Boating Must-Have Accessories

Beyond the required equipment I talked about in my last post (click here to read that first), there are still a lot of things that are pretty important to contributing to a successful boating day.

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Swimsuits, rash guards, extra clothes, and comfy shoes

You’re going out on the water, so having a suit to swim in is one of the top priorities! Unless you’re just sun bathing and swimming, you may want to have a more comfortable, secure suit that allows movement, as well as rash guards to prevent sunburn and rug burns from water sports. It’s nice to have comfy, dry clothes to change into after, as well as some likely waterproof shoes for wearing from the boat to the vehicle.

Sunscreen and towels

Being out on a boat all day in the summer sun can lead to sunburn and, in the worst cases, lead to skin damage. So make sure you have quality sunscreen! High SPFs for sport that you reapply after spending a lot of time in the water (or as directed) is likely the best. I have experienced that lotion sunscreen is better than sprays, but to each their own, just make sure your skin is protected. Towels are necessary to dry off after a good swim or to throw over your legs to prevent burning. I typically have several towels just for myself, because they can get soaked pretty quickly.

snacks, water, and a cooler

Food and snacks are definitely a must! You can pack anything you like; my family prefers fruit, cheese, crackers, lunch meat, bread (for sandwiches), trail mix, chips, carrots, pretzels, and sweets. Check out my Pinterest board for ideas! Make sure you have water and other drinks to stay hydrated, as well as a cooler with ice to keep all of it nice and fresh.

Trash bags, paper towels, and hand sanitizer

These are some things my family often forgets; though you don’t think about it, you do accrue quite a bit of trash between wrappers, using said paper towels to wipe off your hands or clean up spills, and other things that seemingly come out of nowhere. Hand sanitizer is another thing to help keep germs at bay; you never know what you may pick up from the water or just from being out, so ensuring clean hands before eating is a must!

Tubes, skis, and other water sport equipment

My favorite thing to do on our boat is to go tubing, so the few times that we’ve forgotten to bring our massive tube, it’s a sad day. So whatever water sport you prefer, make sure you bring the ropes, air pump, and boards that you need; stay tuned for next week’s post for more about water sports.

First aid kit

You can buy a kit for any of the mishaps that may happen on the water, or you can put together your own. My family kind of did both: we took a regular first aid kit and then put extra things inside that we may use more often. Things like bandages, gauze, antiseptic, tweezers, motion sickness medicine, ointment, and more are important to include. Sources like the Red Cross are good for DIY ideas.

Bag for assorted accessories: chargers, goggles, etc.

It’s a good idea to have either a bag for the more delicate things, like your phone, keys, wallet, portable chargers, etc., or a lot of boats have some type of glove box to keep your valuables safe and dry. Other than that, there are other accessories are optional and completely customizable to your preferences; for example, you can bring goggles, sunglasses, hats, water toys, a camera, and anything else you can think of to enjoy yourself.

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There you have it, some of the key accessories to bring for a day out on your boat. Comment below with your favorite! As always, have fun and be safe!

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