intake line odors without brushing. As the only bowl cleaner Raritan recommends for Raritan toilets and the only bowl cleaner that can be combined with Raritan K.O.'s bioactive formula, it breaks down and neutralizes odor-causing waste materials instantly, eliminating holding-tank odors. Raritan C.P. and K.O. work for the boater on your list when nothing else will, and neither uses harsh chemicals. $25 for bothGarrett Cortese
This seems like wizardry, but when we left it running for its eight-hour rechargeable battery life in our road-weary pickup truck, it filled the cabin with odor-destroying ozone, killing the fast-food smells, and the sweaty running shoe and dirty work-glove smells. Drop it in a boat locker to remove fishy smells, mildew and mold. The Radial EZ ($249.99) is for larger rooms and tougher boat jobs. The Radial Nano ($179.99) certainly did the trick in our truck.Garrett Cortese
Gliding over the water is all the rage in water tow sports these days, and the Slingshot Hover Glide Foil Wake board-and-mast setup can have the boaters on your gift list doing it in no time. They will be able to ride on the water like never before, whether it's behind a watersports boat, pontoon, runabout, center-console or anything in between. If it can go, it can tow a foil. $1,831Courtesy Slingshot Sports
While most stand-up paddleboards are constructed out of epoxy, O'Brien has taken a more environmentally friendly approach by making the hull of the Burnside out of bamboo, with a process that creates much less waste to boot. The advantages aren't just for Mother Earth; the 11-foot-2-inch Burnside comes in at just 27.5 pounds, much lighter than other SUPs its size. This allows it to travel faster like a smaller board, but retain the stability of a larger board. $960Garrett Cortese
Not only are Mission Sentry Fenders contoured to fit over the rub rail of a boat and provide better protection, but they are also easier to attach and adjust. That makes them a great holiday gift. The adjustable strap system quickly and easily attaches to boat cleats, dock cleats, pilings, and a variety of other items when docking. $60Garrett Cortese
Wakesurfing is one of the best and easiest ways to get kids into towed watersports. And if you thought your first time riding a boat's wave without a handle was memorable, wait until you see your kids do it. Ronix makes some of the best wakesurf boards on the market, and its kids boards are no exception. The larger tail of the SSSOP provides more push for the little shredder on your holiday gift list, which means an easier time riding smaller waves. $330Courtesy Ronix
These multiaction saltwater lures can pop, spit, walk the dog or create a bubble trail—and even swim like a billed minnow. They come in three weights: Floating, Sinking and Super Long Distance. Anglers can fish these incredibly versatile lures by popping or ripping on top, walking the dog, or swimming them like a swimbait, and the SLD model can even be jigged on the bottom. They make great stocking stuffers. Starting at $22Garrett Cortese
This waterproof 1080p camera at 60 or 30 fps (your choice) clips into your fishing line ahead of your hooks to record what happens when a fish attacks your bait. In dark water, green LEDs illuminate the action. If the bite isn't amazing enough, the camera also remains aligned with the hook as the fish catapults through the air. This is the first self-contained trolling cam we've seen that uses Wi-Fi and an app to control the camera, view the images and share them on social media. $239.99Garrett Cortese
Levelwind casting reels eliminate the need to manually spool the line, even while fighting a fish or retrieving a lure. Shimano leads the pack in levelwind reels with its Tekota 500HGA. This fully redesigned Tekota offers durability, with improvements that include Coreprotect to increase corrosion resistance, a loud clicker, and a new ergonomic S-Compact body design. $209.99Garrett Cortese
Any angler worth his or her salt will love finding an Okuma Tesoro 10S under the tree. This star-drag reel features an alumilite frame, 6.2-to-1 retrieve ratio, helical-cut stainless-steel gears, four ball bearings and one roller bearing. The multidisc carbonite drag will smoothly stop the biggest fish. An ergo-grip handle offers excellent cranking leverage. $319.99Garrett Cortese
Anglers love new knives, and so AFTCO's 8-, 10- and 12-inch fish fillet knives make perfect gifts for the fishing nut on your list. These knives are built in collaboration with Böker Germany to deliver premium blade options for fish processing. All feature stainless-steel blades with full-tang construction and an upswept design. The AFTCO gold titanium finish is bonded to the blade for corrosion resistance. Over-molded, slip-free polypropylene handles ensure a secure grip. Starting at $70Garrett Cortese
The Mad Eel, Soft Mack Attack and Hard Mack Attack from Fish Lab make great holiday gifts for anglers. Available in 7- to 8-inch models, the slim-bodied eel bait has as a seductive tail kick and flash. With 5½- to 16-ounce models, the Soft Mack Attack swimbait excels in heavy current or deepwater presentations. The Hard Mack, in 7- to 9-inch versions, offers a classic three-piece swimming action. Starting at $9.99Garrett Cortese
Saiko Pro fluorocarbon leader spools from AFTCO are great stocking stuffers. The 100 percent fluorocarbon is supple, yet features a hard finish that provides supreme abrasion resistance. Available in 12- to 80-pound-test in both clear and pink. The 100- to 300-pound-test is available only in clear. AFTCO SecureSpool makes leader storage a cinch with no messy, uncoiled and disorganized leader spools. Starting at $12Garrett Cortese
The boating angler on your gift list will love a landing net from the Frabill Trophy Haul series. A handled yoke equalizes pressure to improve balance and remove extra stress when lifting heavy fish, and conservation netting protects fish destined for release. The handle extends for extra length and retracts for stowage. Available in multiple hoop sizes. Starting at $89.99Garrett Cortese
Any angler on your holiday shopping list will love an IMX-Pro inshore fishing rod from G.Loomis. These rods are designed specifically for Northeast saltwater fishing, be it casting big lures or chunking with circle hooks. Casting rods range from 7 to 7½ feet in length in actions spanning from medium to heavy. All feature top-quality components, including lightweight cork grips. Starting at $349Garrett Cortese
