Cold Weather Boating Gear

Now that winter is coming, those of you who are planning to boat in cold temperatures will need to get yourselves and your boats ready to handle harsh conditions. Not only are temperatures often below freezing up here in Minnesota, but temperatures on the water can be several degrees colder still than they are on land. 

In order to have a successful trip, whether you’re on a scenic winter cruise or a bold fishing excursion, you’ll want to do everything you can to make sure you and your passengers are safe and warm in the cold. Investing in some cold weather boating gear can help you with these goals. Visit Nisswa Marine if you have any questions about how to properly outfit your boat for winter and our staff will be happy to help you! 

Locator Lights & Signal Flares

In the event of an emergency, you want to make sure your boat is visible to rescuers and other boats on the water. Emergency locator lights will help rescuers hone in on your precise location as they get closer. This can be better than mirrors or reflective gear since an actual light beam travels much further than refracted light.

Signal flares are another great tool to have on hand for emergencies. A flare gun is a universal signal requesting help, so if you’re stuck and you’ve radioed for assistance, you can fire this off to alert crews to your location.

Personal Position Locator Beacon

If you become lost or stranded or your boat’s engine fails, you’ll be in grave danger in cold weather. This danger only increases if you or a crew member falls in the water, because hypothermia sets in very quickly when you’re wet. Make sure that everyone on board your boat has a personal position locator beacon or PLB on their person at all times, and have one on the boat. Even if you can’t flag someone down, this beacon will let rescuers know where you are. Most PLBs activate automatically when submerged, so even if you aren’t able to turn them on, they’ll still send out a signal.

Whistle

Whistles are a very basic form of signal, but they’re cheap and their high pitch travels well, so they can be heard from pretty far away. Learn to blow the SOS code (three short sounds, three long sounds, three short sounds) so that you can let nearby vessels know that you need assistance, even if they can’t see you due to fog, rain or darkness.

Dry Suit

To prevent hypothermia from setting in, it’s important to keep yourself dry. A dry suit is designed to block out water and keep your insulating layers warm and dry. This is useful particularly for people who work in choppy waters and rough weather conditions since the cold will be a struggle and waves are likely to slosh over the sides of your boat and soak you otherwise.

Flotation Coat

Upgrading your personal flotation device or PFD to a flotation coat can really help you out when you’re boating in freezing conditions. A float coat provides you with more insulation and also makes you more buoyant if you fall in the water. If you spend a great deal of time in cold waters during the winter, a flotation coat may be a good investment for you to make over the more traditional life vest.

Still looking for the perfect boat for your winter cruises? Visit our dealership in Nisswa today to see our full inventory of new and used boats for sale. We have many different styles by all the most popular brands so you’re sure to find a boat you love. Nisswa Marine serves the St. Cloud and Minneapolis metro area as well as the cities of Brainerd, Grand Rapids and Duluth, Minnesota.