Discover Boating Center

Your one-stop resource for boating information and advice. Staffed by experts who can answer all your questions and set you on a course to choosing a boat that will give you and your family years of enjoyment, the Discover Boating Center is here to help you become a boater.

• Straightforward answers to all your boating questions
• Expert, unbiased advice on buying a boat
• Information you can trust and local resources to help you get started
• Fun contests and giveaways, too!

Green Boating Zone

Learn about environmentally-friendly boating practices and products. The Green Boating Zone features West Marine's Go Green display and “10 Green Boating Tips” to help boaters minimize their impact on the environment while maximizing the efficiency and performance of boating.

Featured products include the first marine cleaners to carry the EPA “Design for the Environment” (DfE) label, the revolutionary Torqeedo, a portable electric outboard that fits inside a backpack, and the Fuel Whistle which stops whistling when your tank is full, helping to reduce spills.

Green Boating

NEW! Affordability Pavilion

Think owning a boat is out of your reach? Think again! When it comes to enjoyable ways to spend your leisure time, boating is far more affordable than you may realize. Whether you want to cruise, fish, waterski, wakeboard or just spend time on the water with family and friends, be sure to visit Space S21 to check out boats from ProLite, Bentley, Boston Whaler and others, that you can own for less than $250 per month. And when you compare the costs of boating to a sngle day at an amusement park or a trip to a major league game, you'll see that dollar for dollar, boating is really quite affordable.

Budget Planner

Holiday Gift Guide

Escape the frenzy of the holiday season and get your holiday shopping done at the Show—there's no better place in the tri-state area to find holiday gifts for the boater or angler on your list. Whether you're fishing for stocking stuffers or yearning for that yacht, incomparable deals on the latest boats and marine accessories on the market make post-holiday sales a thing of the past.

Click here to check out our Holiday Gift Guide

Daily Fishing Seminars

You can remedy your fishing fever with our daily fishing and boating seminars, produced by Rich Johnson, the radio and TV host of "The Fishing Line"

Discover Boating and Fishing Seminar Schedule

Speakers bios

Miss Geico

No race boat has ever earned a coveted spot in the American Power Boat Association’s legendary Hall of Champions—but that may change when this record-setting offshore catamaran finally hits the dry docks.
The 40-foot, turbine-powered Miss GEICO took the offshore racing scene by storm in the spring of 2006 and proceeded to demolish record after record and awe those unfortunate enough to race against her.
“I don’t think the other big boats on the circuit knew what to expect,” said driver Marc Granet. “Nobody had ever seen anything like it.”
In its inaugural season, the Platinum cat dominated all three major racing tours – the Offshore Super Series, Super Boat International and the Offshore Performance Association – capturing three world championships and quickly becoming the crowd favorite from the sun-drenched waters of Miami to the wind-swept bays of the Great Lakes.
“When we hit 180 mph, people couldn’t believe it,” Granet recalled. “Speeds that high were unheard of in offshore racing.”
Miss GEICO returned the following year to set a new speed record from in Annapolis to Baltimore, covering the rough water course in 14 minutes and 7 seconds.

Watch Video »

Kids' Cove

Parents - Take a break!  Let the kids board a paddleboat and splash around on a mini-lake.  Self-steer paddleboats are a fun way for kids to "Discover Boating" on their own.