Mother’s Day Gift Ideas For The Boating Mom

By Margie Allen

AQUAPAC: Mom can take her tunes to the lake fearlessly when her iPod is nestled safely in its Aquapac. Aquapac makes a huge variety of great water-proof, see-through cases for everything from cell phones to video cameras.

You can use your device right through the case, so they are ideal for moms who love watersports. They’ve recently come out with waterproof earbuds, too, and you can get the set for $75. Go to www.aquapac.net for more info.

ECOSHOT: Moms and grandmas are famous for taking photos of their loved ones, so why not get her camera that she can use even underwater? Whether Mom is a kayaker, angler, diver, swimmer, boater or all of the above, she’ll flip over the 6 megapixel ECOshot camera from SeaLife.

With this camera you can even do time-lapse photography! It has 14 MB of built-in memory and an SD Card slot for adding more. Software is included, and the camera links to your PC with a USB connection. The ECOshot costs just under $250, but isn’t Mom worth it?

EYE-POPPING PINK TACKLE BOX: Tackle Tech’s Readi-Lure tackle box is now available in a gorgeous shade of passion pink. The Readi-Lure is the perfect tackle box for enthusiastic anglers because it can hold as many as 200 lures in a compact, easy-to-access unit.

Each end of the Readi-Lure pops open at the push of a button, revealing rows of compartments and slide-out drawers. Even if Mom doesn’t fish, she’ll find a ton of uses for this delightful box – it’s great for sewing equipment or hand tools, and it would hold a king’s ransom in jewelry. Get one at www.tackletech.net for just under $80.

TOP OF THE LINE SHADES: Any mom who spends time on the water needs a quality pair of sunglasses, regardless of whether she fishes or not. Anglers know that polarized glasses let you see into the water, but a quality pair of glasses does much more.

Smith Action Optics puts proven technical features between Mom’s eyes and the elements. These are premium glasses with extreme clarity and definition no matter what the light conditions are.

They prevent eye fatigue, eliminate glare, and shield Mom’s beautiful eyes from UVA and UVB rays. You can see Smith Action Optics at http://www.sunglasses-int.com/.

ADVENTURE MEDICAL KITS: These guys are the leading developer of first aid kits for outdoor and travel adventure, and they’ve introduced the Sportsman Series of medical kits for outdoor types. There are five kits based on how long your trips are and how many people are going, so you’re sure to find the one that fits Mom to a T.

All the kits feature AMK’s proprietary Easy Care System that organizes the kits by type of injury and includes instruction card that let you render effective first aid regardless of your experience.

The Outfitter is set up for up to 14 people for 14 days and comes with a detachable Field/Trauma kit so Mom can leave the big kit at camp and take the little one on the boat with her. If all she needs is something small and portable, get her the Sportsman Kit for just $35.

It has first aid supplies for up to four people for four days. There is even a little nine-dollar kit that has just enough to cover small injuries outdoors, such as blisters, cuts, scrapes, and fish-hook removal. Check out all the Adventure Medical Kits at www.adventuremedicalkits.com.

COFFEE LIP BALM: What mom wouldn’t like to protect her lips from the sun and get a lift at the same time? Dermatone’s coffee lip balm lets you do just that.

This stuff has an SPF of 23 and it’s enriched with caffeine, too. Runs at less than $2.50 each, so get Mom a handful of them.

Pro bass angler Gary Dobyns of California just had a chunk of his forehead removed because of skin cancer, and his doctor recommended Dermatone products to protect him. Even if she wears a hat, Mom needs to remember sunscreen all over her face, because sun reflected off the water is just as bad as direct sun.

After all, Dobyns always wears a hat, and look what happened to his forehead! You can get Dermatone products at just about any store on the planet, including supermarkets, outdoor supply stores, drugstores, etc. See all the Dermatone stuff at www.dermatone.com.

BROTHER P-TOUCH LABELER: A labeler is a super gift for any mom, and especially one who boats, fishes, or camps. Think about it: All her gear is stashed in boxes, and it can be hard to tell which is which.

A Brother P-Touch will run you less than $40 and will let Mom make waterproof labels for all her gear boxes. She’ll use it at home, too.

Look for the P-Touch labelers at your neighborhood office supply or discount store, or check them out at www.brothermall.com. Look for the PT-1000 or the PT-1280.

NET ‘N’ BUDDY: Nothing drives Mom nuts more than a cluttered boat. One thing that often takes up way more space than it should is the net.

You know you’ve got to have one, but it seems as if it’s always getting in the way, getting snagged on stuff, etc. The Net ‘N’ Buddy really helps.

It’s a catch that attaches to the net handle, and has a hook that fastens to the net fabric, so it keeps the net firmly attached to the handle until you need it. The weight of a fish pops it loose and you’re good to go.

Best of all, they’re only about 10 bucks. Check it out at www.netnbuddy.com.

CAGI FISH CALLER: Is your mom a troller? Sometimes fishing is just an excuse to relax in the back of the boat, and that’s just fine.

But, what if you could give mom something that would actually “call” the fish to her lure? Would that be worth $11 to you? Go to www.cagioutdoorproducts.com and read about their fish caller.

It won an award at the ICAST convention last year, and it’s the easiest thing in the world to use. You just tie it on in front of your lure, then go out and catch eight times as many fish. Get Mom a couple, and don’t forget to pick one up for yourself, too.

BE HER PARTNER: Got a mom who loves to fish? Count your lucky stars! Show her a good time by signing up to fish a couple’s tournament with her.

All Star and MBC both have couples’ circuits, and the entry fees are quite reasonable. You might end up splitting quite a bit of money, but even if you don’t win, Mom is sure to meet a lot of nice, like-minded ladies and have great day fishing with you to boot. Find All Star Bass at www.azha.com and MBC at http://www.azbasszone.com/mbc2006/mbchome.php.