71% of the earth’s surface is water, yet most people spend their lives on solid ground. You might go swimming or watch the ocean from the shore, but being out on a boat ride is a profoundly different way to experience our beautiful planet.

Getting out on the open water means exposing your body to the elements. You’re likely to be physically active, too. Things like salt water and high winds can hurt your body, so it’s best to be well-prepared.

Here are five things you can bring to care for yourself for the best experience on the water.

1. First Aid Supplies

The ability to respond quickly to an injury is essential whenever you’re far from home, especially when you’re out on boat rides. On the water, you’re farther from help, so your safety depends on commonsense preventative measures and first aid.

Use preventative measures first. Sunscreen is the most used protection against sunburn and skin cancer, but the jury’s out on its safety and effectiveness, so consider UPF clothing instead. Lip balm and salves can help keep your lips and skin from drying out in the wind.

If you’re prone to seasickness, you can take anti-nausea medication beforehand. Use non-drowsy varieties: you don’t want to be asleep at the wheel when you ride the boat.

You’ll want to stock all the gear in a standard first aid kit (plus other gear, too!). Even fairly routine injuries, like cuts on the hands, can be serious if you’re paddling back to the shore.

2. Drinking Water

It may sound ironic to focus on hydration when you’re on a boat, but it’s one of the best ways to care for your body. Bring plenty of water — and drink it! (When you need to pee, you can use a stand-to-pee device. More on that below!)

When you’re out on the water, you’re more likely to be exposed to dehydrating elements like hot sun and high winds. Athletes “prehydrate” before a workout, hydrate during exercise, and rehydrate afterward. Start hydrating before you get on the boat!

A combination of plain water and a sugar-free electrolyte mix are the only liquids you should drink on board. Other common boat beverages like soda and alcohol dehydrate, so it’s best to avoid them.

3. The pStyle

Stand-to-pee devices like the pStyle make it possible to pee standing up without removing clothing or only unzipping the fly of your pants. The practical benefits of using a pStyle on a boat are huge.

Sea kayakers on the open ocean can pee over the side of their kayak. If you’re out fishing, you can pee over the gunwales (it’s much more discreet than dropping your pants). Rafters on long river trips can use the pStyle when they’re camping on land.

Holding your pee can be harmful to your urinary system. Carrying an STP device like the pStyle gives you more options for how and where you can pee.

People often have questions about where and when it’s legally permissible to pee. Parks and other public places usually have specific guidelines about public urination. The pStyle allows you to pee without removing your clothing, but be aware of your impact on the land and follow the park’s guidelines.

If you know you can pee anytime, you can always stay hydrated! The pStyle lets you get back to having fun. 

4. Good Food and Snacks

Some people barely bring trail mix and a banana on their boat rides, but adequate nutrition is critical, especially when physically active. You’ll need more than empty calories for an all-day boat adventure. If it’s possible to carry a cooler or insulated bag with ice, you can bring fresh food and cold drinks.

Fresh grapes or cherries, hummus and bread, and hard-boiled eggs are simple and hold up well in a cooler. Granola bars and no-bake energy bites are easy to make at home and can deliver lots of healthy nutrition if your boat ride doesn’t involve a cooler.

Eating healthy food while physically active gives your body more nutrition, and you’re less likely to fall into a sugar crash out on the water. You could even bring food you’ve grown and fertilized from your garden!

5. The Right Gear

Good gear contributes a lot to whether or not you have a good or bad day on the water. Some gear is boating-specific, but other things are just common sense. For example, STP devices like the pStyle make life easier in many situations, from dirty public restrooms to multi-day fishing expeditions.

Sunscreen has questionable ingredients and effectiveness, but clothing can provide substantive protection from UV rays. Clothes that are made to be sun-protective should have a lab-tested UPF rating, but even without a rating, look for clothing that has darker colors, thicker weaves, and synthetic material, all of which help to block light.

Don’t forget your footwear: non-slippery shoes are a lifesaver on a wet boat deck. Polarized sunglasses make boat rides easier by reducing the strain on your eyes.

A dry bag is helpful to carry a change of clothes, paperwork, or the first aid kit—anything you don’t want to get wet in a surprise moment out on the water.

Have Fun and Stay Hydrated!

A little planning means having fun all day when you’re on the water. Take the sun and wind seriously, and you’ll still feel great the next day. The pStyle is an excellent piece of gear that fits in your back pocket (or a pCase on your belt), and it’s the perfect addition to any boat ride.

Check out our website to see our full line of pStyles. Got questions? Drop us a line on our contact page.