Your deck boat is absolutely a source of pride for you. You can’t get enough of the time you spend onboard, but you’re at the point where you’re wondering what else you can do with your boat. Namely, what kinds of accessories would make your deck boating experience even more fantastic?

Here are some accessories you might consider for your deck boat:

  • Lights
  • Shoes
  • Covers
  • Seats
  • Ladders
  • Lifts
  • Trolling Motors
  • Fishing Rod Holders

In this article, we’ll go over each of the above accessories, talking more about them, what they do, and why you’d want them for your boat. We’ll even include some shopping links for most of the items, all courtesy of Amazon.

Let’s get started!

Deck Boat Accessories You Need Like Yesterday

Lights

Your deck boat should include navigation lights, but perhaps you want extra ones. To that end, you might focus on deck lights to illuminate the sitting and lounging areas where your friends and family adore hanging out. You could also get lighting for other parts of your deck boat.

Most lights of this nature are floodlights, so they’ll produce enough brightness and then some. As LEDs, you can ensure your deck lights give you hundreds of hours of glow before they dim out for good. 

If you’re shopping around for some extra lights for your deck boat, try the Obscursco LED navigation lights. You can use these on skeeters, yachts, chandlery boats, pontoons, and deck boats, of course. Stick them where you need them most, including the deck, the starboard, the port, or even your bow sides.

You get all the screws and materials you need for quick installation. The lights glow red or green so you always stand out when riding. Each light runs on 12 volts, has a waterproof level of IP68, a radiation angle of 112.5 degrees, a height of 1.8 inches, and a base diameter of 2.4 inches.

You might also want to consider LEANINGTECH’s white spreader LED lights. You get two lights with your order as well as included mounting brackets. Each light has a base made from aluminum alloy. Running on 18 watts of power, these don’t hog up a lot of juice. The LEANINGTECH lights illuminate at 1,360 brilliant lumens with their white LEDs. 

Shoes

Okay, so these aren’t an accessory for your deck boat, but rather, for you! With boat shoes, you can walk around safely and look trendy at the same time. Sometimes referred to as deck shoes (how fitting), boat shoes have a leather or canvas base. It’s what’s under the shoes that counts, though. 

Boat shoes have a sole with a certain pattern known as siping. You see the same type of pattern in vehicle tires. With siping, you get better traction so you’re less likely to slip. Yes, even in slick or wet conditions like those onboard your deck boat.

The stitching featured on these shoes will last for years. If you get yours made of leather, the material acts as a water repellent. Leather doesn’t behave that way naturally, but with an oil most boat shoe manufacturers use, it now does.

For men, we like the Sperry two-eye boat shoe. These completely leather shoes have a non-marking outsole that maintains traction in wet conditions. The EVA heel cup will absorb impacts and shocks so your body doesn’t have to. 

You’ll also quite appreciate the slotted collar, metal eyelets that avoid rusting, and True-Moc toe stitching in a moccasin style. You can select from countless colors and styles via the Amazon link above.

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget the ladies. Try these Clarks Jocolin Vista boat shoes. These women’s shoes include Clarks’ Cushion Soft technology for easier, lighter walking. They also have an ortholite footbed, Cloudsteppers technology, and a rubber sole. Their textile base provides comfort while their trendy 1.18-inch heel looks great. These too come in a variety of colors and styles. 

Covers

Unless you live in a southern state like Florida, then the bitter winds of winter will force you to stop riding your deck boat at some point. Before you retire your vessel for the season, you need to winterize it. Part of this involves having a cover.

When shopping around for a boat cover, you want to ensure it encompasses as much of your deck boat as possible. Not every cover will protect the entirety of your boat, but leaving too much exposed risks that area of the boat getting damaged by the elements. There’s snow, rain, wind, and debris to worry about, for instance.

Shop for a cover that offers UV protection as well. Although your deck boat is covered, the sun’s intense rays can still beat down through the cover if it’s not UV-resistant. Thus, you could come back to a semi-faded boat in the springtime. No one wants that.

Also, make sure your cover is waterproof, not water-resistant. There is indeed a difference between the two. A water-resistant cover has a special coating that can keep water from soaking through, at least for a while. With time, that coating wears away, leaving you with a cover that does nothing to prevent rain or lake water from getting your cover wet. A damp, warm environment like your soaked cover makes the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew.

Waterproof covers are designed in such a way that their very weaving keeps water out. The stitching of the fabric of a water-resistant cover is often more porous, thus letting water right in once the coating is gone.

If you’re looking for your own deck boat cover, we suggest this one from Vortex Direct. It includes straps and elastic bands for hooking the cover onto and around your boat. Designed for three uses, Vortex Direct’s cover will serve you well when trailering, mooring, and storing your deck boat. Waterproof, anti-mildew, and UV-resistant, this is one great pick to consider.

You can also try the highly-rated AmazonBasics cover. Designed for bass boats, runabouts, and other vessels with a V-shaped hull (such as deck boats), you can get it in three sizes. Those are for boats 16 to 18.5 feet long, 17 to 19 feet long, and 20 to 22 feet long. Each cover comes in a light gray hue and weighs 12 pounds or more. With an entirely woven polyester base, it never shrinks or stretches.

Seats

Your deck boat comes with seats, but there are plenty of reasons you might consider adding more. For instance, maybe the current seats aren’t chic enough for your tastes. You could also maybe use more seats to accommodate your growing passenger list. If you do upgrade your deck boat for the latter reason, you must make sure you know the weight capacity of the boat beforehand. Then, do your best to follow it. After all, that weight capacity exists for a reason, namely so you don’t exceed it and risk tipping your boat. You also could put your passengers’ health and safety at risk.

