Tech tools for boating safety

One of the benefits of living in paradise is we can enjoy the water pretty much year-round. And many of us do - on boats. With National Safe Boating Week (May 20-26) just around the corner, AT&T is sharing some tech ideas to help keep your boating adventures safe:

U.S. Coast Guard Mobile App: This free app provides information most commonly requested by boaters. It provides a safety equipment checklist, free boating safety check requests, navigation rules, the ability to file a float plan, and more. When your location services are enabled, you can receive the latest weather reports from the closest National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather buoys. This app also features an Emergency Assistance button, which, with location services enabled, will call the closest Coast Guard command center.

MyRadar NOAA Weather Radar, Forecasts & Storms: This free app is a must-have for boaters. The weather app displays animated weather radars around your current location so you can see what kind of weather is coming your way. The hi-def animated radar helps you see weather details at the closest level. On top of the basic weather forecast, users can get a quick glance of temperatures around the country, as well as overlay a current satellite image of cloud cover. Additional options include weather warnings and alerts, complete with push notifications, to warn you of severe weather in your area. There's also an optional hurricane tracker, providing excellent details and projections for the path of storms.

Cobra Jumpack 6000 mAh Backup Battery: Don’t take a chance getting stranded on ocean if your boat loses power. The Cobra Jumpack backup battery will jumpstart your boat multiple times on one charge. It has 360A peak current and a 2.4A USB output for rapid charging of mobile devices. It also has a built-in LED flashlight. Jumper cables are included. ($49.50 at att.com)

Fast Charge Portable Battery Pack: If you don’t have a device with you like the Cobra Jumpack backup battery, make sure you at least have a fast charge portable battery pack for your smartphone, like the Samsung Fast Charge Portable Battery. It provides up to 2 full charges from 0 – 100% on most of the latest smartphones.

Lifesource Phone Case: Of course, you want to make sure your smartphone works when you need it most, so consider getting a waterproof phone case, like the Lifesource case. It’s waterproof, dirt-proof, snow-proof, and drop-proof. You may also want to consider getting a floating phone case in case you accidentally drop your phone overboard or find yourself in a sinking boat.