Binoculars for Sailing: Essential Features for Marine Observation

Sailors have used binoculars to navigate on board ships for years and years and being able to bring distant boats or coast lines up close when you’re out on the water is vital for safety and also enjoyment. But what are the best binoculars for sailing and what features do marine binoculars need to have to ensure the they are great for boating?

The best marine binoculars are durable, weatherproof, and produce crisp and clear images. To do this they need to have a quality construction, be built with good glass and have coated lenses that offer clarity even in low light conditions.

In general, the best marine binoculars have a 7x magnification as this gives you enough power to view your images without causing any stabilisation and shaking problems when on the water. A 50mm lens pairs perfectly with the 7x magnification, producing bright, clear images and a wide field of view.

As they’ll be used on and around water, opting for waterproof binoculars is essential, as is a durable rubber housing that helps to not only protect them but to also give you a sure grip and prevent you from dropping them overboard into the depth of the ocean.

Let’s take a look at the best marine binoculars in our range today.

Our 5 Favourite Marine Binoculars On the Market Today

• Bushnell Marine 7x50 Binoculars
• Canon 10x42 L IS WP Image Stabilised Binoculars
• Nikon 7x50 CF WP Marine Binoculars
• Bushnell H2O 2 7x50 Porro Binoculars
• Konus Abyss 7x50 Marine Binoculars

Bushnell Marine 7x50 Binoculars

Bushnell have been making binoculars for outdoor activities for many years and if there’s one thing we know is that they do it well! These well-specced marine binoculars have everything you need for successful glassing aboard a boat. They’re waterproof, non-slip, rubber-covered and nitrogen filled meaning they have all the features they need to perform well on the water.

Features:

• 7x magnification
• 50mm objective lenses
• Porro prism
• Waterproof
• Strong rubber armour to protect against sea salt
• Float in sea water
• 126m field of view
• 18mm eye relief
• 1021g

Pros:

• Rugged design
• Float in water
• Good eye relief
• Quality, fully multicoated glass
• Good wide field of view

Cons:

• Not the most budget option

Canon 10x42 L IS WP Image Stabilised Binoculars

If there’s one thing that most people know about boats, it’s that they can rock like crazy in rough seas and even on a calm day they’ll move to some extent. An unstable ground can cause chaos when it comes to viewing through high magnification binoculars, with any form of shake rendering the images too blurry. That’s why most marine binoculars come with a 7x magnification. But what if you need more magnification? That’s where binoculars such as the digital image stabilised binocular from Canon are a life saver. They’re not cheap, but if magnification is important to effective viewing when out on the ocean, then these awesome waterproof binoculars from Canon will be your saviour. At the higher end of the quality and price range, these awesome binoculars are constructed with ultra low dispersion glass and lots of high end features.

Features:

• 10x magnification
• 42mm objective lenses
• Porro prism design
• Ultra low dispersion (UD) glass
• Fully multi-coated optics using Canon's proprietary Super Spectra Coating
• Doublet field-flatteners produce sharp, edge-to-edge distortion-free images
• Wide field of view
• Proprietary Vari-Angle prism electronic image stabilisation
• Single activation button in natural position for right-forefinger use
• Convenient 5-minute continuous activation mode
• Battery-check indicator on start-up
• Runs on two included AA batteries
• Works as conventional binoculars even with batteries uninstalled
• Waterproof up to a depth 1m for 5 minutes

Pros:

• Waterproof to a depth of 1m
• Stabilise images so that you can get high magnification views on board a boat
• Ultra low dispersion glass for extra clarity and brightness

Cons:

• Far from a budget option

Nikon 7x50 CF WP Marine Binoculars

The Nikon 7x50 CF WP Marine Binoculars are waterproof and weather resistant to give you performance that you can count on when using them for all nautical activities. These binoculars are built with Nikons high quality optical components, and their lens surfaces have multi-layered, anti-reflection coatings to transmit the highest percentage of ambient light with maximum clarity.

Features:

• 7x magnification
• 50mm objective lenses
• Waterproof
• Porro prism
• Comes with floating strap
• Tripod adaptable
• Strong rubber armour
• 22.7mm eye relief
• 126m field of view
• 1115g

Pros:

• Extra long eye relief
• Includes a floating strap
• Good quality optics
• Waterproof to a depth of 1m for 5 minutes
• Wide field of view

Cons:

• On the heavier side for marine binoculars

Bushnell H2O 2 7x50 Porro Binoculars

As their name suggests, the H2O binoculars from Bushnells 2021 line are waterproof meaning that you can depend on them in any wet environment. Designed for marine activities such as boating, canoeing or fishing on the ocean, by a river or on a lake, the H2O 2 binoculars have a lightweight aluminium chassis that makes them easier to hold for long periods of time. Indeed, they’re one of the lighter weight models of nautical binoculars on the market today.

Features:

• 7x magnification
• 50mm objective lenses
• Waterproof
• Porro prism
• Slip resistant rubber armour
• Anti-reflective multi-layer lens coating
• 27mm eye relief
• 115m field of view
• 1063g

Pros:

• Great for users on a small budget
• New design
• Excellent eye relief

Cons:

• Field of view is not as wide as other models

Konus Abyss 7x50 Marine Binoculars

The Konus Abyss 7x50 Marine Binoculars are a rare find. Offering a unique binocular configuration that’s designed especially for use on the water, these binoculars offer great value for money and come in at a price point that’s virtually unheard of when it comes to marine binoculars. This budget friendly model has entry level optics and is a great option for boaters looking for an affordable first marine binocular.

