My arms burned for the first three weekends of SUP season. I'd drag my inflatable board to the lake, wrestle with a hand pump, and arrive at the water already exhausted. That's when I started testing electric SUP pumps. After months of testing eight different models on everything from 9'6 all-rounders to 12'6 touring boards, […]

Getting a stand up paddleboard to the water should be the easy part of your day, not the hardest. After testing 8 of the best sup racks for cars over the last 60 days across a Toyota Camry, a Subaru Outback, and a Honda CR-V, our team landed on the carriers that actually hold up […]

After dinging my brand-new shortboard in the back of my truck on the way to a dawn patrol session, I learned the hard way that a good surfboard bag isn't optional gear — it's essential protection. Our team has spent the last 90 days testing the best surfboard bags on the market, hauling them across […]

Learning to water ski is one of the most rewarding things you can do behind a boat, but the wrong pair of skis can turn a fun day on the lake into a frustrating struggle. When I first started skiing years ago, I wasted an entire summer on skis that were too narrow and too […]

Open water swimming is brutal on your eyes. Salt stings, sun glares off the surface, and a foggy lens right before a turn buoy can cost you a place at the finish line. I started open water swimming in 2019 and have spent the last three summers testing every pair of best swim goggles for […]

Last summer I hauled a 70-quart cooler, two beach chairs, an umbrella, and a tackle box from a parking lot half a mile down the shore. By the time I reached my spot, my shoulders were done and my feet were burning. That trip is exactly why I started testing the best beach carts for […]

I've spent the past four summers testing beach chairs with canopy options across the Outer Banks, the Gulf Coast, and Lake Michigan. After watching umbrellas dive into the surf for the hundredth time, I switched entirely to canopy chairs. This year I worked with our team to compare 12 models side by side, weighing them, […]

A loose marine battery sliding across your hull in rough water is not just an inconvenience. It is a serious safety hazard that can short terminals, crack the battery case, and spill corrosive acid into your bilge. I learned this the hard way on a choppy morning trip when an unsecured deep cycle battery nearly […]

After spending the last three weekends on the water with our test team, I can tell you that the best transom mount trolling motors are no longer just budget fallbacks for small boats. In , the category has matured into a real workhorse segment with brushless options, saltwater-rated hardware, and Digital Maximizer technology that extends […]

I lost a $90 saltwater reel to a poorly sealed tackle box three years ago. Salt spray found its way past the flimsy latches during a choppy run back to the launch, and by the time I opened the box at home, the bearings had seized solid. That failure sent me on a 90-day deep […]