2025 National Boating Safety Awards presented at IBEX
The Sea Tow Foundation, in collaboration with its Boating Safety Advisory Council, announced the winners of the 2025 National Boating Safety Awards during IBEX 2025.
Now in its seventh year, the awards highlight exceptional safety efforts and initiatives led by the for-profit sector of the boating industry. The award recipients were recognized for their approach and commitment to creating safer experiences for boaters nationwide across eight categories.
2025 National Boating Safety Award winners:
- Community Boating and Education Program Award: Freedom Boat Club
- Honorable Mention: Causeway Marine
- Gear, Equipment & Accessories Manufacturer Award: Garmin
- Marine Manufacturers Award: Pursuit Boats
- Marine Retailer Award: Strong’s Marine
- Marine Trade Association Award: National Marine Manufacturers Association
- Media Outlet Award: Bob’s No Wake Zone Boating Radio Show
- PR, Marketing, & Advertising Agency Award: Hammer and Nail Marketing
- Social Media Influencer Award: BoatClass
The Community Boating and Education Program Award was presented to Freedom Boat Club for its Expanded Member Safety Training: Virtual + On-Water Orientation Program. Within just 12 months of launch, Freedom Boat Club grew its training by 120%. Causeway Marine earned Honorable Mention for partnering with Safety First Boating School to host New Jersey’s mandatory Boating Safety Certificate Courses in their showroom.
The Gear, Equipment & Accessories Manufacturer Award was presented to Garmin for its 2025 Safe Boating Campaign. Garmin utilized blogs, e-blasts, and presentations to promote safety messaging around National Safe Boating Week. Garmin also partnered with The Qualified Captain, Katie Sawyer, and Clay Cowart, reaching 1.7 million followers through social media giveaways and outreach.
The Marine Retailer Award was presented to Strong’s Marine for its Women on the Water Series. Through this program, Strong’s Marine empowered women in the boating community to feel safe and confident on the water.
The Marine Trade Association award was presented to the National Marine Manufacturers Association for its 2025 Discover Boating Video Series, produced in partnership with Progressive Insurance. This growing video series fills critical knowledge gaps for boaters of all experience levels.
The Media Outlet Award was presented to Bob’s No Wake Zone Boating Radio Show, celebrating 15 years on the air with more than 780 shows and 3,000 guest interviews.
The PR, Marketing & Advertising Consultant or Agency Award was presented to Hammer and Nail Marketing for its “Boater Safety is Good Business” campaign. The agency consistently integrates boating safety messaging into its weekly marketing newsletters and social media content for marinas, covering vital topics such as life jacket use, sober boating, CPR training, and the importance of boating safety education.
The Social Media Influencer Award was presented to BoatClass for its Organic Social Media Safety & Instruction Video Series. With creative, beginner-friendly videos, BoatClass makes boating safety easy to understand and enjoyable to learn.
The Top Marine Manufacturer Award, the highest distinction of the Sea Tow Foundation’s National Boating Safety Awards, was presented to Pursuit Boats for its groundbreaking Confidence on the Water program. In partnership with the Chapman School of Seamanship, Pursuit Boats developed a two-day course designed to educate owners on boating safety and proper vessel handling. Every new Pursuit Boat owner and up to three additional participants can take the course free of charge with the purchase of a new vessel.