Features:

• 7x magnification
• 50mm objective lenses
• Waterproof
• Special coated optics
• Rubber covered
• Enlarged eyepieces
• Roll-down eyecups
• Tripod adaptable
• 112m field of view
• 950g

Pros:

• Budget friendly
• Lightweight
• Waterproof

Cons:

• Lack the premium feel and features of more expensive options
• Field of view could be wider
• Entry level glass quality

How to Choose Marine Binoculars?

Let’s take a look at the key features to look for in marine binoculars.

Magnification

Many people assume that the greater the magnification of a binocular, the better, but on a moving boat, it’s long been accepted that a 7x magnification offers the perfect compromise between magnifying objects to make them appear larger, offering a good depth of field, and keeping them still enough to see. Indeed, even on dry land, highly magnified images can be affected by even the slightest movement of the hand, making them appear blurry, so add in the gradual movement of the waves and you really do want to keep away from high end magnifications for use on water. If you’re buying binoculars specifically for use on the water then we’d always suggest a 7x magnification unless you’re purchasing binoculars with digital image stabilisation which we discuss in further detail below.

Objective lens diameter

The objective lens of a binocular is the front lens, furthest away from your eye. Its job is to let in as much light as possible so that it can be directed to your eye and magnified on the way. In general, the larger the objective lens, the more light a binoculars can let in, especially in low light conditions such as dawn and dusk. For marine use, it’s long agreed that pairing a 7x magnification with a 50mm objective lens makes for images that offer the right level of image brightness. The downside of larger lenses such as these is that they do tend to add extra weight to binoculars, however as most sailing binoculars will only be used sporadically whilst on the boat and you won’t have to carry them far, weight isn’t such an important factor.


Waterproofing and fog proofing

When it comes to choosing sailing binoculars it’s essential that you opt for waterproof binoculars. This isn’t just incase they accidentally get dropped over board, but also because of the damp air that they will be exposed to constantly. Whether it’s salty sea air or damp conditions at the lake, any moisture in the atmosphere can permeate inside binoculars that are not nitrogen purged and o-ring sealed to make them waterproof. Moisture inside binoculars can not only make their lenses fog up so that you can’t see through them but it can also make them rust and cause corrosion inside them. Wherever possible we suggest opting for waterproof binoculars when it comes to use for sailing, fishing, kayaking or indeed any activity that’s water based or near water. 


Image stabilisation

As we’ve discussed, binoculars with magnifications of over around 7x start to struggle on a constantly moving platform like a boat. But what happens if you’re a sailor and the magnification offered by a 7x binocular just isn’t strong enough to see distant objects? In these situations, if you really need more magnification then we’d suggest opting for binoculars with digital image stabilisation. This means that thanks to some exceptional autofocus software inside them, image stabilised binoculars can magnify the world around you and then stabilise the image before it reaches your eyes so that they’re not shaky or blurry. Image stabilised binoculars are a real game changer for any situation where the binoculars will be exposed to shaky or rough movements, but unfortunately they’re not a budget option.

Field of view

The field of view of a binocular, or FOV refers to the horizontal width of what you can view when looking through your binoculars. That is, how much of the ocean in front of you you can see at one time when you look through them. It’s measured in metres and is a key factor for use on a boat. A wider field of view allows you to scan the ocean and horizon in front of you for boats and land more easily. The field of view offered by a binocular is governed by their magnification and also their construction. In general, a low 7x magnification offers a decent field of view meaning that you’d be able to spot more boats, animals or more of the shoreline at one point. 


Durability and ruggedness

Binoculars that are used on or near water get subjected to no end of abuse. Wet hands, sea spray, strong winds or the accidental drop in the ocean can really put sailing binoculars through their paces so it’s vital that you opt for binoculars that are of a strong, durable construction. We’d advise choosing rubber armoured binoculars that give a non slip finish and protect the binoculars from sea salt and spray and also accidental bumps and scrapes.

Lens coatings

As with any binoculars for any viewing activities, the enjoyment that you get from using marine binoculars is strongly linked to the quality of the glass that is used to construct them and they coatings that are used to seal those optics. Even the most budget binoculars on the market will have at least some coatings on their lenses. These coatings are vital for ensuring that as much light as possible that enters the front, objective lenses of the binoculars actually reaches your eyes and isn’t reflected elsewhere. Wherever possible opt for fully multi coated optics and also choose ones that have any special coatings on them too for the brightest, clearest images with little distortion and as much clarity as possible.


Sail Away With ScopeUout 


Ready to set sail? Make sure your optics are suitable for successful viewing on board your boat by opting for waterproof binoculars in either a 7x50 configuration, or with a higher magnification and digital stabilisation. Where possible, opt for a binoculars with the highest quality glass and coatings and with a wide field of view. We hope that our selection of the best marine binoculars in New Zealand has provided you with some options that take your interest. All binoculars in our range come with a NZ warranty and are sourced from the authorised importer.

If you want to find out more about choosing marine binoculars then why not check out our buying guide. If you need any help at all choosing your new marine binoculars then get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.