Boating and technology may seem to be strange bedfellows since so many people are drawn to the boating lifestyle as a way to get away from the distractions of the outside world and the stresses of everyday life. Nonetheless, technological advances are happening every day that makes it easier and easier to live the boating lifestyle, even for people who don’t own their own boats! Among these handy innovations are the #boatingapps for Apple and Android devices, and while many are designed to keep you and your family safer in one way or another, they are all designed to make your boating life more convenient.
The Different Types of Apps
There are many different kinds of mobile apps available these days, and they can be divided into several subcategories. The majority of boating apps out there are dedicated to important things like weather, navigation, and trip planning. However, there are also boating reference apps, safety, apps devoted to fishing, and apps that can connect you with help if you become lost or need assistance when you're out of cell phone range. Some apps are free, others you pay for, and others require a subscription, but if you're an avid boater, many of these are well worth the cost.
The Best Boating Apps
Type Name Availability Cost
Weather
Planning
Marine Weather Apple and Android Free
FishWeather Apple and Android Free
NOAA Buoy and Tide Apple and Android Free
NOAA Weather Apple and Android Free
Boat Ramps Apple and Android Free
GetMyBoat Apple and Android Free
Jeppesen Plan2Nav Apple and Android Free
Safety and
Reference
Navionics Apple and Android By region
Practical Encyclopedia of Boating Apple and Android $18.99
Nautical Flags and FlagBag Apple and Android Free
USCG Boat Essentials Apple and Android Free
BoatUS Apple and Android Free
Grog’s Animated Knots Apple and Android $4.99
Fishing My Fishing Advisor Apple and Android $4.99
Weather Apps
These apps provide information from sources like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, exclusive weather stations, and thousands of other weather stations from around the world. On top of weather forecast information, they also provide data about tides, buoys, sea temperatures, wind speeds and directions, and wave speeds, heights, and directions.
Planning Apps
There are a number of tripplanning apps out there that all focus on different things, including helping you locate boat ramps and equipment rentals, providing charts, and helping with navigation.
Safety and Reference Apps
These include a great deal of information for boaters, including general boating knowledge, Coast Guard safety checklists, a database of nautical signal flags and their meanings, water tower listings, and even illustrated diagrams for tying different knots.
Fishing Apps
Many of the fishing apps are concerned with when and where to catch the best fish, so they focus on weather patterns, temperatures, astronomical conditions, and even the different types of lures to use to catch the fish you're looking for. Advancing technology out in the world means that there's an everincreasing amount of sophisticated boating tech and gadgets available to boaters, mariners, and anglers.
With mobile apps, you can take vital knowledge with you everywhere you go, because the safety apps can prevent trouble and save your skin if you get stuck, the planning and weather apps provide charts, navigational information, and forecasts, and the fishing apps can even direct you to the best waters. As long as you download the apps you need before you go, #boatingapps can make the boating lifestyle more organized and safer than ever before.
