The Sea Tow Foundation™, a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing boating-related accidents and fatalities, in partnership with its Boating Safety Advisory Council, announced the winners of the 2026 National Boating Safety Awards.

Now in its eighth year, the awards recognize outstanding efforts within the recreational boating industry that promote safe and responsible boating to help build more confident boaters. The 2026 National Boating Safety Awards were presented October 6 at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX) in Tampa, Fla.

New this year, the awards feature nine categories focused on how boating safety is being promoted across the industry by recognizing outstanding education, community engagement, digital initiatives, technology, partnerships, campaigns and advocacy.

“The 2026 winners demonstrate just how many different ways our industry focuses on safe and responsible boating,” said Gail R. Kulp, executive director of the Sea Tow Foundation. “From hands-on education and innovative technology to community programs, partnerships, and individual leadership, these efforts are connecting with boaters and helping them become more confident on the water.”

The winners of the 2026 National Boating Safety Awards include:

• Best Boating Safety Education & Training Program: BoatClass, for its hands-on boating courses that put participants behind the wheel with certified captains to practice boat handling, docking, navigation, anchoring, VHF use and emergency response.
• Best Youth Boating Safety Initiative: SUNY Maritime College, for its Maritime Adventure Boat Camp.
• Best Boating Safety Community Engagement Program: Sawyer Paddles and Oars, for Fit to Float, a statewide life jacket education initiative developed with the Oregon State Marine Board and community partners.
• Best Boating Safety Digital Initiative: The Qualified Captain, for its new NASBLA-approved online boating safety course.
• Best Boating Safety Product or Technology Innovation: Garmin, for its OnBoard Wireless Man Overboard Detection and Engine Cutoff System.
• Best Boating Safety Partnership/Collaborative Initiative: The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Paddlecraft Safety Division and Cross Currents Leadership, for the 2026 Spring Auxiliary Training.
• Best Marine Dealer Boating Safety Effort: Causeway Marine, for its Become a Better Boater campaign.
• Best Integrated Boating Safety Campaign: ACR Electronics, for its campaign educating boaters about Electronic Visual Distress Signaling Devices (eVDSDs), or electronic flares.
• Best Individual Boating Safety Advocate: John Sewell, director of safety for Freedom Boat Club, for building a comprehensive safety program across 170 locations in 11 states and two countries.

Among this year’s category winners, SUNY Maritime College was selected to receive the Boating Safety Excellence Award, the Sea Tow Foundation’s highest recognition, for its Maritime Adventure Boat Camp and its lasting impact on the future of boating. For nearly two decades, the program has expanded access to boating while building safety into the experience from the beginning, helping develop the next generation of confident, responsible boaters.