So all your seats match, we recommend you go through your deck boat manufacturer to get new ones.

Ladders

Another accessory you might opt for is a deck boat ladder. Why? Well, you might not like the ladder that originally came with your boat, so you want to get a better one. Also, you may have decided to add a second ladder to your deck boat around the other side.

Like with your seats, you might contact your manufacturer and order a first or second ladder through them. You can also try Amazon. For instance, the JIF Marine Products DJX5-W ladder would look great on your deck boat. It’s made of anodized aluminum, so it’s lightweight yet dependable. The ladder has a 12-inch step height and a 14-inch handle depth. It’s retractable, so you can move it up and down as needed. To keep usage safe, JIF Marine Products includes a locking mechanism with dual rings that adds to the ladder’s stability.

Lifts

A boat lift makes it far handier and more convenient to send your boat into and out of the water. We’d say these aren’t so much an accessory as a necessity, then.

You can select from three types of boat lifts. These are suspended, floating, and bottom standing lifts. A suspended lift works best when riding in waters with a depth that’s more or less average.

If you go into bodies of water where the water levels can increase or decrease (such as the ocean), then choose a floating lift. These can handle the varying water levels without ruining your boat or the lift. You’ll also want to rely on a floating lift in deeper waters.

For waters no less than three feet deep and no more than 10 feet, a bottom standing lift comes in handy. These lifts settle on the sediment, even if it’s softer, so they’re a great option for lake boating.

As you shop for your ideal deck boat lift, keep these considerations in mind:

  • How well your lift can handle high winds, rain, and other inclement weather
  • Whether you ride in freshwater or saltwater conditions more often; if you do saltwater boating, then you need a lift that’s made of aluminum or galvanized steel, as anything else can corrode or rust
  • Whether you prefer your lift to run via electricity or through manual effort

Trolling Motors

If you like fishing, then a trolling motor’s right up your alley. These motors have controls, a propeller, and an electric motor housed inside. You put the trolling motor on your deck boat’s stern or bow if it’s your only motor. For fishing purposes, you might affix your trolling motor to your transom, not far from your outboard motor.

Trolling motors have many benefits. Most let you have greater control over the boating and fishing experience, as you can use a self-directional steerer, a foot steerer, or a hand steerer. They’re also compatible with GPS and autopilot devices that navigate for you so you can catch the most bountiful fish.

Depending on your needs, you can get a trolling motor at various lengths and thrust capabilities. These long, slim motors don’t take up a lot of room on your deck boat either, nor do they add too much extra weight.

The best part of using trolling motors? They’re super silent so you don’t scare the fish away. You can now fish to your heart’s content.

If you want to shop for a trolling motor now, we’ll point you in the direction of the NV-Series trolling motor from Newport Vessels. A newer product that’s already accumulating very high ratings on Amazon, this motor has the following thrust levels available: 36 pounds, 46 pounds, 55 pounds, 62 pounds, or 86 pounds.

Newport Vessels’ trolling motor includes hardware made of magnesium, zinc, and stainless steel so you can use it in saltwater without rust or corrosion. The 55-pounder can draw 52 amps max. To maintain battery life, you get a five-point battery meter with an LED light. When it’s time to charge, the meter lights up. You could even use a 12-volt deep cycle marine battery to power the trolling motor if you wanted.

This motor also boasts reverse speeds (three), forward speeds (five), and an extendable, telescoping handle that’s six inches and designed for ergonomics. The shaft, which measures 30 inches long, has a base made of composite fiberglass.

Another awesome pick for deck boat trolling motors is Minn Kota’s Endura. An Amazon’s Choice product, you can attach this motor to your boat’s transom and then be on your way. You get to choose from several Endura models, including the C2 30, the C2 40, the C2 45, the C2 50, or the C2 55. The Endura has several thrust levels, between 30 and 55 pounds.

A power propeller drives the trolling engine, which uses a telescoping tiller as well. The shaft length varies from 30 inches to 36 or 42 inches. All Minn Kota trolling motors include quiet power and a composite shaft they call “indestructible.”

Fishing Rod Holders

As an avid fisherman, you’re going to want as many deck boat accessories you can get your hands on that make fishing easier or more enjoyable. That’s why we thought you might be interested in fishing rod holders.

Attached to your boat through drilling or mounting, these rod holders let you entertain friends, navigate the boat, or do something else while knowing your rod is in good hands. We found two fishing rod holders you might want to try. The first comes from PLUSINNO on Amazon. With a universal fit, you shouldn’t have a hard time installing this fishing rod holder on your deck boat or any vessel.

This ABS plastic rod holder is made to handle impacts without buckling. It won’t corrode either since there’s no metal, and it’s eco-friendly to boot. PLUSSINO’s fishing rod holder moves all 360 degrees so you can shift it how and where you need it most. It has a rack for only one rod with a clamp opening of 1.97 inches.

Another rod holder you can’t go wrong with comes from Wogoboo. You get two in a pack so you and your buddy can each rest your fishing rods for a while. The manufacturer recommends putting the rod holders on your boat’s rail or its deck. You get a few mounting options as well, such as rail mounting, round rail mounting, side mounting, or flush mounting.

Conclusion 

The above deck boat accessories are some of the most sought-after for boating enthusiasts. If you want to add any or all the accessories to your own deck boat, you’ll love the links we provided. Have fun on your shopping spree!