Top 10 Boating Trends For 2019

You’ll see many new boating trends at this winter’s boat shows. Here’s what’s new in boating for 2019.

When was the last time you walked through a boat show?

If it’s been a while, you’re in for a shock. Boat builders have been unleashing a steady stream of new designs and gear over the past 12 months, so get reading to see all sorts of new boating trends at this winter’s boat shows – great innovations that make boating safer, more comfortable and more enjoyable than ever.

Trend 1 – Connected Boats

Streaming music from a phone or tablet to the boat’s stereo by Bluetooth isn’t new, but newer Wi-Fi streaming gives much better sound quality by not clipping the highs and lows the way that Bluetooth does.

Trend 2 – Security and Remote Monitoring

Everyone wants a boat, including people who have no intention of paying for one. To make sure that your boat doesn’t suffer an unscheduled change of ownership at the hands of thieves, more and more boat builders are now offering remote monitoring systems with smartphone apps that let you keep tabs on your boat’s location at all times.

Shop For Boat Security Systems

Trend 3 – Stabilizers

Fancy stabilizing systems were once only found on luxury cruise ships. Today, they’re available for smaller boats as well. Gyro systems like the Seakeeper counter the rolling sea with a rapidly spinning flywheel that really works – sitting on a boat in a heavy chop now feels as secure as sitting at your kitchen table.

Trend 4 – Pontoons Still Rule

The latest pontoons offer all sorts of incredible features like handling packages that deliver a smooth but exhilarating ride even when it’s choppy out, maintenance-free interiors that save you hours of cleaning at the end of the season and brilliant furniture options that give these boats more versatility than ever.

Trend 5 – More Power

It wasn’t that long ago that a 200-horsepower outboard was the biggest you could get. Today, it’s ponies galore as engine builders put their biggest outboards on steroids. Mercury led the way with its 400-horsepower Verado 400 R, which was soon answered by Yamaha with its 425-horsepower 425 XTO. If you really want to get up there, Seven Marine offers its insane 527-, 577- and 627-horsepower models that are each built on a supercharged Cadillac V8 block. Still not enough power? You can always rig them as twin-engine, triple engine or quad setups.

Trend 6 – Center Consoles On Deck Boat Hulls

Everyone loves the versatility of an open center console boat. But on a smaller hull, that open design can begin to feel a bit cramped and wobbly. Boat builders like Starcraft and Stingray have an answer in their newest center console designs that run on deck boat hulls. Being wider, these innovative designs provide more interior space and greater stability than traditional deep-V hulls.

Trend 7 – More Big MFDs

Multi-function displays do so much more than just display your fish finder data – in split screen mode they can simultaneously function as a GPS chartplotter for precision navigation, operate the stereo or remote equipment like cameras, display engine data or just about anything else that can be connected over an NMEA2000 protocol. High resolution screens with remarkable clarity have made old dial gauges completely obsolete.

Shop For Multi-Function Display Units

Trend 8 – Docking Cameras

You probably have a back-up camera in your vehicle, so why not also have one in the boat? Docking cameras let you see exactly how far you are from the dock – a huge plus in a pontoon boat, where you can’t see past the seats, and essential in a cruiser or a big center console.

Trend 9 – Maintenance Free Boating

It seems like everyone has a busy schedule these days, so when it comes to boating, people want to spend time enjoying their boat – not cleaning it. Replacing traditional deck carpet with durable vinyls or fiberglass cockpit liners means at the end of the day you just give the boat a quick shot with the hose and walk away. No muss, no fuss.

Trend 10 – Under Cover

Skin cancer and sunstroke are not to be taken lightly, which is why more and more boats are now coming with some sort of top as standard equipment. Even smaller center console fishing boats are now designed from the outset with a top in mind, while larger rigs can be found with retractable awnings that extend to provide as much shade as desired.